Animated film by Master’s student in the Max Ophuels Film Festival Competition
Anya Ryzhkova, Master's student in Media Art and Design, will be celebrating the première of her graduation film project, »vremya fewral’ / STILL FEBRUARY«, on Wednesday 21 January 2026 in the short film competition of the Max Ophuels Film Festival. For the first time, animated films are officially eligible to compete in the Film Festival.
The Max Ophuels Film Festival is considered one of the most important platforms for young filmmakers in the German-speaking world. Twenty-five films have been selected to compete in the short film category. The films will be competing for the »Bester Kurzfilm« and »Publikumspreis Kurzfilm« prizes, each of which comes with a 5,000 euro prize.
In »vremya fewral' / STILL FEBRUARY«, the Russian director tells the story of her own personal experiences of loss, disorientation, and inner stagnation in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The main character of the film is a wolf-like figure who wakes up in a world threatened by fire and decay, initially not understanding why everything around her is disappearing. Gradually, however, it recognises a destructive force wiping out both the past and the future. In the end, it has only one option to save itself.
The film combines individual experiences with documentary footage. The animated world consists of actual newspaper clippings and eyewitness accounts of the war in Ukraine that have been collected since the beginning of the invasion. In this way, the film highlights pain, powerlessness, and the struggle for recognition. »The film is the most personal work I have ever done and stems from my own feelings of loss, destruction, and time standing still«, says Anya Ryzhkova.
Ryzhkova was supported by other Bauhaus-Universität Weimar students and alumni, who helped her in the making of the film. Wolfgang Kissel, Professor of Media Events, and then-artistic staff member Franka Sachse supervised the project.
Max Ophuels Film Festival
19 to 25 January 2026
In cinemas in Saarbrücken and surrounding area.
Premiere:
21 January 2026, 6 pm
Screenings at the Saarbrücken CineStar:
Wednesday, 21 January 2026, 6 pm, Theatre 11
Thursday, 22 January 2026, 8:45 pm, Theatre 3
Friday, 23 January 2026, 12:30 pm, Theatre 4
Saturday, 24 January 2026, 10:00 am, Theatre 1
Sunday, 25 January 2026, 1:00 pm, Theatre 5
Location:
CineStar Saarbrücken
St. Johanner Straße 61
66115 Saarbrücken
»vremya fewral’ / STILL FEBRUARY«
Directed by: Anya Ryzhkova
Country of production / Year: Germany 2026
Format: Animated film, in colour
Length: 10 minutes
Opening performance: Max Ophuels Film Festival
Music: Timm Weber
Sound: Cäcilie Willkommen, Timm Weber
Production: Anya Ryzhkova
Co-Production: Paper Plane Animation, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Funding: Thüringer Staatskanzlei, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Graduation Scholarship, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar »Frauenförderfonds«
Further information and tickets can be found at:https://ffmop.de/film_detail/movie-6941388c8fcb3
Anya Ryzhkova on Instagram:www.instagram.com/chelovek.ezh