Ukraine

[UA] : Amendments to the law on cinematography

IRIS 2026-8:1/18

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

On 4 June 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine signed into law the Statute “On amendments to certain statutes of Ukraine as to the state support of cinematography in Ukraine”. It went into effect with its publication in the official daily Holos Ukrainy, No. 110 on 6 June 2026. The statute itself was adopted by the parliament (Verkhovna Rada) in December 2025 and awaited the president’s signature for an unusually long time, more than five months. As to the draft law itself, it was introduced into the Rada in October 2021. For background information on state support to national cinematography, see IRIS 2017-6:1/30.

The amendments include a new Article 25-1 in the Statute of Ukraine "On Cinematography". It provides that the central body of executive power, which ensures the formation of state policy in the field of cinematography (currently Derzhkino, or the State Agency on Cinematography Issues) is empowered to determine the criteria and procedure for selecting the National Representative of Ukraine and the substitute of the National Representative in the Board of Management of Eurimages, the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe, and to appoint them. This article also defines the modus operandi of the National Representatives, their rights and obligations and the funding for their activities.

As per the amendments, public spending on cinematography shall now amount to at least 0.2 % of expenditures of the previous year’s national budget, guaranteeing the industry a fixed amount of public funds every year, more predictability in planning projects, even as the war puts pressure on state finances.

The amendments were also introduced into Article 7 of the "Statute On the State Support of Cinematography in Ukraine", providing a development-stage financing aid (up to a sum dependent on minimum wages multiplied by 185), which is repayable, thus allowing public support of film projects that are in their early phases of production.

One of the key innovations is a box office refund scheme (Article 10-1) aimed at rewarding the commercially successful national film industry. This means that, if any film produced entirely with a national producer’s own funding generates ticket sales of at least an amount equal to the minimum wages multiplied by 2 000 in the first 90 days of its exhibit, the state will return 30 % of its certified sales to be used for the producer’s future projects.

The law devoted particular attention to the industry’s newcomers and students, allowing direct state funding for students’ graduation film products. Moreover, involving film students in the professional filmmaking process provides additional points in evaluating a production that applies for public money.

All films made with public funds will place a strong emphasis on inclusivity and have to be adapted for viewers with visual and hearing impairments.


References

  • Закон України Про внесення змін до деяких законів України щодо державної підтримки кінематографії в Україні
  • https://www.golos.com.ua/article/391473
  • Statute of Ukraine On amendments to certain statutes of Ukraine as to the state support of cinematography in Ukraine, 18 December 2025 – N 4743-IX



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IRIS 2017-6:1/30 [UA] National cinematography will receive state support

This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.