Documentary Movie About Volunteers “OIFF Cats”

In 2018, our team, that consists of volunteers from the Odesa International Film Festival, began shooting a documentary movie about themselves. Then, we gained more than 700 GB of video-material — interviews, captured working process, atmosphere, and more else. Years passed, and we need to continue the filming to record updates about changes in our characters’ lives. According to working plans and the film script, the amount of material will estimate the same amount, so the movie must last about 1.5 hours. Some of them moved to other (than Ukraine) countries, and someone found a new mission in their life - we know that lots of these moments wouldn’t happen unless they once became volunteers at the festival.

This event, the OIFF, transforms the mind and the way of thinking of people, who responded on a call of volunteering there, by team-building sessions, a great amount of communication during each day of it, and an attractive atmosphere in the air. So, thus, we should share with the community about the important part of us and at the same time — the opportunity where they would be able to get the life improvements too.

These days the characters and crew-members live in these countries: Ukraine, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the USA, etc. To continue the filming, we need at least travel through two cities in Ukraine and catch the volunteers there. To complete the movie before the 12th OIFF holding, we need to collect money as soon as possible, so the perfect deadline is December, 20. Besides, if, during the campaign, we raise more than $4500, some of them will be visited abroad by one of our cinematographers. Otherwise, we are going to use Zoom/Discord/etc. to communicate with them.

(Photo of volunteers gathered in the hall of Festival Palace. 2018 — Odesa, Ukraine)

Here, you can see the detailed information on how funded money will be operated:
Needed Financial Resources — Google Sheets

The film production board contains these personalities:

Oleh Mandrivnyk — executive producer, videographer, video editor, and the OIFF volunteer (2018). In 2015-2017, he volunteered for an animal shelter “Sirius”, located near Kyiv, Ukraine. Also, in 2016-2017, Oleh was an organizer of the "Knigolesie" festival for the Glinsk children's boarding school in Sumy Oblast’.

Contact Oleh: Facebook

Leon Konstantinov — co-producer, videographer, video editor, character, and the OIFF volunteer (2018, 2019). Since Summer 2019, Leo leads NGO “Hurry Up! Ukraine”, where he has been volunteering from September 2018. At the same time, from September 2019 until April 2020, he had been working as a video editor at freelance. At the time of lockdown, Leon couldn’t stand aside, so he began to co-manage the Ukrainian crowdfunding campaign for the rural doctors for the Charity Organization “Sunflower Of Peace”, based in Boston, USA. The campaign raised about 42 000 UAH (~1 500 USD).

Contact Leon: Facebook, LinkedIn

Kateryna Sazonova — consulting director, director of the first stage of filming (2018), character, videographer, and the OIFF volunteer (2017, 2018). After participation in different projects, she moved in Fall 2019 from Ukraine to Germany where she works at the position of a videographer at the “Offener Kanal Magdeburg” TV channel. Also, she worked as a translator at the OIFF and the Kyiv International Film Festival “MOLODIST” in 2019.

By the way, you can watch 1 interview and a shortcut from that we have filmed in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcpeD8J6Q2M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAmN6mnxIQ8

(Photo from the last meeting of volunteers near Festival Palace. 2018 — Odesa, Ukraine)

Last but not least, in case of the inability to donate us, we will be glad to get it shared with people who would help us. Every donator will be added to the titles in order of decreasing amount. Also, we are open to partnership.

Thank You!

Best wishes,
The “OIFF Cats” Film Production Team