Cartoon ‘Mavka. Forest Song’ based on Lesya Ukrainka’s play will be released on March 2, 2023
Ukrainian animated film ‘Mavka. Forest Song’ was supposed to be released at the end of December 2022. But the aggressive large-scale war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine affected the authors’ plans.
However, despite the war, the studio completed work on the film at the end of last year and is ready to hold the long-awaited premiere in all currently operating cinemas in Ukraine. It will take place on March 2, 2023. For the team, it is a difficult and risky decision to release a wartime film release. Because currently, due to the occupation and destruction of cinemas, only 50% of all theaters of the pre-war country are working. After the theatrical release, viewers can expect the television and digital premiere of ‘Mavka’.
Immediately after the Ukrainian premiere, the wide distribution of the cartoon will begin in France, which is managed by Universal Pictures Content Group. Next, the premiere will take place throughout Europe. Also ‘Mavka. Forest Song’ will be released in theaters in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
‘We are sure that the premiere of ‘Mavka’ will be a landmark event, because it will bring with it an emotional message about the victory of light over darkness and love over hatred. This meaning was embedded in the cartoon all the time, but we did not even think that it could become as strong and relevant as, unfortunately, it is now,’ says Iryna Kostyuk, producer and ideological inspiration of ‘Mavka’.
We will remind, ‘Mavka. Forest Song’ is the second full-length cartoon of the Ukrainian studio Animagrad (‘Stolen Princess: Ruslan and Lyudmila’). The script of the animated film is based on the classic plot of Lesya Ukrainka’s extravaganza drama ‘Forest Song’ and on images from Ukrainian mythology.
The cartoon was created by the Animagrad studio (FILM.UA Group) with the support of the State Film Agency of Ukraine and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID Ukraine). Cinema distribution is carried out by FILM.UA Distribution and Kinomania.
