Kisff Educational section & traveling programme

Context 

KISFF operates in Ukraine, a country navigating the profound social, cultural, and political challenges brought about by russia's war in 2013 and the full-scale invasion in 2022. Amid the ongoing war, we continue to celebrate cinema as a space for action, resistance, and resilience. Our festival serves as a cultural bridge, amplifying Ukrainian voices and fostering connections with the global film community. We strive to showcase bold, thought-provoking films that reflect the complexities of our time, offering both creators and audiences a platform to explore, question, and find hope. 

KISFF is an annual celebration of short films. Founded in 2011, KISFF began as a dream shared by a small team of friends and enthusiasts, driven by a passion to bring short films to audiences at a time when they had no platform in cinemas or on the silver screen. Each autumn, we screen ~300 films in 40 programs, showcasing a vibrant mix of works by emerging talents, accomplished filmmakers, film school students, and independent creators from around the globe. Our mission is to highlight the most inventive, stirring short films while championing Ukrainian cinema and fostering connections between Ukrainian and international filmmakers, artists, and audiences.

The festival’s main sections include:

• Extrashort – films up to 120 seconds, proving even the shortest formats can leave a lasting impact;

• KISFF Specials – curated programs like Midnight Sexy Shorts, Short Attack, and KISFF Recommends;

• Chills and Thrills – horrors, thrillers, and comedies;

• Celebrate Diversity – programs such as Out & Proud, Queer Animation, and FEM RIOT, championing inclusivity and underrepresented voices;

• Young Film Lovers – inspiring the next generation of cinephiles;

• …and many more carefully curated programs to captivate diverse audiences.

Our festival relies on public and grant-based funding, with key support from Creative Europe MEDIA (2024-2025), cultural institutions, embassies, and grant programs. These sources enable us to sustain and grow the festival, even amid challenging circumstances.

Collaborative Project

a) The educational part of this project seeks to refine and expand the festival’s educational section into a structured, impactful platform. The core idea is to build a resilient, needs-based program that offers training, feedback sessions, workshops, and mentorship—tailored to Ukrainian filmmakers working under severe conditions.

b) In parallel, the other angle of the project aims to develop a curated travelling program of restored and remastered Ukrainian film classics to be presented across Spain, with Tabakalera as a potential primary venue and other collaborating institutions across the country. The goal is to offer Spanish and European audiences a deeper historical context of Ukrainian cinema, and to strengthen institutional ties between Ukraine and Spain.

The project addresses the urgent need to support Ukrainian filmmakers and cultural exchange under crisis conditions. By combining education and film circulation, it seeks to empower local creators, ensure the continuity of Ukrainian cinema, and reinforce cultural resilience and cross-border collaboration. Potential support could come from the House of Europe and implementation partnerships with the Spanish Embassy in Ukraine.

• Explore practical models, tools, and funding mechanisms to ensure the educational section of KISFF is useful, accessible, and has a measurable long-term impact.

• Identify best practices in festival-based professional development programs, especially those developed in or for crisis contexts.

• Develop a clear distribution and outreach strategy for the travelling program of Ukrainian film classics in Spain, identifying partner venues and audiences.

• Create a practical and replicable “toolkit” for each venue, enabling them to host screenings with meaningful, context-rich post-screening discussions and engagement with Ukrainian culture and history.