Iryna Tsilyk ( Ukrainian: Ірина Цілик; born 18 November 1982) is a Ukrainian filmmaker and writer, the member of

European Film Academy The European Film Academy is a group of European film director, filmmakers who come together in Berlin on the occasion of the first presentation of the European Film Awards in November 1988. Every year, the European Film Academy honors films an ...

, Ukrainian

PEN International PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide professional association, association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association ...

. The winner of the “Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary” for the film " The Earth Is Blue as an Orange" at 2020

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

Biography and career

Iryna Tsilyk was born in Kyiv. Graduated from Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinematography and Television named by Ivan Karpenko-Kary summa cum laude. Now Iryna works as film director and screenwriter and mostly known for the award-winning " The Earth Is Blue as an Orange", "Rock, Paper, Grenade", " Invisible Battalion" projects. Moreover, Tsilyk is the author of several books (poetry, prose, children's books). Some of her works have been translated into English, German, French, Polish, Lithuanian, Czech, Romanian, Catalan, Swedish, Greek, Italian, Danish; were presented at various international literary festivals and events, such as Zebra poetry film festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival, Poesiefestival Berlin,

Vilenica International literary festival Vilenica International Literary Festival () is a festival dedicated to literature that was founded in 1986 in Slovenia. It takes place annually in several locations on the Karst Plateau in the Slovene Littoral, including inside Vilenica Cave. It ...

, book fairs in Prague, Vienna, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Vilnius and others. In November 2020

Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

Volodymyr Zelensky Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...

awarded Tsilyk the title

Merited Artist of Ukraine Honored Artist of Ukraine (; also translated as Honored (Performing) Artist of Ukraine or Merited (Performing) Artist of Ukraine) is a state honorary title of decoration of the Ukrainian government. Originally awarded by the Ukrainian SSR, the ...

. She refused the honour claiming she was "just starting my career in film directing" and she consider it "inappropriate to accept such awards with a light heart in times of uncertainty, when many of my colleagues from the film community were offended by the unjust actions of the current government."The decree on the awards of Vasyanovych and Tsilyk, who refused the awards, disappeared from the website of the President's Office

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

(12 November 2020) A few days later the decree that awarded Tsilyk the title disappeared from the official website of the

Office of the President of Ukraine The Office of the President of Ukraine (, ), formerly the ''Administration of the President of Ukraine'' ( ), is a standing advisory body set up by the President of Ukraine pursuant to clause 28, Article 106 of the Constitution of Ukraine. The ...

. Iryna Tsilyk is based in Kyiv together with her family. At the moment, Iryna's husband and writer Artem Chekh is serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Iryna and their son Andrii (born in 2010) stay in Kyiv.

Films

* '' Rock. Paper. Grenade'' ("Я і Фелікс"; fiction film, 90'). The film had its world premiere at

Warsaw Film Festival Warsaw Film Festival (; WFF), also known as Warsaw International Film Festival, is an annual international film festival held every October in Warsaw, Poland. The 40th edition of the festival will take place from 11 to 20 October 2024. Histor ...

in 2022). * '' The Earth Is Blue as an Orange'' (Земля блакитна, ніби апельсин; documentary film, 74', 2020). The film had its world premiere at 2020

(World Documentary Competition) and won “Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary” there. The European premiere of the film was held at 2020

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

in the Generation program. Also, the film has got two main awards at Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival 2020 and was officially selected to

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

Doc Fortnight (United States),

Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX, also known as Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, is a Danish film festival focused on documentary films, held annually in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since 2008 it has been run by Copenhagen Film Festivals, which also organize ...

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and Jun ...

Cleveland International Film Festival The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual film festival based in Cleveland, Ohio. CIFF is the largest film festival in Ohio and among the longest-running in the United States. The festival is held at Playhouse Square, the lar ...

Thessaloniki Documentary Festival The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF; ) is an international documentary festival held every March in Thessaloniki, Greece. TDF, founded in 1999, features competition sections and ranks among the world's leading documentary festivals. Since ...

, ZINEBI - International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao,

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...

: Frames of Representation (UK) and more than 100 other International film festivals. * ''Tayra'' ("Тайра"; short documentary film, 10', 2017) and ''Kid'' ("Малиш"; short documentary film, 15', 2017) for the cinema-almanac "Invisible Battalion". * ''Home'' (Дім; short fiction film). 12', 2016. FIPRESCI (

International Federation of Film Critics The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for ''Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique'') is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the worl ...

) award at

Odesa International Film Festival The Odesa International Film Festival () is an annual film festival held in the middle of July in Odesa. Since 2016 the festival program has consisted of three parts: the International competition, National competition and European Documentary ...

(Ukraine, 2016). Film was included into short film almanac "Ukrainian New Wave. 20/16+" which was distributed in 2016 in Ukraine. * ''Commemoration'' (Помин; short fiction film). 24', 2012.

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury () is an independent film award for feature-length films shown at major international film festivals since 1973. The award was created by Christian film makers, film critics and other film professionals. The objec ...

at Molodist International Film Festival. Film was included into short film almanac "Ukrainian New Wave. Romantigue" which was distributed in 2013 in Ukraine. * ''Blue Hour'' (Вдосвіта; short fiction film). 10', 2008.

Publications

Poetry

* ''Thin Ice'' (Тонкий лід; collection of poems), 2025. * "The Road Beyond" (a book of poems in English and pictures by Ruslan Hrushchak), 2022. * ''Depth of Field'' (Глибина різкості; collection of poems), 2016. * ''Qi'' (Ці; collection of poems), 2007.

Prose

* ''Red Marks on Black'' (Червоні на чорному сліди; short story collection), 2015. * ''Birthmarks'' (Родимки; short story collection), 2013. * ''The Day After Yesterday'' (Післявчора; novel), 2008.

Children's books

* ''Small travel book: Kyiv'' (Книжечка-мандрівочка: Київ), 2024. * ''The City-tale of One’s Friendship'' (МІСТОрія однієї дружби; children’s adventure novel), 2016. * ''Such an interesting life'' (Таке цікаве життя; children’s book), 2015.

References

External links

''Forum for Ukrainian Studies'' interview, 25.09.2023

Iryna Tsilyk's poems
at Lyrikline.org *
‘The Earth Is Blue as an Orange’: Film Review in Variety

The interview with Iryna Tsilyk • Director of The Earth Is Blue as an Orange

Review: The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (2020), by Iryna Tsilyk

Sundance 2020: War Induces Cinema In The Powerful Ukraine Documentary “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange”
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsilyk, Iryna 1982 births Living people Writers from Kyiv Film people from Kyiv Sundance Film Festival award winners Ukrainian women film directors Ukrainian film directors