FOCAL Awards 2024 Shortlisted Nominees

UKRAINIAN STORYBOX - Voices of War

Director:

David Belton

Producer(s):

Regina Bouchehri / Gunnar Dedio / Roman Martynenko / Olga Serdyuk / David Belton / Bjørn Johnson / Marie Pilhan / Eric Gonzalez

Footage Archive Producer:

Manuel Heller

Archival Sources:

Private Archives on Phones and Social Media / Screenocean / AP / Ukrainian State Institutions / Progress Film

Production Company:

LOOKSfilm / Yard44 / One Planet / MMDPRO

Country of Production:

Germany / UK / France / Ukraine

Original Release:

2023

Synopsis

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been prohibited from leaving the country. Many women however have fled and continue to flee, while others remain – with their children, while the men are at the front. In this film, Ukrainian women tell us what they are experiencing and what they are suffering: the female perspective on an ongoing war. For an entire year, our film team has been travelling through Ukraine and other countries in Europe, asking Ukrainian women to tell their stories – in a wooden video booth designed specifically for the film, the storybox: no filter, no interviewer, no time limit.

The contributors tell a very subjective narrative about the war of personal experiences and memories. This approach is also reflected in the use of archive material. The majority of what we sourced is not from agencies or TV archives, it wasn't recorded by journalists, but by the very people we talked to.

Loch Ness They Created A Monster

Director:

John MacLaverty

Producer(s):

John Archer

Footage Archive Researcher:

Liga Gutane

Footage Archive Producer:

Joanna Taylor

Archival Sources:

BBC Scotland / Freemantle / Dinsdale Archive (private) / Scottish Television / Nippon TV

Production Company:

Indelible Telly / Hopscotch Films

Country of Production:

UK

Original Release:

2023

Synopsis

There’s another story about the Loch Ness Monster- one that you don’t know.

It’s a tale of monstrous egos, of rivalry, flipper fraud, petrol bomb attacks and sex in caravans.

All is revealed in the hilarious and wild - Loch Ness They Created a Monster, which takes a deep dive into the golden era of Nessie hunting, and uncovers the real monsters.

In the supernatural nineteen seventies, the famously deep Highland Loch attracted monster hunters from America, Japan, England and across the world. Everyone who wanted to make a name for themselves came to Drumnadrochit with a camera and wellies ( and on a few occasions, a submarine)

But capturing Nessie, proved frustrating. And as months turned into years - facing reputational ridicule - some of the expeditions started getting ‘creative’ - supplying newspapers with plesiosaur portraits and fake flippers. Those seeking scientific credibility despaired and debunked, causing bad blood at the Loch. By the early eighties, violence erupted between competing camps.

This documentary turns the cameras around - and focuses on the Monster hunters themselves - revealing the unbelievable story, behind the unbelievable story.

Meeting Zelenskyy

Director:

Liev Schreiber / André Singer

Producer(s):

Rhodri Lowis

Footage Archive Researcher:

Rhodri Lowis / Masha Chelova

Footage Archive Producer:

Halyna Demydova

Archival Sources:

Kvartal 95 / Getty / AP / Suspilne Ukraine / International Commercial Television and Radio Company (ICTV) [Ukraine]

Production Company:

STILLKING 23 / Spring Films / Boat Rocker / Illuminated / Organisation of Ukrainian Producers

Country of Production:

UK / Canada / USA / Ukraine

Original Release:

2023

Synopsis

Until 2019, he was an entertainment super-star and mega successful businessman. Then in a remarkable move, Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned his attention to politics at a time when corruption and economic struggle at home were rife, and the shadow of a sword-rattling neighbour was falling increasingly heavily over Eastern Ukraine. Following a landslide election victory, he found himself Ukraine’s President, and soon after that the Russian threat exploded into a full-scale invasion. Putin expected a quick and easy victory but he miscalculated - the comedy President turned out to be a skilled and determined adversary. Suddenly, the world wanted to know more about this enigmatic man. This film answers those questions - unearthing his story from childhood under USSR domination to the heady days of show business stardom, always surrounded and supported by devoted friends, family and colleagues. Through an extended and personal in-depth interview with actor-filmmaker Liev Schreiber, we gain new insights into one of the most extraordinary characters of our age.