Ukranian Cultural Festival Brings Three Weeks of Film, Theater and Poetry to New York, Closing Nov. 6 at Carnegie Hall

THE BAJA POST
NEWSROON

he  fourth annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival (UCF), presented by Razom for Ukraine, runs through Nov. 6  at venues across New York City, with 18 extraordinary events. The festival began Oct. 18 at Carnegie Hall with the U.S. premiere of Oleh Bezborodko‘s Steel, Violet, Rage—the first four-hands piano concerto by a Ukrainian composer.

From Oct. 22–26, UCF presents a dedicated Cinema weekend at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema and QUAD Cinema:

• Narrative & Documentary Screenings: Gar O’Rourke’s Sanatorium (Ireland’s 98th Academy Awards entry), Nice Ladies, Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story, Silent Flood, Honeymoon, To the Victory!, and Cuba & Alaska.
• Short Film Programs & Workshops: Docudays UA short films, Linoleum Fest animation, an XR immersive technology discussion, and an animation masterclass with Sashko Danylenko. Most screenings feature live filmmaker Q&As.

On Oct. 26, Teatro LATEA hosts scenes and discussion from The Reckoning, a London-born documentary-theater piece by DASH Arts based on war witness testimonies gathered by The Reckoning Project, ahead of its 2027 North American tour. A screening of Richard Nelson’s More Beauty Than Sorrow, the final installment in his Lesia Ukrainka series, shows at The Public Theater, Nov. 4.

UCF’s literary programming (Oct. 28 – Nov. 1) highlights Ukrainian writers and translators:

• Oct. 28: «Poet as Witness» featuring soldier-poets Yaryna Chornohuz and Lesyk Panasiuk, and translator Amelia Glaser, at Poets House.
• Oct. 30: A panel on modernist playwright Lesia Ukrainka at the NYPL. Stage Directors Virlana Tkacz and Rory Pelsue lead the conversation.
• Nov. 1: «Ukrainian Poetry Outburst» at Ukrainian National Home, featuring Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz and master bandurist Julian Kytasty.

UCF concludes Nov. 6 at Zankel Hall with a performance uniting the Chamber Girls’ Choir of the M.V. Lysenko Kyiv State Lyceum and the Westchester Children’s Chorus.

Razom for Ukraine is a leading U.S.-based nonprofit organization working to build a secure, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine. Founded in 2014, Razom («together» in Ukrainian) supports urgent needs in Ukraine while investing in long-term solutions across health, civil society, advocacy, and culture. As Ukraine’s future has global implications, Razom strengthens trauma care systems, supports local leaders and communities, and connects Ukraine to the world.