Natalka Vorozhbyt's Demons has been selected for the Filmmakers of the Present competition, one of the flagship sections of the Locarno Film Festival dedicated to directors' first and second feature films. The 79th edition of the festival will take place in Locarno from 5 to 15 August.
Set in the years immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the film follows the charismatic Nina (played by Ruslana Pysanka), who takes in a homeless Russian man claiming to be a writer. Hoping to build a new life with him, she gradually discovers his true nature as the mystical landscapes of Ukraine's Poltava Region where witches live alongside humans and the dead speak to the living begin to reveal his secrets.
Demons is Vorozhbyt's second feature film. Her debut, Bad Roads, premiered in the International Critics' Week competition at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Verona Film Club Award.
In 2022, Vorozhbyt's short film Are you Ok? premiered during the opening ceremony of the Locarno Film Festival. She is also the screenwriter of Cyborgs and the showrunner of the acclaimed television series To Catch the Kaidash.
Demons was Ruslana Pysanka's final leading film role. The actress died in July 2022, while production was still underway, after around 90% of her scenes had already been filmed. Following her death, the creative team reworked several of the final scenes to complete the film while preserving the director's original vision and honouring Pysanka's memory.
Demons is a Ukrainian-Polish co-production, supported by the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the Polish Film Institute.
The film was produced by Yuriy Minzyanov, Dmytro Minzyanov (Kristi Films) and Denys Ivanov (Arthouse Traffic). The Polish co-producers are Dariusz Jabłoński, Violetta Kamińska, Izabela Wójcik (Apple Film Production) and Magdalena Zimiecka (Orka).
The project also won the proMOTION 2026 programme supporting the international promotion of Ukrainian cinema, implemented by the Ukrainian Institute in partnership with the Council of Europe Eurimages co-production fund.
Demons is scheduled for Ukrainian theatrical release in March 2027.