Film screening: ‘20 Days in Mariupol’ and a discussion with the director

May 26 2023

On Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 7.00 p.m. at Vega Scene in Oslo.
Tickets: Vega Scene

Ukrainian journalist and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov and his Associated Press team were the only international reporting crew that stayed behind in the besieged city of Mariupol when Russia invaded Ukraine. Their pictures made headlines the world over, as the photographers managed to capture defining images of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
‘20 Days in Mariupol’ is a vivid, gut-wrenching chronicle of the fate of civilians during the siege, a story of what it is like to report from a conflict zone, and a prime example of the impact of this type of journalism around the world.

The film won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and the film team recently received a Pulitzer prize for their courageous reports from Mariupol. Last year, film director Mstyslav Chernov, along with photographer Evgeniy Maloletka, received a Free Media Award for 2022 from Fritt Ord and the ZEIT Foundation for their valiant, extraordinary documentation of the Russian siege and bombing of Mariupol.
There will be a discussion with director Mstyslav Chernov following the film. Research fellow Oleksandra Hrybenko will introduce the film. Journalist Ingerid Salvesen will be the moderator.
This will be the premier screening of the film in Norway.
Organisers: Fritt Ord, Oslo Documentary Cinema and the Ukrainian Association of Norway

News

Mykhailo Tkach, Andrei Aliaksandrau, Arevhat Sahakyan (Factor TV), Nino Bakradze (iFact), and Lola Tagaeva (Verstka).

Free Media Awards for 2026. Press freedom under pressure in wartime: – Silence does not protect democracy

September 29 2026

This year’s winners of the Free Media Awards from the Fritt Ord Foundation and Zeit Stiftung Bucerius received their awards in Toppsalen at the Munch Museum in Oslo on 29 September 2026.
The Belarusian journalist and media manager Andrei Aliaksandrau came straight to Oslo after spending over five years in prison for his work. Aliaksandrau dedicated the award to imprisoned journalists and editors in Belarus and quoted the Liverpool FC anthem: “You’ll never walk alone”.

Mykhailo Tkach heads investigations at Ukrainska Pravda, which uncovers corruption, even in a Ukraine fighting an existential war against Russia.
– I face charges in at least thirteen cases related to my work. I have been threatened. My team has been threatened. And what is our answer? To keep digging. Silence does not protect democracy. Journalism does.

Mykhailo Tkach

Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, Russian and Belarusian journalists and media to receive five Free Media Awards for 2026

September 3 2026

This year’s prize laureates for the Free Media Awards from the Fritt Ord Foundation and Zeit Stiftung Bucerius are:
The investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach from Ukraine
The investigative media outlet iFact from Georgia
The online media Factor TV from Armenia
The online media Verstka from Russia (in exile)
The journalist and media director Andrei Aliaksandrau from Belarus (imprisoned)*

Fritt Ord's grants for master’s degrees

August 30 2026

Is your master’s project about freedom of expression, social debate or journalism? If so, you can apply for a student grant from the Fritt Ord Foundation.

The Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute 2026

August 18 2026

The rap duo Karpe has been awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute for giving voice to the experiences of many young people from minority backgrounds. Through the language of rap, they are expanding the space for the expression of identity and belonging.