The Ukrainian Film Academy, in Partnership with Netflix and EAVE, Announces the Lineup of Experts for the 2026 Grant Program Exclusive Sessions

press release

Netflix, in partnership with the Ukrainian Film Academy and EAVE – European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs, continues its support for Ukrainian filmmakers and the film industry affected by the war.

The Ukrainian Film Academy has announced the list of 15 projects that will each receive $15,000 for script development of original, director-driven fiction feature films. Also, the projects will receive support from leading experts from EAVE, which offers some of the most prestigious European training programs for producers.

Participants can look forward to sessions with leading European producers and consultations with experienced script consultants. This year's lineup of top-notch experts includes:

JONAS DORNBACH

producer, CEO and partner at Komplizen Film and Komplizen Serien (Germany)

Born in Perugia, Italy, Jonas Dornbach is a film producer and the CEO and partner at Komplizen Film and Komplizen Serien in Berlin. He began his career by founding and managing his own company, Kinoherz, from 2002 to 2009. In 2006, he graduated from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) with the feature film "Auf Nummer Sicher?" directed by David Dietl, which won the 2008 Studio Hamburg Prize for Best Feature Film.

Since joining Komplizen Film in 2010, Dornbach has produced several internationally acclaimed films. Among them are "Tabu" by Miguel Gomes, which won the Alfred Bauer Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlinale Competition 2012, and "Toni Erdmann" by Maren Ade, which premiered in the Cannes Competition 2016, won five European and six German Film Awards, and received nominations for a Golden Globe, César, BAFTA and for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also produced "Western" by Valeska Grisebach, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2017, and co-produced "A Fantastic Woman" by Sebastián Lelio, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018. Further productions include "Synonyms" by Nadav Lapid, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2019, and the Netflix Original Series "Skylines", created by Dennis Schanz, and released in 2019. He co-produced "Eureka" by Lisandro Alonso and "About Dry Grasses" by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, both of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. In 2024, he co-produced "Maria" by Pablo Larraín, which premiered in Competition at the Venice Film Festival. In 2025, he co-produced Hagai Levi’s "Etty", which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and Joachim Trier’s "Sentimental Value", which premiered in Competition at Cannes 2025, won the Grand Prix, and later received the 2026 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Most recently, he co-produced Marie Kreutzer’s "Gentle Monster" and produced Valeska Grisebach’s "The Dreamed Adventure"; both films premiered in Competition at Cannes in 2026, where "The Dreamed Adventure" won the Jury Prize.

Jonas Dornbach is a member of the EAVE and the ACE Network, the German, British and European Film Academies, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Komplizen Film is a co-founding member of The Creatives, a federation of 10 international independent production companies.

ADA SOLOMON

producer, Chair of the Board of the European Film Academy (Romania)

Ada Solomon is one of Europe’s most acclaimed producers, known for her bold curatorial vision and commitment to socially relevant cinema. With 100 films to her credit and collaboration with Radu Jude, Ivana Mladenović, Alexandru Solomon and Maren Ade, Ada’s work has earned top distinctions – from Berlinale’s Golden Bears (Bad Luck Banging, Child’s Pose) to Silver Leopards in Locarno and Best Film in Venice Orizzonti. Since founding HiFilm in 2004, Ada has worked in the film business for over 20 years, co-producing with countries like France and Germany and releasing films in 40 territories worldwide.

Ada is a recipient of the European Co-Production Award – Prix Eurimages. Currently, Ada serves as Chairperson of the European Film Academy. Beyond producing, Ada is the Head of Distribution at Parada Film, Founder of the NexT Film Festival, and teaches at the National Film School in Bucharest. Ada continues to redefine European independent cinema and has served for many years as the National Coordinator of EAVE.

ANNA CIENNIK

script consultant and scriptwriter (France/Poland)

Anna Ciennik is a multilingual script consultant and scriptwriter of French and Polish descent. She recently co-wrote Erige Sehiri’s sophomore film Promised Sky (Un Certain Regard opening film 2025, Best Screenplay at Angoulême FFF, and Best Film at Marrakech IFF). Currently, she is co-writing Déni Pitsaev’s and Clémentine Carrié's debuts.

As a script consultant, her credits include Clara Sola by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén (Directors’ Fortnight 2021), Amparo by Simón Mesa Soto (Cannes Critics’ Week 2021), Julie Keeps Quiet by Leonardo Van Dijl (Cannes Critics’ Week 2024), A Good Sister by Sarah Miro Fischer (Berlinale Panorama 2025), Divorce During the War by Andrius Blaževičius (Sundance Best Director Award 2026), and Death Has No Master by Jorge Thielen Armand (Directors' Fortnight 2026).

Prior to diving into script development, Anna was the Industry Event Manager at Les Arcs FF between 2017 and 2021, and she continues working for co-production markets and various film commissions as a reader or coach. Anna is a member of the Collectif 5050 and the French screenwriters' organization SCA.

JACQUES AKCHOTI

screenwriter, script consultant and educator (France)

After his studies at the NYU film school, Jacques Akchoti worked in different areas of film production with directors such as R. Bresson, J.J. Beineix, and L. von Trier. He then became a screenwriter and script consultant, heading the development of many French and international films that obtained selections and awards at major festivals.

His recent consulting credits include Haroun Mahamat-Saleh’s A Screaming Man (Jury Prize, Cannes 2010) and Lingui (Cannes Competition 2021); Eva Husson's Girls of the Sun (Cannes Competition 2018); Julia Ducournau’s Raw (Cannes Critics' Week 2016) and Titane (Palme d'Or 2021); Karim Aïnouz's The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão (Un Certain Regard winner 2019) and Firebrand (Cannes Competition 2023); and Emmanuelle Nicot's Dalva (Cannes Critics' Week 2022).

Jacques has directed a feature film for television and written several screenplays. He has been teaching writing and directing at La Fémis since 1988 and has facilitated many international screenwriting and development workshops, including EAVE, Puentes, Interchange, Sud Ecriture, Jerusalem Film Lab, and Cinekid Scriptlab.

In addition to these consultations, the Grant Program participants will attend in-conversation sessions with Anna Kępińska and screenwriter Kasper Bajon (High Water, Heweliusz), with screenwriters Klara Kochańska-Bajon and Nina Lewandowska (The Mothers of Penguins), and with showrunner Katharina Eyssen (The Empress). Furthermore, the Grant Recipients will receive an English translation of their scripts to enable them to present their projects at international platforms.

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment platforms, offering series, films, games, and live broadcasts across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

About the Ukrainian Film Academy

The Ukrainian Film Academy is a Ukrainian association of experts and professionals in the field of cinema and film production. Founded in 2016 to support and develop contemporary Ukrainian cinema, the Ukrainian Film Academy counts more than 600 professionals among its members as of 2026. Since 2017, the Ukrainian Film Academy has organized the prestigious annual event – the "Golden Dzyga," where the national film award of Ukraine is presented for professional achievements in the development of Ukrainian cinema. The main symbol of the national film award – the "Golden Dzyga" statuette – represents the rapid and relentless development of Ukrainian cinema.

About EAVE

EAVE is one of the leading training and development providers for producers in Europe with a unique global network of over 3,000 producers. Through collaborations with international partners, EAVE is involved in programs worldwide. Since its foundation in 1988, EAVE's main objectives have been to provide professional training opportunities and to bring together producers from different parts of the world to facilitate co-production. EAVE firmly believes that supporting independent voices, creative imagination, and culturally driven companies is an urgent need in the global media industry of the 21st century. Through its activities, EAVE aims to contribute to building strong networks of producers and to encourage the exchange of knowledge and skills that will strengthen independent filmmaking worldwide.

Page published 4 June 2026. Updated 5 June 2026.