"Easter Day", "Traces", "Kyiv Cake": Which Ukrainian Films Are Vying for International Awards
What We Know about "Easter Day" and the Other Film Contenders.
Mykola Zasieiev's Ukrainian short film "Easter Day" has made the shortlist for the 39th European Film Awards. The annual award honours outstanding achievements in European cinema and is often called the "European Oscar".
Read on to find out what "Easter Day" is about and which other films will compete for awards this season — in DeTalks' article.
"Easter Day": A Story Inspired by Real Events
The live-action film "Easter Day" will compete for the win in the European Film Awards' short film category. The official nominees will be announced on November 14, and the awards ceremony will be held on January 16, 2027.
The film takes place on Easter Sunday in Kyiv. According to the plot, two employees of a territorial recruitment centre, Petro and Andrii, drive through the city's streets in search of men of mobilisation age. The officers stop Sashko, an IT specialist. Under the rules, the young man is supposed to be taken straight to a medical examination, but Sashko asks them to buy cat food and have his Easter bread blessed. The men agree, and a ride across the city full of everyday details and conversation begins.
The project was created as a co-production between Ukraine's 2Brave Productions and France's Cinephage Productions. The film's lead roles are played by Ivan Sharan, Serhii Korshykov and Hryhorii Naumov.
The film's world premiere took place at a film festival in Riga. In March 2026, "Easter Day" won the French National Assembly award for best political short film, and in the summer it took the Krakow Film Festival jury prize for best European film.
In Ukraine, the film received the 2026 Golden Dzyga national film award in the fiction short film category.
Director Mykola Zasieiev says the news is very important and gratifying for the whole crew. Making the EFA shortlist shows that their small film about humanity in the hardest times for the country resonates far beyond its makers — so the audience and expert attention to "Easter Day" means even more to the team.
"Kyiv Cake": Another Nomination after Success in Bilbao
A 22-minute animated film by Mykyta Lyskov, "Kyiv Cake" has also made the shortlist for the 2027 European Film Awards in the short film category, alongside "Easter Day". The film is a Ukrainian-Estonian co-production.
The film is set in present-day Ukraine and follows a low-income family with a newborn child. The parents struggle to meet everyday needs and survive in difficult social conditions.
The film qualified for the European Film Awards after being screened at the Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Film. There, the festival jury put the film forward for the European Film Academy's consideration.
In November 2025, "Kyiv Cake" won the Best Animated Film category at the eighth Kinokolo National Film Critics Award. That September, the film took the Grand Prix of the 14th Kyiv International Short Film Festival (KISFF).
"Traces": The Road to the Oscars despite Criticism of the Selection Process
The Ukrainian Oscar Committee has selected the national contender for the 99th Academy Awards. Despite criticism of the national selection procedure, Ukraine will be represented in the Best International Feature Film category by the Ukrainian-Polish film "Traces", directed by Alisa Kovalenko and co-directed by Marysia Nikitiuk. The film has also qualified for the Best Documentary Feature category.
The plot follows a community of women who survived sexual violence and torture during Russia's aggression. Its central figure is Iryna Dovhan, a former captive and activist who documents survivors' testimonies in Ukraine's de-occupied territories, showing space for recovery and mutual support.
The film's world premiere took place in 2026 at the Berlin International Film Festival in the PanoramaDokumente section, where the filmmakers received the Audience Award. The film also won the documentary competition at the Movies That Matter Festival in The Hague and made the top 20 audience favourites at Canada's Hot Docs festival.
Director Alisa Kovalenko says having the documentary "Traces" selected to represent Ukraine at the 99th Academy Awards is an incredible honour and responsibility — and, above all, a chance to draw the world's attention to the crimes of sexual violence and torture committed by Russian occupiers.
The American Academy will announce the 15-film shortlist for the Best International Feature Film category on December 15. The five nominees will be revealed on January 21, 2027, and the Oscars ceremony will be held on March 14, 2027.