Checkpoint Zoo is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Joshua Zeman. The film follows a group of Ukrainian zookeepers and volunteers who risked their lives to rescue animals trapped in Feldman Ecopark during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics.
Synopsis The documentary deals with the 71-day rescue mission to evacuate thousands of animals from Kharkiv’s Feldman Ecopark, which was shelled with Russian artillery during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Production Director Joshua Zeman was inspired to create the documentary after seeing a viral video of ChiChi the chimpanzee wandering Freedom Square in Kharkiv. The team gathered footage from zookeepers and news reports and made trips to the site to film additional footage on location.
Release
Checkpoint Zoo had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024, On October 4, 2025, the film was made available globally for one day only via the Gathr Direct-to-Audience VOD platform in honor of World Animal Day. It is available to stream on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Critical response
The film was praised by critics for its emotional storytelling and depiction of human-animal compassion during wartime. Britt Collins of The Daily Beast wrote that it as "a work of heart-stopping suspense and tenderness." Dennis Harvey of Variety praised Joshua Zeman's direction, describing it as polished and suspenseful.
Awards and honors + Award Date Category Recipient Result Palm Springs International Film FestivalJanuary 2025Desert Views Award, Audience AwardCheckpoint ZooWon Annapolis Film FestivalMarch 2025Jury PrizeCheckpoint ZooWonMill Valley Film FestivalOctober 2025Audience AwardCheckpoint ZooWonMinneapolis St. Paul International Film FestivalApril 2025Best DocumentaryCheckpoint ZooWonSalem Film FestivalMarch 2025Audience Award: Best FilmCheckpoint ZooWonOKO International Ethnographic Film FestivalSeptember 2025Jury Grand PrizeCheckpoint ZooNominee Tribeca Film Festival June 2024 Audience Award (2nd Place) Checkpoint Zoo Hamptons International Film Festival October 2024 Zelda Penzel "Giving Voice to the Voiceless" Award Checkpoint Zoo Miami International Film Festival April 2025 Documentary Achievement Jury Award Checkpoint Zoo
Gallery
References
External links Checkpoint Zoo Official Website
Checkpoint Zoo at Tribeca Film Festival Checkpoint Zoo at Ghost Robot Checkpoint Zoo on Apple TV