National professional holiday of cinematographers — Day of Ukrainian Cinema (Ukrainian). «Ukrainian Cinema» Day) — is established by Decree of the President of Ukraine № 52/96 of January 12, 1996 and is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of September.
The first Ukrainian filming took place in September 1896 in Kharkov, where photographer Alfred Fedetsky shot several chronicle stories. And already in December, Fedetsky staged the first Ukrainian film show at the Kharkov Opera House.
The work of many popular actors is associated with pre-revolutionary cinema in Ukraine. The screen queen of those times was Vera Kholodnaya, who was born in Poltava and filmed a lot in Odessa.
In 1922, the All-Ukrainian Photographic and Film Administration was founded, which managed to reconstruct the Odessa and Yalta enterprises, and in 1928 put into operation the Kyiv Film Factory (the future Kyiv Film Studio named after. A. Dovzhenko). In 1930, the first sound film appeared — documentary by D. Vertov «Symphony of Donbass».
Over the past century, Soviet and Ukrainian film artists have created a vibrant film school that has adequately enriched world cinema. The names of Alexander Dovzhenko, Ivan Kavaleridze, Mark Donskoy, Sergei Parajanov, Leonid Bykov, Leonid Osyka, Ivan Mikolaichuk, Bogdan Stupka and many of their talented creative followers will forever remain in memory.
In 2003, a national program for the development of the film industry began to operate in Ukraine with the aim of creating appropriate conditions for the development of the country’s cinematography, resuming the role and influence of national cinema in the cultural, social and spiritual spheres of life of the Ukrainian people, resuming cinematography as a competitive industry, improving mechanisms for extra-budgetary financing and attracting investment into Ukrainian cinematography.
On the holiday itself, all film workers receive congratulations from management, colleagues and friends on their wishes for success in the cinematic field. Also dedicated to this day, according to tradition, are the holding of various conferences, meetings and round tables dedicated to the problems and issues of the development of Ukrainian cinema.