A colourful premiere of the family Ukrainian fantasy Guardians of Christmas, produced by 1+1 Media, took place in Israel, organisers of the screenings, Created in Ukraine, report. The first screening was held in Tel Aviv and drew around 400 viewers.
Families attended the event, and according to the organisers, even children born in Israel — who do not always speak Ukrainian fluently — watched the film with great enthusiasm. The organisers note that such events encourage young audiences to use Ukrainian more often in family life, as happened after previous screenings, including the animated film Mavka.
The premiere turned into a true family festival: actors from the Ukrainian theatre MAK.UA took part, a children’s programme ran, photo zones were set up, and various competitions and activities were held.
Additional screenings of Guardians of Christmas took place in Haifa — due to high demand, organisers added a second session. Audiences in Ashdod also attended the film. The film was personally presented by Anna Kovalyova, the composer of the soundtrack Lights, who spoke about creating the festive composition while working in Israel’s hot climate.
Organisers emphasise the importance of supporting Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian communities and cultural initiatives in Israel, which help with event organisation and promotion. In partnership with local communities in Tel Aviv and Haifa, Created in Ukraine has screened dozens of Ukrainian films across Israel. These include premiere showings in various cities of Mavka, Pamfir, Dovbush, 20 Days in Mariupol, as well as special screenings of The Guide, Shchedryk, Viddana, Stop-Zemlia, Terykony (Boney Piles), The Earth is Blue as an Orange, Luxembourg, Luxembourg, My Carpathian Grandpa, The Living Fire, We Will Not Fade Away, Stay Online, La Palisida, Reflection and others. In total, nearly 50 Ukrainian films have been shown on the big screen across the country.
Created in Ukraine, together with the Ukrainian Cultural Centre at the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel, has repeatedly organised free screenings of Ukrainian films for the local Ukrainian community. They have also presented documentary films as part of the Docudays UA Travelling International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival. In 2022, Created in Ukraine organised Ukrainian Film Days at the cinemas in Jerusalem and Holon. The organisation collaborates with all major cinema chains, cinematheques, and cultural centres across Israel.
In 2024, Created in Ukraine is the founder and organiser of the Ukraine Aviv Festival of Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema in Tel Aviv and plays a central role in screening Ukrainian films and promoting Ukraine’s cultural presence in Israel.
Upcoming film events include screenings of the documentary Okean Elzy: Stormwatch in Tel Aviv and Haifa, featuring a meeting with the film’s producer, Maksym Serdyuk. The program will also showcase the comedy Train to Christmas and the documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov, which has already received an award at the Doc Aviv festival.