{{Short description|2024 documentary film about the war in Ukraine}}
{{Infobox film | name = Checkpoint Zoo | image = | alt = | caption = Official poster | director = Joshua Zeman | writer = Joshua Zeman, Daniel Lonsbury | producer = Joshua Zeman, Zachary Mortensen, Ian Davies, Torquil Jones | cinematography = Nelson Hume, Olivier Sarbil | editing = Cy Christiansen, Andrew Ford, Kelly Kendrick, Daniel Lonsbury | music = Anne Nikitin | studio = Ghost Robot, Noah Media Group | released = {{Film date|2024|6|6|Tribeca Film Festival}} | runtime = 107 minutes | country = {{Plainlist| * United States * United Kingdom }} | language = {{Plainlist| * English * Ukrainian * Russian }} }}
'''''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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Checkpoint Zoo {{!}} 2024 Tribeca Festival |url=https://tribecafilm.com/films/checkpoint-zoo-2024 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=Tribeca}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
== Production == Director Joshua Zeman was inspired to create the documentary after seeing a viral video of ChiChi the chimpanzee wandering Freedom Square in Kharkiv.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clements |first=Sara |date=2024-06-18 |title="CHECKPOINT ZOO" - Review |url=https://nextbestpicture.com/checkpoint-zoo/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=Next Best Picture |language=en-US}}</ref> The team gathered footage from zookeepers and news reports and made trips to the site to film additional footage on location.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Rosenbloom |first=Alli |date=2024-06-05 |title='Checkpoint Zoo' captures the risky rescue of an entire zoo amid the war in Ukraine |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/05/entertainment/checkpoint-zoo-joshua-zeman-russia-ukraine-war/index.html |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
== Release ==
''Checkpoint Zoo'' had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024,<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://tribecafilm.com/films/checkpoint-zoo-2024|title=Checkpoint Zoo | 2024 Tribeca Festival|website=Tribeca}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carey |first=Matthew |date=2025-09-30 |title=Oscar Contender ‘Checkpoint Zoo’ Coming To Home Video For 24 Hours Only For World Animal Day |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/checkpoint-zoo-home-video-release-world-animal-day-1236565778/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Critical response ==
The film was praised by critics for its emotional storytelling and depiction of human-animal compassion during wartime.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Review® |first=The Peach |date=2024-06-10 |title=2024 Tribeca Film Festival – 'CHECKPOINT ZOO' Review: A flawless victory for cinema › THE PEACH REVIEW® |url=https://thepeachreview.com/2024/06/10/2024-tribeca-film-festival-checkpoint-zoo-review-a-flawless-victory-for-cinema/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=thepeachreview.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Francis |first=Anthony |date=2024-06-10 |title=Tribeca 2024: Documentary- Checkpoint Zoo |url=https://themovierevue.com/tribeca-2024-documentary-checkpoint-zoo/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=The Movie Revue |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Christopher Llewellyn |date=2024-06-07 |title=Tribeca Review: "Checkpoint Zoo" {{!}} Film Festival Today |url=https://filmfestivaltoday.com/film-reviews/tribeca-review-checkpoint-zoo |access-date=2025-04-30 |language=en}}</ref> Britt Collins of ''The Daily Beast'' wrote that it as "a work of heart-stopping suspense and tenderness."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-27 |title=How Putin Got a Man Mauled to Death by a Lion |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/joshua-zeman-on-checkpoint-zoo-deadly-bomb-strikes-and-lion-attack/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=The Daily Beast |language=en}}</ref> Dennis Harvey of ''Variety'' praised Joshua Zeman's direction, describing it as polished and suspenseful.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |date=2025-01-08 |title='Checkpoint Zoo' Review: A Wildlife Park Becomes a War Zone in Compelling Documentary |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/checkpoint-zoo-review-1236257555/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Awards and honors == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ ! Award ! Date ! Category ! Recipient ! Result ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- |Palm Springs International Film Festival |January 2025 |Desert Views Award, Audience Award |''Checkpoint Zoo'' |Won | align="center" | |- |Annapolis Film Festival |March 2025 |Jury Prize |''Checkpoint Zoo'' |Won | align="center" | |- |Mill Valley Film Festival |October 2025 |Audience Award |''Checkpoint Zoo'' |Won | align="center" | |- |Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival |April 2025 |Best Documentary |''Checkpoint Zoo'' |Won | align="center" | |- |Salem Film Festival |March 2025 |Audience Award: Best Film |''Checkpoint Zoo'' |Won | align="center" | |- |OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival |September 2025 |Jury Grand Prize |''Checkpoint Zoo'' |Nominee | align="center" | |- ! scope="row" | Tribeca Film Festival | June 2024 | Audience Award (2nd Place) | ''Checkpoint Zoo'' | {{won}} | align="center" |<ref name="auto1" /> |- ! scope="row" | Hamptons International Film Festival | October 2024 | Zelda Penzel "Giving Voice to the Voiceless" Award | ''Checkpoint Zoo'' | {{won}} | align="center" |<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://ghostrobot.com/work/checkpoint-zoo|title=Checkpoint Zoo|website=Ghost Robot}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | Miami International Film Festival | April 2025 | Documentary Achievement Jury Award | ''Checkpoint Zoo'' | {{won}} | align="center" |<ref name="auto" /> |}
== Gallery ==
{{Empty section|date=June 2025}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://checkpointzoo.com/ Checkpoint Zoo Official Website] * {{IMDb title|id=tt28440231}} * [https://tribecafilm.com/films/checkpoint-zoo-2024 Checkpoint Zoo at Tribeca Film Festival] * [https://ghostrobot.com/work/checkpoint-zoo Checkpoint Zoo at Ghost Robot]
Category:2024 films Category:2024 documentary films Category:American documentary films Category:British documentary films Category:Documentary films about animals Category:Documentary films about the Russian invasion of Ukraine