Fans of gripping “Screenlife” thrillers like Searching and Missing are in for a treat with the release of Stay Online, a captivating movie that unfolds entirely on computer screens.

Set against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stay Online is set to make its highly-anticipated world premiere at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal on July 22. Check out the trailer up here!

Stay Online follows the story of a young woman named Liza Zaitseva (portrayed by Liza Zaitseva herself), who is volunteering in Kyiv. She receives one of the many laptops donated by ordinary Ukrainians to support the war effort. Soon after, she receives a mysterious video call from a young boy desperately searching for his father, the laptop’s previous owner. The father went missing during the Russian army’s invasion of Bucha.

Reluctantly, Liza agrees to assist in the search for the missing parents, a decision that will ultimately compel her to endanger the lives of her own loved ones.

Directed by Yeva Strielnikova and written by Strielnikova and Anton Skrypets, Stay Online is a collaboration between AMO Pictures, Mamas Production, and OUP Fiction. The talented team of producers includes Skrypets, Anatolii Dudinskyi, Maryna Kvasova, and Alla Lipovetska.

North American sales for the film are being handled by XYZ Films.

Reflecting on the film, director Yeva Strielnikova reveals its profound significance: “Stay Online was a project of great importance to us. In the initial days of the war, fear, pain, and hatred consumed us. We needed an outlet, a means to express ourselves. Anton Skrypets, my co-writer, presented me with the opportunity to collaborate on the script. The screen life format was a natural choice since this war unfolds through laptops, phones, and social networks. It is constantly broadcasted. Screenlife is our new reality, our sole means of finding out if our loved ones are alive, if they perished in rocket attacks, or if their vehicles were unscathed. ‘Stay online’ is not just a plea to connect; it also encapsulates the struggle to stay alive.”

Strielnikova further explains the inspiration behind the script: “While writing, we drew inspiration from the remarkable stories of volunteers who bravely aided the residents of Irpen and Bucha during evacuations. Hence, the central character, Katya, embodies the collective spirit of our heroic women who risked their lives to save other Ukrainians.”

Stay Online promises to deliver an enthralling cinematic experience, offering a unique perspective on the harrowing events of the Ukrainian conflict.