The films Traces by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk and For Victory! by Valentyn Vasyanovych have been included in the shortlists for the 39th European Film Awards. This is stated on the awards’ website.
Traces by Kovalenko and Nikitiuk was included in the shortlist for feature-length documentary films.
Traces tells the story of Ukrainian women who have suffered sexual violence and torture committed during Russia’s aggression. At the centre is Iryna Dovhan, a former captive who became an activist and documents the testimonies of survivors in Ukraine’s de-occupied territories. The film aims to present a collective portrait of trauma, resilience and hope, and to show how survivors, through mutual support and solidarity, reclaim their agency, challenge the stigma of silence and stand up for justice.
Traces is a co-production between Ukraine and Poland. The producers were Olha Bergman and Nataliya Libet.
Previously, the film won in the Panorama programme at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). In September, the Ukrainian Oscar Committee selected it as Ukraine’s submission for the 99th Academy Awards.
Vasyanovych’s For Victory! was included in the shortlist for feature-length fiction films.
For Victory! depicts Ukraine’s post-war future. At the heart of the story is film director Valik, who has been deprived of the opportunity to work in his profession. His wife and daughter have been living in Vienna for three years and do not plan to return. The protagonist understands that he cannot go to them because he is unable to fulfil himself outside Ukraine. Trying to find himself in this reality, Valik, together with his son and filmmaker friends, takes on an experimental film project.
The film is a co-production between Ukraine and Lithuania. The Ukrainian production was handled by Volodymyr and Anna Yatsenko, Valentyn Vasyanovych and Iia Myslytska.
In 2025, For Victory! received the top prize in the Platform competition at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, and in 2026 it won at the 17th Odesa International Film Festival as Best Ukrainian Fiction Film.
As a reminder, the European Film Awards shortlist for short films includes the documentary project Open World by Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimey, the fiction film «Easter Day» by Mykola Zasieyev, and the animated film Kyiv Cake by Mykyta Lyskov.
Overall, 68 films from 40 European countries were selected for the awards’ shortlists. Among them are 45 fiction films, 15 documentaries and 8 animated films.
The nominees will be announced on 14 November. The awards ceremony will take place on 16 January 2027 in Athens.
About the European Film Awards:
- an annual award presented by the European Film Academy for outstanding achievements in European cinema;
- founded in 1988;
- all awards relate exclusively to European films, directors and actors.