War Has No Kids by Together Charity Foundation’s Founder Wins Best Documentary at Molodist

War Has No Kids, conceived and co-directed by Valerie Nykyforets, founder of Together Charity Foundation, won the documentary competition at the 55th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival. The winners were announced on 31 October 2026.

Behind this recognition are the creative team’s shared efforts and the trust of the people who agreed to share their experiences. The documentary explores childhood during war, bringing individual lives into focus beyond headlines and statistics.

An important part of the film’s preparation was the journalistic research and fieldwork carried out by Valerie Nykyforets and Liubov Pidlozhevych: finding participants, speaking with families and gathering their stories. Together, they travelled to eastern Ukraine to meet people whose experiences could form the basis of the documentary.

Some of this work took place in dangerous conditions, in frontline communities, including locations just 13 kilometres from the Russian border. During their journeys, Valerie and Liubov experienced guided aerial bomb strikes and other threats together. Their contribution to the film includes time spent with people, the search for stories and a commitment to continuing the work in difficult circumstances.

We especially thank Liubov Pidlozhevych for her involvement, support and contribution to finding the film’s participants. These efforts often remain off screen, yet they are an important part of bringing a story to an audience.

Valerie developed the film with director Dmytro Todoriuk and the filmmaking team. Its festival recognition is a shared achievement for everyone who worked on the documentary and helped bring it to the screen.

For Together Charity Foundation, this milestone has particular significance. Children, their education, psychological support and opportunities to build a future are central to the foundation’s work. Documentary filmmaking helps draw attention to their experiences and sustain public discussion of their needs.

We thank the film’s participants and their families for their trust, the creative team for their work, and the journalists and editorial teams who covered the award and helped share the stories of Ukrainian children.