ANNOUNCEMENT
Ukraine’s first queer film festival, SUNNY BUNNY, shines even brighter this year with a new visual identity! The event will take place from April 18 to 25. While last year’s communication focused on themes of corporeality, this year continues the narrative with a new emphasis — the body as a connection between people. In the 2024 visuals, bodies merge and intertwine into a single texture, a pattern. It’s about dissolving boundaries and embracing uninterrupted contact — a vision of unity. The concept was developed by the I AM IDEA agency and brought to life by production company K14.
“We created a space where everyone could suggest ideas or improvements — that’s how we fostered a strong energy exchange and co-creation. Many vibrant members and allies of the community joined the process, which added great depth. From the very beginning, I enjoyed exploring queerness and the many ways it can be expressed. It was a truly unique and valuable experience,” shared designer Ihor Prylypko.
The main festival programme — the International Feature Competition — presents queer-themed fiction films from across the globe that delve into queerness, explore the body, identity, loss, acceptance, and protest — through intimate and visually daring storytelling.
Fresh from winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, “Cactus Pears” will have its Ukrainian premiere at SUNNY BUNNY. In this Indian-British-Canadian co-production, Anand, a 30-year-old city dweller, is stuck in a strict rural region of western India, mourning his father for ten days. A tender connection grows between him and a local farmer who is desperate to avoid marriage. When the mourning period ends and Anand must return home, he’s left with a choice about the future of their relationship born from the constraint.
Another Sundance title, “Sauna”, follows gay man Johan as he falls in love with a transgender man, William.
The Cannes-nominated “Eat the Night” explores the bond between teenage drug dealer Pablo and his sister Appolline, who share a love for the online game Darknoon. Pablo falls for a mysterious player named Night, neglecting his sister and the game. As Appolline finishes the game, Pablo and Night get involved into the conflict with local gangs.
The tender Vietnamese film about too miners “Viet and Nam”, which also premiered at Cannes, has screened at over a dozen festivals. Nam, seeking a new future, hires someone to smuggle him to the West. Before leaving, he embarks on a journey with Viet and his mother, who claims the ghost of Nam’s father visits her dreams, asking her to find his missing body.
Also in competition is “Queens of Drama”, a Cannes Queer Palm nominee and the feature debut of Alexis Langlois, known for his Silver Leopard at Locarno. The film follows Mimi Madamour, whose meteoric 2005 rise turns into a dramatic fall amid a fiery romance with punk icon Billy Koller — their tumultuous relationship playing out on stage over five decades.
“Four Mothers” by Darren Thornton won the Audience Award at the London Film Festival and was honored in Chicago. This Irish-British comedy follows writer Edward as he juggles caring for his elderly mother. At last, he is only one step away from success. He is preparing for a major book tour — only to be saddled with looking after his friends' mothers too. Over a chaotic weekend, he struggles to balance a breakthrough in his professional life with the chaos of four eccentric and wildly different women.
“High Tide”, starring Marco Pigossi, James Bland, and Marisa Tomei was screened at the world biggest queer film festival Frameline in San Francisco and SXSW festival. Grieving and adrift, Lawrence, a Brazilian undocumented immigrant, seeks purpose in Provincetown, a queer haven. As summer fades, he begins a passionate and unexpected romance with Maurice, and together they attempt to reconcile the pasts they left behind with an uncertain future.
From Brazilian directors Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon comes “Night Stage”, their brand new film nominated for a Teddy Award at the 75th Berlinale. The filmmakers previously visited Kyiv in 2018, receiving a special jury mention at SUNNY BUNNY for “Hard Paint”, which also won the Teddy. Their new film explores a secret romance between an actor and a politician, who discover their shared fetish for public sex. As fame nears, so does their craving for risk.
The festival will also screen “Endless”, an experimental fiction film by Polish director Wojciech Puś, centering on non-binary, transgender, and queer people exploring their experiences beyond external definitions. Ukrainian soldier Anton Tsyhulskyi stars in the film and will present it in person at the festival.
International Competition Films:
About I AM IDEA:
I AM IDEA is an integrated creative agency that specializes in building and developing both commercial brands and cultural/public projects with meaningful social impact. The agency believes that in today’s world, ideas win. In 2023, it ranked among the top 3 communication agencies in Ukraine.
About the SUNNY BUNNY Festival:
The third LGBTQIA+ SUNNY BUNNY film festival will take place in Kyiv from April 18 to 25. The independent holding of SUNNY BUNNY can now confidently be called a tradition. The festival was launched after the start of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. In gratitude for the opportunity to live and organize cultural events in the capital, the SUNNY BUNNY team is gifting 100 free passes to Ukrainian military personnel. More than just a film festival, SUNNY BUNNY is a platform for critical conversations about queer rights. This year’s edition will also include discussions, special events, and public talks.
Visual style Video artInternational Competition Stills
The festival is supported by Heinrich Böll Foundation in Ukraine, Goethe-Institut Ukraine.
Financial support is provided by Ukrainian State Film Agency, German
Films, appflame, Jägermeister.
Main Partners:
Ilta on Pechersk
CRUMB
I AM IDEA
K14
Ukrainian-Danish Youth House
KharkivPride
Tochka Opory
Drugstore
KyivPride
Insight
Planeta Online
Zhovten Cinema
Concert Hall (41 Kyrylivska
street)
Fashion Partners:
Noskar
To be accessories
Media Partners:
Suspilne Kultura
LB.UA
Zagin Kinomaniv
DTF Magazine
Lirum — Partner of Ukrainian Cinema
Kino-Kolo
TyKyiv
Hromadske
#ПроШоКіно
Hospitality Partners:
Ponchyk Boy
