Official awarding ceremony with international festival awards received by the film «Firecrosser» held in Kinotur company (Kinotur Digital Intermediate Lab) on June 14.
The event was attended by the director Mykhailo Illienko, actors Viktor Andrienko, Alexey Kolesnik, Olga Gryshina, and the film producer Vladimir Filippov.
The premiere of «Firecrosser» by Mykhailo Illienko took place only six months ago, but the audience and film connoisseurs of film festivals in Ukraine, Russia and the United States has already noticed the film.
XXI International film festival «Golden Knight» took place in Omsk (Russia) on May 22–31, where «Firecrosser» took the Best Feature Film Grand Prix and Alexey Kolesnikov, who played the Indian chief, got diploma for the Best Supporting Actor.
XV Berdyansk International Film Festival summed up on June 2 in Primorsk (Ukraine). This festival is typical for the Ukrainian film by a record number of awards. The winner for Best Actor is Victor Andrienko, who played a role of Colonel Smirnov in the film, the winner for the Best Actress is Olga Grishina, the main heroine and Ivan’s beloved, the reward for a cameo appearance got Alexander Ignatusha, who played the father of the main heroine Lyuba.
Also, the filmmakers can boast with another award. From May 3–6 in New York held an annual Kinofest NYC, where the film won the «Audience’s Choice» Award.
In addition, the film was presented at two influential international film markets — the European Film Market (EFM), held in February 2012 in Berlin and at the film market in Cannes (Marché du Film), during which the screening of the film took place on May 23.
Subsequent plans of the filmmakers:
participation in the Golden Apricot International Film Festival (film selected for the competition program «Cinema Without Borders», the festival held in Yerevan from 8–15 July, 2012), and Odessa International Film Festival (Ukrainian program), which will be held from 13–21 July, 2012.
On September 2011 «Firecrosser» participated in the official program of the Third Kyiv International Film Festival and awarded the Grand Prix there.
January 19, 2012 there was Ukrainian premiere of the film in theaters. Film distribution is handled by the company B&H Film Distribution, which will show the film throughout Ukraine.
«Firecrosser» is a story about Ukrainian military pilot Ivan Datsenko, who was kept in Nazi captivity during the Second World War, and later was in the dungeons of the NKVD (the Soviet Ministry of the internal affairs). The pilot who has flown more than 300 combat missions, Hero of the Soviet Union, who was captured by the Nazis in 1944, and after his escape was charged with high treason. His soul was not broken. Ivan escaped from Siberian exile and emigrated to Canada, where he became a chief of an Indian tribe, while maintaining the Ukrainian spirit and culture.
