NAPA stands with Ukraine

NAPA stands with Ukraine

As the Netherlands Audiovisual Producers Alliance (NAPA) we fiercely condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We are very concerned and deeply shocked by the frightening situation in Ukraine and we stand by the Ukrainian film community, our colleague-producers in the region and all Ukrainian people in these catastrophic times. We will be there for our Ukrainian colleagues who are deeply respected creatives and coproducing partners and will do our utmost to help. Together we want to reconfirm the principles that bind us to safeguard creation and freedom of expression, as well as acknowledge and support the concept of cultural diversity. We call out to Russia to stop this war.

We would like to share a few funds and initiatives that support fellow filmmakers in the region:

The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (an initiative by IDFA, IFFR and EFA) has set up a special "Emergency Fund for Filmmakers" for film practitioners directly in danger due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Coalition and the Fund have been canvassing for funding and donations as soon as war broke out. In the past days, significant financial contributions have been pledged by Germany's key national and regional film funding bodies, by La Scam, the Netherlands Film Fund, and by many individual donors.

The Ukrainian documentary festival Docudays UA has initiated a fund to support Ukrainian filmmakers who are bravely and daringly documenting the events of the war in Ukraine right now: recording war crimes, filming footage for the international media and for their future films which will later give the world a more in-depth perspective on the situation in the country.

The informal association of documentary filmmakers in Ukraine, Babylon'13, is launching a fundraising campaign to support Ukrainian documentary filmmakers at war. The money will go to provide filmmakers with equipment and cover the expenses directly connected to their work at the frontline. This will help to bring the true stories about the Russian-Ukrainian war to the vast international audience, supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom, democracy and independence. You can follow them on YouTube or directly donate to their cause here.