"Schemes: The State Film Agency recognized the issuance of distribution licenses to a Russian producer's company
The reasoning was that "there are no grounds for refusal"
The Ukrainian State Film Agency has confirmed the information presented in the investigation by Radio Liberty's Schemes project that the Ukrainian company UFD, founded by Russian film producer Michael Schlicht, received permits from the State Film Agency to distribute Hollywood films in Ukraine.
In particular, within a year after the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, UFD received dozens of rental certificates from the State Film Agency to show films in Ukrainian cinemas and on television.
The State Film Agency stated that it had no legal grounds to refuse to issue such certificates to the company.
The producer Michael Schlicht is known for producing Russian propaganda and patriotic films, including the films Battalion and Stalingrad by Putin fan Fyodor Bondarchuk.
During the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian State Film Agency issued UFD rental certificates to show rated films in Ukrainian cinemas. Among the films that UFD organized in Ukraine were Vendetta, Fictitious Agent, Paradise City, My Clumsy Fairy and The Bears.
In March 2023, Schlicht withdrew from UFD's founding members according to the documents.
UFD director Andriy Dyachenko said that the company had not cooperated with the Russian since last year, and that it had not been possible to change the data before because "the registers were allegedly closed."
An official request addressed to the head of the State Film Agency, Maryna Kuderchuk, was answered by her deputy, Yulia Shevchuk. "He is a citizen of another country. On what grounds, under what international documents, should we check citizens of another country? We are not an investigative body to establish any facts or violations," the official commented.
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