In recent years, Ukraine has begun to step ouy of Russia's shadow, emerging not only as a major market for Western TV formats for local production but also developing a number of its own high-end local dramas and comedies.
Its TV industry has been further stimulated by the launch of the Ukarinian Content Market, a media forum that takes place in Kiev annualy.
Sergei Sozanovsky, a group shareholder in Ukrainian production outfit FILM.UA, says it's "virtually impossible" for his company to break even without considering the international prospects of its projects.
"The Ukrainian market is not ready to accept the possibilities of local production. When we produce something we always have to think about other territories to cover - usually the former USSR but other countries as well. We hope that situation will change for the better and at some point will offer more coproduction opportunities."
More recently, Ukraine's Inter TV and Russia's First Channel ordered The house with the lilies (working title), a 20-part family saga from FILM.UA. The series, a coproduction with Favourite Film, centres on several generations of a war hero's family following the end of the Second World War.
FILM.UA's Sozanovsky says the key is to collaborate with international players rather than compete with them. "When big production companies eneter the market it is always a challenge for all the local companies. The level of production has to grow rapidly to compete with the world leaders," he says.
