Australian dance film takes top honors in Toronto

The Melbourne-based Lehenda Ukrainian Dance Company has won the Best Dance Film award at the Experimental Film Festival in Toronto for its cinematic work “Melbourne Hopak,” according to Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler, UWC Vice President for Southern and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Türkiye, and Lebanon.

The award recognizes not only Ukrainian culture but also the professional excellence of the team and the contributions of everyone involved in the project. Artists, volunteers, and the team from Edit Life Media all played a key role in bringing the film to international attention.

While the film is not yet publicly available, its success highlights the global significance of Ukrainian art, Poshyvaylo-Towler said. 

The Experimental Film Festival showcases outstanding short films and independent music videos from around the world, making this recognition an important milestone for Lehenda among international creative communities.