Ukrainian content industry was very well represented at MIPTV 2022. This year's MIPTV edition welcomed a comprehensive presence of the Ukrainian content industry aiming to support its sustainability and development during these critical times for the country. The Ukrainian National Stand was organized by leading Ukrainian media companies and creative powerhouses – Starlight Media, 1+1 media, Ukraine TV Channels, and FILM.UA Group, facilitated by RX, the MIP Markets organizers.

For the first time in the history of MIPTV, Ukraine took part in the official opening of the event. Victoria Yarmoshchuk, CEO of FILM.UA Group, Head of Ukrainian Motion Picture Association, cut the ceremonial ribbon along with Director of MIP Markets Lucy Smith, President of RX France Michel Filzi, Mayor of Cannes’ David Lisnard, Managing Director of RX France’s Michel Vilair, General Director of Canneseries Benoit Louvet, and President of Palais des Festivals, Cannes Jean-Michel Arnaud. Photo © S. d'HALLOY / IMAGE&CO

Within the MIPTV conference program, top execs of the industry presented the most important statements and programming highlights during the panel discussion Stand With Ukrainian Media Industry. 

Victoria Yarmoshchuk, Iryna Chernyak, Director of Content Acquisition and Monetization department, Ukraine TV Channels, Kateryna Shevelyuk, Head of the fiction production department, STB,  Inna Filipova, Head of Sales at 1+1 media featured the panel moderated by Tim Crescenti, President of Small World International.

Photo © S. d'HALLOY / IMAGE&CO

During three days at the Ukrainian National Stand, fifteen ladies representatives of Ukraine’s leading media companies were working hard to prove the intentions of the whole country's campaign at MIPTV. Each meeting and conversation with old and new friends and partners from all over the world at the stand brought up the following messages: cooperate with Ukraine, buy our content, develop new stories, co-produce with us, use our services, and support promotion!

Along with business activity at Ukrainian National Stand, one could support the industry with direct donations aiming to support the unbelievable work of the 24/7 UA news marathon launched to provide reliable info about the war in Ukraine. More info about it can be found here: https://support-unitednews.org.ua/en 

One of the most important initiatives to help Ukraine’s content community, the Ukrainian Acquisition Fund was launched at MIPTV with the support of C21 Media. More details on the fund TBA soon, but its goals and further development plans can be found on the C21 Media website.

The Ukrainian AV industry is grateful to TVBIZZ Magazine for gathering a community of like-minded people and companies supporting Ukraine. Thanks to their efforts and contributions this special publication on the state of Ukrainian media business during wartime for the MIPTV market was issued. 

“After the first day at MIPTV, we became more and more confident about our victory and the importance of the content industry’s contribution to this. As the whole world is with us these days. The international media community is providing us with huge support, and not only by words. Numerous meetings prove we’re on the same page with dozens of companies and organizations, they are open to cooperating with Ukrainian ones, launching common projects, and using our services. Separate gratitude to Lucy Smith, President of RX France and Hicran Lefort, Head of sales – CIS, DACH, Oceania, CEE and The Baltics, TV division at MIP Markets, for endless patience, support and for making the Ukrainian delegation feel so welcome in Cannes”, – says Kateryna Udut, CEO of MRM, the organizer of Ukraine’s activities at MIPTV’22.

"It's a decisive moment for our country and our industry. We did what we could to save our personnel and equipment, and now we are asking for international assistance. Not for gifts or mercy, but for mutually beneficial cooperation that will restart Ukrainian content industry and allow us to build it back up, all while providing the international audiences with a wealth of fresh exciting content. We have come to Cannes to garner this backing, and we’ve got it. Both MIPTV organizers and attendees have voiced their support, for which we are forever grateful. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, and it brings me joy. With friends like these, we can do nothing but strive for greatness!”, – comments Victoria Yarmoshchuk, CEO FILM.UA Group.

“The stories about Ukraine’s courage, its incredible resistance and superheroes who protect our country. This certainly will be included in the TOP-tiers of the creative industry. We have a request for this. We wish to be heard more as soon as the war ends. We wish to have things to inspire and amaze the audience. We wish to have stronger integrity in the international media landscape. And for this to happen, we need to work closely together now. One of the most obvious options for such cooperation is co-development and co-creativity. We have thousands of incredible and highly professional showrunners, producers, and writers who are still fully employed and ready to work. Ukraine is a country of rich diversity and creativity. And the key here is we have plenty of unbelievable stories!”, – says Inna Filipova, Head of Sales at 1+1 media.

“The market was incredibly productive and saturated: our partners have a great desire and willingness to help us with content, buy our content, and get involved in production. Now we are actively considering new opportunities for co-production. Previously, this direction was also developing, but the processes moved noticeably more slowly. Now it looks like the decisions will be made faster and will be more efficient. For example, according to the results of the panel discussion, where I, together with other representatives of our industry, talked about the possibilities of cooperation with the Ukrainian media market, there are already offers for joint documentary projects, tremendous interest in our comedy stand-up project with Volodymyr Ostapchuk (host of Ukrainian version of the Masked Singer – Maska).

Also, right after the market, a number of Western companies came back to me offering support and cooperation in terms of ordering post-production services, VFX and other services we can provide. In general, the impression is that the wave of support that we felt is not something temporary, but the beginning of a serious and deep cooperation, as well as a more active integration of the Ukrainian media industry into the European and, in general, into the world one on an ongoing basis”, – Iryna Chernyak, Director of Content Acquisition and Monetization Department, Ukraine TV Channels.

“If MIPTV were the google of the content industry, Ukraine would be definitely among its top trends this year. Unity and partnership, which were felt both at the united Ukrainian stand and every meeting, inspire and reinforce faith in our sustainable future. Of course, the war made adjustments to our plans, but it even accelerated some of our projects. We are grateful to those partners who have not stopped co-developing the projects with us and Nebojsa Taraba, Drugi Plan, with our project "Undercover Gladiator" among them. 

We called for the support of the national industry through partnerships: providing content for free, buying our content, co-developing, co-producing, and using our service facilities.

We have achieved many goals thanks to the openness of the big world, which has remained large, but at the same time, has become very small and close. For the time being, we know for sure that the creative victories of Ukraine will be created together”, – Nataliya Gerovska, Head of Content Monetization Department at Starlight Media.

All the information on Ukraine’s media industry is available and will be regularly added to the Facebook Page UKRAINIAN CONTENT. GLOBAL COOPERATION – the joint initiative of Starlight Media, 1+1 media, Ukraine TV Channels, and FILM.UA Group.

You can discover the key materials about the Ukrainian content industry to learn the capabilities, products, and services of the companies ready to cooperate worldwide:  

Ukrainian catalogue. MIPTV 2022 https://2lyk.short.gy/ukrainiancatalogue