Liev Schreiber and ‘Ukrainians in Exile’ Director Janek Ambros Set for Lakes Noir Film Festival Tribute
Actor and activist Liev Schreiber will receive the Global Noir Icon Award at the Lakes Noir International Film Festival's closing ceremony, which will also honour BlueCheck Ukraine, the humanitarian organisation he co-founded, and present the Global Noir Visionary Award to Janek Ambros, director of the documentary "Ukrainians in Exile". The festival will also pay tribute to the late actress Hayden Panettiere, a supporter of BlueCheck Ukraine, with a moment of silence, underlining the event's strong focus on Ukraine-related humanitarian causes within its wider celebration of noir cinema.
The gala takes place on 27 September in Luino, Italy, and will screen "Ukrainians in Exile", a 2024 documentary filmed near the Ukrainian border shortly after the 2022 invasion began, executive produced by Schreiber and Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. Panettiere, who died on 17 August aged 36 in circumstances still under investigation, backed Ukraine partly through her nine-year relationship with Wladimir Klitschko and founded the charity Hoplon International in March 2022 to supply body armour and medical kits to front-line troops; BlueCheck Ukraine was launched the same month to aid war-affected populations.
In short
- Liev Schreiber to receive Global Noir Icon Award at Lakes Noir festival, 27 September.
- Festival also honours BlueCheck Ukraine and director Janek Ambros.
- Late actress Hayden Panettiere to be honoured for her Ukraine support work.
Explained simply
Liev Schreiber is an American actor known for film, television and theatre roles. He has also supported humanitarian work in Ukraine: BlueCheck Ukraine, which he co-founded in 2022, helps organisations providing aid to people affected by the war.
Janek Ambros directed Ukrainians in Exile, a documentary filmed near Ukraine’s border soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. The film follows people displaced by the conflict, and was executive produced by Schreiber and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.
Noir is a style of film often associated with crime, shadowy visuals and morally complex characters. The festival combines recognition of that cinema with attention to humanitarian work connected to Ukraine; actress Hayden Panettiere, who supported Ukrainian causes, is also being remembered.
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