Short Video Story Competition "People and War"

March 2017: Participation in the Short Video Story Competition "People and War"

This competition was conducted as part of the "StoryMaker: School of Citizen Journalism" project, supported by GPD Charitable Trust and organized in partnership with:

• NGO "Initiative for Democratic Development"
• IA "OstroV"
• Open University for Adults

Overview

The competition's organizing committee received 29 video stories portraying the lives of Donbas residents who were forced to flee their homes due to armed conflict and persecution in Eastern Ukraine. Eighteen works that met all competition requirements were selected as finalists, including:

• 13 stories by citizen journalists, students, and activists
• 5 stories by professional journalists

Given the high relevance of the topic, selecting the winners was a particularly challenging task for the competition jury, which included:

Jury Panel

• Olena Tanasiichuk – President of the Public Resources and Initiatives Charitable Foundation, Head of the Open University for Adults in Chernivtsi, Coordinator of the Yuriy Ataman International Journalism Contest
• Serhiy Harmash – Chief Editor of OstroV News Agency
• Tetiana Kuznetsova – Doctor of Social Communications, Professor, Media Expert, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism at the National University "Odesa Law Academy"
• Natalia Nechayeva-Yuriychuk – Ph.D. in History, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Lecturer of "Political Journalism"

Evaluation Criteria

The competition entries were judged based on:

1. Recognition and respect for human dignity
2. Balanced representation of different perspectives
3. Absence of offensive language
4. Original content
5. Relevance of the theme
6. Quality of storytelling and execution

Competition Winners

Citizen Journalists Category

• 1st Place (tie):

• "What's Behind the Fearful Glance?" – Oleksandr Ivanov (Donetsk) and Maksym Matsyuk (Ternopil)
• "We Lost Our Sense of Home – IDPs Alina and Olena" – Khrystyna Havryliuk and Maksym Voloshyn (Chernivtsi)

• 2nd Place:

• "Associations" – Alisa Kulakova (Odesa)
• "Everyone Has Their Own Story" – Khrystyna Mosin (Chernivtsi)

• 3rd Place:

• "People and War" – Anastasiia Smityuk (Odesa)

Professional Journalists Category

• 1st Place:

• "IDPs Lost Not Only Their Homes but Also Their Right to Vote" – Olena Sorokalitnia, TBA TV Channel (Chernivtsi)
• "Learning to Live Differently" – Mariia Shymanska, ZIK TV Channel (Lviv)

Awards and Recognition

The winners were awarded smartphones, cash prizes, and certificates. The best video stories were published on the OstroV News Agency website and the "StoryMaker: School of Citizen Journalism" website.

All competition entries can be viewed on the StoryMaker project's YouTube channel:
🔗 StoryMaker YouTube Channel

About the "People and War" Competition

This competition was part of the "StoryMaker: School of Citizen Journalism" project, launched in Ukraine in late 2016. The project includes:

• Online courses (Matrix platform)
• Unique educational materials
• Webinars, training sessions, and competitions

The StoryMaker project serves as an effective platform for activists and volunteers, equipping them with practical tools and knowledge in:

• Citizen journalism
• Digital security
• Photo, video, and audio content creation

By applying these skills, anyone with an active civic stance can become a citizen journalist, sharing impactful stories and ensuring that voices from Ukraine’s conflict-affected regions are heard worldwide.