Congratulating Kim, who accepted the award in Berlin, Culture Minister Simonas Kairys emphasised the producer’s great input into strengthening Lithuania’s presence in the global film industry.
“Producer Ujana Kim’s name stands for the highest level of professionalism, and the list of her works is expanding with increasingly ambitious projects. This Eurimages Co-Production Award confirms that Lithuania is becoming more prominent and important in the world of cinema. We are delighted that Kim’s enormous contribution to this process has been recognised and appreciated across Europe,” Kairys was cited as saying in the ministry’s statement.
The Eurimages Co-Production Award is presented by the European Film Academy in cooperation with the Council of Europe’s cultural support fund Eurimages. It recognises the decisive role of co-produced films in promoting international exchange.
This is the first time in the country’s history that the Eurimages Co-production Award has been awarded to a Lithuanian producer for the first time.
Kim, born in a Korean family, founded her production company Studio Uljana Kim in Vilnius in 1997. It is now a leading company in Lithuania, having produced over thirty feature and documentary films since the establishment.
Most of Studio Uljana Kim co-produced firms were premiered at the most important international film festivals and others were successful at the domestic box office. The company focusses on producing and co-producing high quality art-house films intended for a worldwide audience.
The most notable feature films with Studio Uljana Kim include “Kiemas” (directed by Valdas Navasaitis, 1999, Cannes IFF – “Director’s Fortnight”), “The Lease” (directed by Kristijonas Vildžiūnas, 2002, Venice IFF – “Upstream”), “You am I" (directed by Kristijonas Vildžiūnas, 2006, Cannes IFF – “Un Certain Regard”),“Mr Landsbergis” (directed by Sergei Loznitsa, 2021, IDFA Best Film Award), Mariupolis 2” (directed by Mantas Kvedaravičius, 2022, Cannes Film Festival Special Documentary Jury Prize; European Documentary Award at European Film Awards).