UWC welcomes North American release of ‘Ash and Crayons’

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) welcomes the news that Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to Ash and Crayons, the new documentary from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky.

UWC is among the film’s global partners, alongside Bring Kids Back UA – the initiative led by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy – and War Child International. The partnership aims to broaden the film’s reach and draw international attention to the plight of Ukrainian children affected by the war.

“Ash and Crayons shows the world something it must not forget – behind the front-line figures are real children whose childhoods have been taken by this war. UWC is proud to partner on this project. We believe these children’s stories will help audiences across North America and beyond see the human reality of what Ukraine is living through, and will not let the world look away,” said Paul Grod, UWC President.

The film will open in US theaters on Nov. 20 – World Children’s Day, established by the United Nations in 1954 to protect children’s rights and welfare.

Ash and Crayons follows the stories of seven Ukrainian children whose lives have been profoundly reshaped by the war. Despite what they have lived through, the film’s young protagonists continue pursuing their passions, building friendships and moving forward with courage and resilience.

The documentary blends vérité footage with animation created by Ukrainian artists. According to the filmmakers, more than 20,610 children have been forcibly deported or transferred to Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ash and Crayons has already been screened for cultural and governmental institutions across Europe, the UK and the US, including the Vatican, the UK Parliament, the Italian Parliament, the Council of Europe and the US Congress. The film has received the Cinema for Peace Award in Berlin, presented to Afineevsky by Hillary Clinton.

More than 100 Ukrainian artists and industry professionals, many working inside a country at war, contributed to the production. The film was supported by the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine and the Ukrainian State Film Agency (Derzhkino), with the Czech company PFX co-producing alongside producers Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of Screen Engine, and Galyna Sadomtseva-Nabaranchuk.