New Ukrainian Distribution Company Launches

Green Light Films has launched as an all-rights distribution and co-production company for the Ukrainian market.

Backed by the holding group that hosts the Multiplex chain of cinemas, Green Light Films is dedicated to building its slate directly with global and western multiregional licensors of high-quality international titles and prestige festival films that have strong theatrical potential. Green Light Films is also seeking co-production opportunities with local filmmakers and will work with Ukrainian producers as their theatrical or all-rights distributor.

Led by distribution veterans Veronika Yasinska, CEO, and Nadiia Zaionchkovska, CCO, its team will be attending AFM and is actively seeking sales agents looking to bring their content to Ukraine on the big or small screen.

Yasinska has worked on theatrical distribution for over 18 years, releasing titles including Paddington, The Hunger Games, The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and more.

Zaionchkovska serves as the CCO, where she is responsible for managing both international and local acquisition of content, as well as relationships with Ukrainian broadcasters, streamers and other licensees.

Roman Romanchuk, CEO of Multiplex, said: “Green Light Films is the latest initiative of the same holding company that founded and developed the Multiplex chain of cinemas into the theatrical market leader in Ukraine. We are joining forces with the Green Light Films team to recover the feature films distribution sector and provide our audience with the best possible repertoire.”

Yasinska commented: “The decision to launch Green Light Films is the result of in-depth analysis of the Ukrainian media market in 2022/2023 that revealed the perfect window of opportunity and growth potential for the theatrical sector. Despite current wartime challenges, 180 cinemas are generating healthy results: this year the Ukrainian box office both in local and $ currency will exceed the level of 2021 COVID year and cross the $60 million mark—comparable to the current Romanian market value and three Baltic states combined at the peak 2019 theatrical moment.”

Zaionchkovska added: “Ukraine is a part of Europe, from both economic and security points of view. We are on a fast-track to the EU; our media market has been self-sufficient and fast-growing for a long time. Green Light Films, as an all-rights partner in the Eastern European region, became a very logical and long-awaited next step in the Ukrainian licensing evolution.”