Iryna Tsilyk

Iryna Tsilyk studied at Kyiv National I. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University. The recorded working language is Ukrainian. The field of work recorded is film direction and creative and professional writing. Distinctions recorded are Honored Art Worker of Ukraine, Shevchenko National Prize and Women in Arts Award.

Iryna Tsilyk was born in Kyiv. Graduated from Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinematography and Television named by Ivan Karpenko-Kary summa cum laude. Now Iryna works as film director and screenwriter and mostly known for the award-winning "The Earth Is Blue as an Orange", "Rock, Paper, Grenade", "Invisible Battalion" projects. Moreover, Tsilyk is the author of several books (poetry, prose, children's books). Some of her works have been translated into English, German, French, Polish, Lithuanian, Czech, Romanian, Catalan, Swedish, Greek, Italian, Danish; were presented at various international literary festivals and events, such as Zebra poetry film festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival, Poesiefestival Berlin, Vilenica International literary festival, book fairs in Prague, Vienna, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Vilnius and others. In November 2020 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Tsilyk the title Merited Artist of Ukraine. She refused the honour claiming she was "just starting my career in film directing" and she consider it "inappropriate to accept such awards with a light heart in times of uncertainty, when many of my colleagues from the film community were offended by the unjust actions of the current government." A few days later the decree that awarded Tsilyk the title disappeared from the official website of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Iryna Tsilyk is based in Kyiv together with her family. At the moment, Iryna's husband and writer Artem Chekh is serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Iryna and their son Andrii (born in 2010) stay in Kyiv.

• Red Marks on Black (Червоні на чорному сліди; short story collection), 2015. • Birthmarks (Родимки; short story collection), 2013. • The Day After Yesterday (Післявчора; novel), 2008.

• Thin Ice (Тонкий лід; collection of poems), 2025. • "The Road Beyond" (a book of poems in English and pictures by Ruslan Hrushchak), 2022. • Depth of Field (Глибина різкості; collection of poems), 2016. • Qi (Ці; collection of poems), 2007.

• Small travel book: Kyiv (Книжечка-мандрівочка: Київ), 2024. • The City-tale of One’s Friendship (МІСТОрія однієї дружби; children’s adventure novel), 2016. • Such an interesting life (Таке цікаве життя; children’s book), 2015.

• Forum for Ukrainian Studies interview, 25.09.2023 • Iryna Tsilyk's poems at Lyrikline.org * • ‘The Earth Is Blue as an Orange’: Film Review in Variety • The interview with Iryna Tsilyk • Director of The Earth Is Blue as an Orange • Review: The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (2020), by Iryna Tsilyk • Sundance 2020: War Induces Cinema In The Powerful Ukraine Documentary “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange”