The head of the Ukrainian State Agency for Cinema Filipp Ilyenko resigned. This became known from a video message that he posted on his Facebook page.
“Today I wrote to the Prime Minister of Ukraine (Volodymyr Groysman - RT ) a letter of resignation of his own free will. This will allow the new government to hold an appropriate open tender in the near future and appoint a new leader, ”Ilyenko said.
He emphasized that he regarded the post as an opportunity to revive Ukrainian cinema and experienced “fantastic, dramatic, complex and interesting five years of struggle and victories”.
“Everything has its beginning and its end. I have always regarded the post as an instrument to achieve my goal. Not even goals, dreams - the revival of Ukrainian cinema. But any tool is needed only for a certain work at a certain moment. My dream has come true. I believe that the goal has been achieved, and my mission, as the head of the State Film Agency of Ukraine, has been completed. I don’t want to turn the fight for this chair into a thriller with elements of a difficultly staged action. This will not bring benefits to the industry, ”said the head of the department.
Philip Ilyenko - the son of Soviet and Ukrainian director Yuri Ilyenko (“White Bird with a Black Mark”). After graduating from the law faculty of the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko University of Kiev, Ilyenko was engaged in legal practice for several years. In 2007, he became a co-producer, and two years later - producer of the Ukrainian Open Night short film festival, organized by his father’s brother, film director Mikhail Ilyenko.
Prior to taking over the head of the Ukrainian State Cinema in 2014, Philip Ilyenko tried himself as an actor: he has several films on his track record, including Ave Maria and Prayer for the Hetman Mazepa with Bogdan Stupka in the title role. Ilyenko was also involved in producing the film “Prayer for Hetman Mazepu. New version ”and the historical film“ Toloka ”.
Suspicions of bribery and the ban of Russian films
Five years of Filip Ilyenko’s work as the head of the Ukrainian Goskino were remembered by a series of scandals for Ukrainians.
In 2017, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), together with the Accounts Chamber, initiated an audit of the agency on suspicion of bribery. According to media reports, the reason for the investigation by the NABU was several journalistic investigations on the activities of the State Committee under the direction of Ilyenko.
- Shot from the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”
- © kinopoisk.ru
One of Ilyenko’s main initiatives as head of the Goskino was the ban on Russian-made films in Ukraine. So, several years ago, the broadcasts were refused the series Kadetstvo, Spetsnaz, Desantura, Investigative Committee and others.
Also, tapes were removed from the air and rental, in which Russian cinema figures representing the "threat to national security" of Ukraine are involved. The legendary “Irony of Fate" managed to fall under the "amnesty" of Ilyenko - despite participating in the tape Valentina Talyzina, which, according to the Ukrainian authorities, threatens the country's national security.
In July 2019, a decision of the District Administrative Court of Kiev returned the rental certificate to the series “Matchmakers”. The performer of one of the main roles, Fedor Dobronravov, was also excluded from the "black list". On this occasion, Ilyenko recorded a video message in which he contrasted the return of the series to the screens and respect for the sovereignty of the state.
As previously reported in "Goskino" in 2014, 780 films were banned for showing in Ukraine, most of which are Russian. The projects “Team”, “Gangster Petersburg”, “Trace”, “Fizruk”, “Interns” and “Capercaillie” are also on the black list.
The scandal with the film "I, you, he, she" with Vladimir Zelensky in the title role affected Ilyenko’s reputation. NABU suspected Ilyenko of embezzlement, since the film was shot not in the Ukrainian language, as originally planned, but in Russian.
The media also discussed that, from the agency’s funds, Philip Ilyenko gave out awards to his cousin Maria Ilyenko, the head of state regulation of film and video distribution. It is reported that in total she received more than 40 thousand hryvnia. In response to this, the head of the Goskino said that he was paying bonuses to a relative on a common basis.
In early August 2019, the blogger Anatoly Shariy drew attention to the state of affairs in Goskino. In particular, he accused the TV presenter Yanina Sokolova of embezzlement of budget funds through the agency. Shary said that Goskino allocated Sokolova 400 thousand hryvnias for the filming of a YouTube project in which "two clowns will discuss movie trailers." The blogger also criticized the decision of Goskino to provide an amount of almost 12 million hryvnias based on the biography of the leading full-length film "I, Nina."
Nonprofit involuntarily
Ukrainian media emphasize that the news of Ilyenko’s dismissal followed shortly after the publication of the results of Goskino’s work. According to reporters, all the latest releases supported by the agency failed miserably at the box office.
And indeed: 2018 turned out to be a series of fiasco for Ukrainian cinema in terms of box office.
According to Ukrainian media, the most noticeable failure was the patriotic tape “Donbass” with a budget of 71.3 million hryvnias. The film’s director Sergei Loznitsa received the prize “A special look at the Cannes Film Festival”, but the film received less than two million hryvnias - the box office did not cover Goskino's subsidies of 16.7 million hryvnias. Another picture, which takes place in eastern Ukraine - “Wild Field” (“Wild Field”) - earned a little more than 2 million hryvnias despite the fact that the total budget amounted to almost 31 million hryvnias (half - a subsidy from Goskino). Boxing office of the film “Call Sign Banderas” (“Call Banderas”) shows even sadder figures: with a budget of 39.33 million hryvnias and state funding of almost 20 million hryvnias, its fees did not exceed 2 million hryvnias.
Even the film “Ether” (“Ether”) of the owner of the “Golden Palm Branch”, the Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi (the picture was created with the participation of five countries, including Ukraine), collected only 518 thousand hryvnias with a total budget of 61 million hryvnias, of which 16.5 million allocated Goskino.
- Shot from the film "Donbass"
- © kinopoisk.ru
“If it weren’t for the label“ For Derzhkino’s Ptrims ”on an advertising editorial,“ Air ”could be safely skipped. But it is always interesting to see in which direction domestic cinema is developing. Unfortunately, there are only a few locations from Ukrainian in “Ether” and Ostap Stupka in a cameo role for a couple of minutes. The credits claim that Dmitry Stupka also starred with his father. However, you need to be his personal fan in order to consider the actor in a military crowd, ”says one of the few reviews of the tape on the Internet.
Significantly more earned the film “Cool. 1918 ”, however, the fees of about seven million hryvnias with a budget of 52 million hryvnias still did not bring the film closer to commercial success. The tape “11 children from Morshin” (“11 children from Morshin”) earned more than 5.3 million hryvnias - about a third of the total budget of 15.3 million hryvnias.
“11 children from Morshyn” is a matinee in the senior groups of the kindergarten, where the moviegoer acts as a parent in the hall. Our child forgets the text, speaks indistinctly and is terribly shy. But we still love him. Because he is ours. Native. The long-awaited. But not at this time. Sometimes it’s useful for the child to give a slap. So that he understands what to do not. And so, as in "11 children from Morshin", it is impossible. Not in essence. Not in form, ”they complain online.
The picture “The Adventures of S Nicholas” (“Come S Mikolai”) turned out to be more successful: the box office of 8.2 million hryvnias exceeded the Goskino subsidy (2.3 million hryvnia). Nevertheless, the tape, on which 38 million hryvnias were spent, did not work out as a plus.
“I grabbed onto my pocket”
By the way, the way Ilyenko argued for leaving the leading position surprised Ukrainians. In particular, his compatriots were amused by the words about the “completed mission”.
“Philip Ilyenko announced his resignation from the post of chairman of the State Film Agency of Ukraine. He said that he coped with the task of reviving Ukrainian cinema. Well, as it were, he shouldn’t draw such conclusions, ”the Klymenko Time studio notes.
Philip # Ilyenko announced his resignation as chairman of the State Film Agency of Ukraine.
He said that he coped with the task of reviving Ukrainian cinema. Well, as it were, not for him to draw such conclusions 😂 # KlimenkoTimepic.twitter.com / CsoxNNgUYr
“Why is it strange? Ilyenko grabbed into the pocket of millions of so-thirteen with the complicity of Yanina Sokolova, and with a calm soul to resign, "suggest on Twitter.
“Ilyenko leaves the head of the Goskino. It's time to put someone from Quarter 95 and stop making mediocre films that no one is watching, and at least do something worthwhile ... But Ilyenko should take a closer look and conduct an investigation. I’m sure there are a lot of interesting things, ”say Internet users.