The film follows twelve-year-old Niki and his family, who come to a metro station in Kharkiv to hide from the bombing while their house is being destroyed.

Photophobia had its world premiere in the Special Events programme of the 20th Giornate degli Autori, which was held alongside the 80th Venice Film Festival.

Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík went to Ukraine with humanitarian aid in the spring of 2022 and spent four months filming.

The film was produced by Slovak Punkchart films and Czech Cinémotif Films in coproduction with the Radio and Television of Slovakia, Arthouse Traffic (Ukraine) and the Czech Television with support from the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Czech Film Fund and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

The shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on 21 December 2023, the nominees will be known on 23 January 2024 and the 96th Academy Awards will be held on 10 March 2024.