Ukrainian cinema of the Independence era is characterized by the collapse of the film industry in the 1990s and attempts to rebuild it in the 2000s and 2010s since the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine after the independence referendum of 1991. Although the centralized film industry was in decline, independent film studios, distribution companies and a network of cinemas were developing. In the 2010s, the number of short films in Ukraine was growing rapidly due to the development of digital technologies and reduced production costs. Although the film industry was making losses at that time, a number of Ukrainian films were successful at international film festivals.