NC State film studies alumna Darya Levchenko will provide an overview of the political aspects of contemporary international film festivals, including how film programming can serve as a tool for making subtle but seismic changes in cultural landscapes. As a programmer for the international festival Docudays UA in Kyiv, Ukraine, she will provide insights into the workings of the film market within her country, which is at war with Russia, a country with a formidable propaganda machine. 

A discussion of how she has promoted Ukrainian films abroad in times of crisis will suggest how film programming can help shape the routes of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy. Levchenko will examine the contemporary art scene in Ukraine as a site for Russia's power struggle with the politically engaged postcolonial community in her homeland. She will also draw on her expertise as a curator, researcher and cultural consultant at the UNESCO Kyiv Desk.