ASH & CRAYONS to Open in Theaters for World Children's Day
The documentary from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky received the Cinema for Peace Award and screened at the Vatican, UK Parliament, and US Congress.
Briarcliff Entertainment will release ASH AND CRAYONS in theaters on November 20, World Children's Day, established by the UN in 1954 to improve children's welfare and recognize their rights. The film will qualify for the 2026–27 awards season.
ASH AND CRAYONS follows seven Ukrainian children whose lives have been upended by the war as they pursue their passions, build friendships and move forward with courage and resilience. More than 20,610 children have been forcibly deported or transferred to Russia since the war began. Combining vérité footage with animation by Ukrainian artists, the film offers a personal perspective on one of the most urgent human rights crises of our time.
'What began in 2023 under the Working Title 'Children in the Fire' has evolved into 'Ash and Crayons,' the film I have dreamed of,' said Afineevsky. 'As these children have said to us, 'Even broken crayons can color.''
'This is a film about hope and resilience, about seeing beyond the 'ash,' so to speak,' said producer Kevin Goetz, Founder/CEO of Screen Engine.
Recognition and Impact
The film received the Cinema for Peace Award in Berlin, presented to Afineevsky by Hillary Clinton, and has screened at The Vatican, UK Parliament, Italian Parliament, the Council of Europe and US Congress. An impact campaign will accompany the theatrical release, with partners including the Ukrainian World Congress, Bring Kids Back UA (President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's initiative to return abducted children) and War Child International.
Produced by Kevin Goetz and Galyna Sadomtseva Nabaranchuk, with support from the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine and the Ukrainian State Film Agency (Derzhkino).
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