Kiev opens LGBT film festival on Good Friday
Ukraine's LGBTQ community has sparked outrage by scheduling its top film festival, Sunny Bunny, to coincide with Easter week.
The event opened on Good Friday, April 18, and will run through April 25 in Kiev. In 2025 all Christian denominations are celebrating Easter on the same day, and the festival's timing and queerly seasonal name have drawn a backlash from conservative politicians and religious figures.
Former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko, who now leads the opposition Fatherland (Batkivshchyna) party, expressed outrage over the festival's opening on Good Friday. In a social media post, she criticized the decision, rhetorically asking, 'Do you know what 'nothing sacred' literally looks like?'
Several other members of Ukraine's parliament have also voiced disapproval. MP Aleksey Goncharenko described the event as 'a provocation against Ukrainian traditions, faith, and the frontline soldiers who have died with a prayer on their lips.' Writing on his Telegram channel, he added, 'This is a disregard for the millions of people for whom Good Friday is a day of silence, sorrow, and prayer.'
Launched in 2008 as part of another event, Sunny Bunny became a standalone festival in June 2023—one year after the conflict in Ukraine escalated.
Ukrainian MP Daniil Getmantsev also condemned the timing, saying it damages the public image of the LGBTQ community.
Festival organizers stated the timing was not intended to offend religious groups. They explained that the dates were selected based on the international festival calendar and logistics, emphasizing that Ukraine is a secular country. Organizers also described some of the criticism as homophobic, arguing references to Christian holidays were being used to 'mask homophobia and hatred.'
The festival has previously required heightened security. In 2023, before its opening, two cinemas in Kiev received threats of attacks and arson over their involvement.
The LGBTQ movement in Ukraine has sought to raise its profile amid the conflict with Russia, with supporters framing it as a defiant statement. Ukrainian LGBTQ groups have also launched fundraisers to purchase drones for Kiev's armed forces and encouraged supporters to contribute.
Russia banned 'LGBT propaganda' in 2022 and designated the LGBT movement as a terrorist organization in 2024.
Russian MP Sergey Mironov denounced the festival, claiming it reflects a rejection of traditional values. He said, 'Today, people with traditional beliefs are no longer needed in Ukraine,' calling LGBT culture a threat to civilization and describing the situation as 'lunacy.' He added, 'Thank God we in Russia are spared from this.'
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