Black Sunflowers is a 2026 documentary film, directed by James Marcus Haney.Matthew Carey, "‘Black Sunflowers’ First Look: Ukraine’s Youth Live Life On The Edge In Propulsive Doc From EP Sean Penn – Toronto Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood, September 11, 2026. A coproduction of companies from the United States and Ukraine,Elsa Keslassy, "James Marcus Haney’s ‘Black Sunflowers’ Boarded by Charades and CAA Media Finance Ahead of TIFF Docs Premiere". Variety, September 10, 2026. the film profiles a group of young Ukrainians navigating their passage into adulthood in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian War, both their participation in the military defense of their country and their attempts to maintain some normalcy in their lives through typical youth activities such as raves, drag racing and dating.Pat Mullen, "Black Sunflowers Review: Ravers Pulse as a Ukraine’s Heartbeat". Point of View, September 13, 2026.
Haney had originally intended to make a short documentary film about one or two protagonists, but expanded the film's focus after his first trip to Ukraine established that a short film would not be enough to tell the story. Executive producers of the film include Sean Penn,Etan Vlessing, "Sean Penn to Exec Produce James Marcus Haney’s ‘Black Sunflowers’ Ukraine War Doc". The Hollywood Reporter, August 17, 2026. Anna October, and Dianna Agron.
The film premiered in the TIFF Docs program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival,Matthew Carey, "TIFF Docs Lineup Revealed: Rapinoe, Said, Love, And A Scent Of Musk". Deadline Hollywood, August 5, 2026. where it was first runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Documentaries.Pete Hammond, "‘La Bola Negra’ Wins Oscar Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 20, 2026.
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