Dear friends and Colleagues,

We have faced a terrible loss – the death in a car accident of our friend and colleague Andriy Matrosov. There are no words to describe the loss this is for his family, for the Kherson Oblast Charity and Health Fund, and for the entire community of human rights defenders and journalists.

Andriy was, among other things, producer of the Human Rights Documentary Film Festival "Docudays UA" (www.docudays.org.ua). It was he who knew all the details for preparing the Festival and was in charge of its organization.

It is for us now to continue his work. It would, we feel, be impossible and inappropriate to cancel the 7th

"Docudays UA" Festival, which is to take place from March 26 – April 2 in Kyiv. It is important that Ukraine sees the marvellous films selected for the Festival this year. Such films are a revelation in Ukraine with their exceptional level of spirituality and artistic execution. There are also two good Ukrainian films which deserve to be on a par with foreign films and compete with them.

We feel enormous responsibility for this Festival, not least for the following reasons:

• There are only two truly international Film Festivals in Ukraine – the "Molodist" and Docudays UA.

• Many of the finest film-makers from other countries have at last believe in our Festival and sent in their excellent works.

• After this Festival, no one will dare to assert that there are no good young documentary producers in Ukraine, since they too have been included in the Festival’s programme.

• We hope also that the foreign producers whom we have invited will take note of this young talent and will be willing to invest money in Ukrainian authors.

• The issues involving human dignity and human rights have been highly addressed in most of this year Festival films as never before.

• Hundreds of Ukrainians confronted by killing and violence from TV and movies screens will have the opportunity, through the documentary films, to touch upon real values and reflect upon reality and their own lives anew. Following the Festival in Kyiv, the films will be taken on tour around the country. Last year local festivals were organized in 100 large and small cities in Ukraine, enabling around 140 thousand people to watch the best films.

There is little time remaining before the Festival. The films to be viewed have been selected and prepared. We have found funding for the transportation and accommodation of some of the foreign participants. Volunteers are continuing to work on preparation and many friends have offered their help.

However there remain areas of preparation for the Festival which still lack funding – to cover the opening and closing ceremonies, logistics support (transportation, accommodation and meals) for Ukrainian human rights organizations taking part, and for awards to the Festival prize winners.

If you can help at all, or know those who could provide support for this important event, we would be enormously grateful.
We have opened a special account for this purpose, as follows.
Kherson oblast Charity and Health Fund
EDRPOU code 01497439
Bank account 26007870938048
in Odessa oblast branch of UkrSotsBank
MFО 328016
as a charitable contribution for the International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival «Docudays UA»

If you would like to transfer money in US currency, the following bank accounts can be used (the bank-correspondent should be the same for the non-resident’s bank):
Банк бенефициара/
Bank of beneficiary UKRSOTSBANK, KIEV
S.W.I.F.T.: UKRSUAUX
For Odesa branch
Details: Address: 6, Y. Oleshi str., Odesa, Ukraine
Бенефициар/
Beneficiary Name: Khersonskiy oblastnoy Fond miloserdiya i zdorov’ya
Address: Ukraine, 73000,Kherson, Frunze, 2, of. 23.
Account: 26004870938041

Список прямых корреспондентских счетов Укрсоцбанка в долларах США /USD/
1. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank Standard Chartered Bank New York Branch, New York
S.W.I.F.T.: SCHBLUS33
Cor. acc. USD:3582021688001
2. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank THE BANK OF NEW YORK, New York
S.W.I.F.T.: IRVTUS3N
Cor. acc. USD: 8900260947
3. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, New York
S.W.I.F.T.: BKTRUS33
Cor. acc. USD: 04094040
4. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank COMMERZBANK AG, Frankfurt am Main
S.W.I.F.T.: COBADEFF
Cor. acc. USD:400886615400
5. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank DEUTSCHE BANK AG, Frankfurt
S.W.I.F.T.: DEUTDEFF
Cor. acc. USD: 10094986270005
6. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank WACHOVIA BANK N.A., New York
S.W.I.F.T.: PNBPUS3NNYC
Cor. acc. USD: 2000193003598
7. Банк-посредник/
Intermediary bank VTB Bank (Austria) AG, Vienna
S.W.I.F.T.: DOBAATWW
Cor. acc. USD: 11.00.0615310.001

Alla Tiutiunnyk, President of Kherson Oblast Charity and Health Fund
Natalia Bimbiraite, Head of the Executive Committee of the Kherson Oblast Charity and Health Fund, Financial Director of the 7th «Docudays UA» Festival
Svitlana Smal, Head of the Organizing Committee of the 7th Festival «Docudays UA»,
Volodymyr Yavorsky, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
Hennadiy Kofmann, director of the Festival "Docudays UA".
Daria Averchenko, PR-director of the 7th Festival «Docudays UA»,
Roman Bondarchuk, member of the Selection Committee for the 7th «Docudays UA» Festival

For additional information, please contact the Kherson Oblast Charity and Health Fund
tel. +38 (0552) 44 33 30, +38 067 989 99 87.