The resilience of Ukraine’s animation community will be on display in Los Angeles this month, as the International Animated Film Festival KROK (“krok” meaning “step” in Ukrainian) brings a showcase of prize-winning and classic animated shorts to Los Angeles on Friday, August 26 and Sunday, August 28.
The event is timed to Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, commemorating the 1991 Act that reestablished its state soveiregnity. The holiday takes on even greater import this year, as the country’s autonomy threatened by the invasion of the Russian Federation. Because KROK cannot be held this year in its traditional form, organizers are taking its assets around the world, using all available resources to tell international audiences a story of Ukraine, its heritage, its art and its people.
The L.A. program includes screenings, Q&A with some of the artists, live music and food and drink sampling. All events are free to attend, but it is recommended that you reserve admission due to limited space through the Eventbrite links provided.
Friday, August 26
At MiMoDa Studio (mimodastudio.com)
5774 W. Pico Blvd.; entrance thru Paper or Plastik Café
- 8 p.m. Compilation of KROK Grand Prix-winning animated shorts from 1997-2016.
- Filmmakers Q&A.
- Refreshments available to purchase at venue cafe.
- Reserve Tickets
Sunday, August 28
Ukrainian Cultural Center (ukrainianculturecenterla.com)
4315 Melrose Ave.
- 4 p.m. Foreword by KROK’s Program Director, Ukrainian film critic Alik Shpilyuk and artist, animator, writer, director & producer Chuck Swenson.
- Compilation of animated shorts made in Ukraine from 1972-2020.
- Filmmakers Q&A
- Reserve Tickets
- 6 p.m. Wine and snack break.
-
‘Deep Water’ by Anna Dudko 7 p.m. Ukrainian animated shorts produced in the last two years, including animations made during the current war.
- 8:30 p.m. Closing recetion with food and horilka (Ukrainian alcohol) sampling.
- Ukrainian folk dance perforamnce by Chervona Kalina.
- Music performe by local ethno-jazz artists, followed by a jame session — participation is encouraged, so bring your instrumetns!
- Vendor with vyshivankas (Ukrainian embroidery).
KROK was founded in Kiev in 1989 and has quickly become an important part of the international festival scene with highly respected competition. This festival also gained a reputation as one of the most fun professional events of the year. Many distinguished artists attended the festival, among them: Michel Ocelot, Frédéric Back, Gerrit van Dijk, Normand Roger, Paul Driessen, Georges Schwizgebel, Raoul Servais, Ferenc Cakó, Piotr Dumała, Jerzy Kucia, Jan Švankmajer, Michaël Dudok de Wit, Paul Bush, Theodore Ushev and Bill Plympton.
