US filmmaker Woody Allen attends a press conference in San Sebastian, Spain, 9 July 2019. Photo: EPA/Javier Etxezarreta

In a statement on X on Monday, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned US film director Woody Allen for participating in the Moscow International Film Week over the weekend via a live video link-up.

“Woody Allen’s participation in the Moscow International Film Week is a disgrace and an insult to the sacrifice of Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who have been killed or injured by Russian war criminals in their ongoing war against Ukraine,” the statement read.

Allen attends the Q&A session during the Moscow International Film Week on 24 August 2025. Photo: Moskino / Telegram

Allen participated in a Q&A session moderated by Kremlin-aligned director Fyodor Bondarchuk on Sunday, Moscow cinema chain Moskino, which organised the event, wrote, adding that the 89-year-old filmmaker had discussed “cinema, life, and the role of intuition in his craft”.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that by taking part in “Moscow’s bloody festival”, Allen had chosen to “turn a blind eye to the atrocities Russia commits in Ukraine every single day for 11 years now.”

“Culture must never be used to whitewash crimes or serve as a propaganda tool,” the ministry wrote.

Moscow International Film Week, which advertises itself as the city’s main film event for the professional community and cinema enthusiasts, is due to run from 23 August to 27 August.

Neither Allen nor his representatives have commented publicly on his participation in the event, according to independent news outlet Meduza.