About Me
Born in Ukraine, raised in Nigeria, Polina Buchak is an award-winning New York-based filmmaker who focuses on diverse and inclusive storytelling by blending new technologies into traditional mediums.
She’s the Head of Razom Cinema and Impact Producer at Razom for Ukraine, a NYC-based non-profit, creating content in effort to raise funds for humanitarian aid for Ukraine as well as lead their film programming to continue shining light on Ukrainian storytelling and filmmakers in the US.
Most recently, she directed a short animation Sunflower Field that explores how the child psyche is impacted during war - which had its World Premiere at Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival and won Best Short Animation at Woodstock Film Festival as well as the Audience Award at NFFTY. Her short film Pool Party is had its online premiere on GirlSoup and won many awards, including Best Original Story at Independent Shorts Awards and Audience Choice Award at New Faces New Voices film festival. She was an Associate Producer for Aggie, directed and produced by Emmy-nominated Catherine Gund, a documentary which explores the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund’s life. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2020. Polina has produced a number of short films that were screened at Woodstock Film Festival, Urbanworld Film Festival, Athena Film Festival, DOC NYC, and more.
As a Producer at honto88, Polina has worked with brands like David Yurman, Netflix, The Meteor, and Planned Parenthood as well as musicians like Anna Rose and Running Lights.
Polina holds a BFA in Film & TV from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a minor in Integrated Digital Media.
Email: polina.buchak@gmail.com // @ms_buchak
PRESS
Animation Magazine - Oscar Watch 2024: Your Guide to This Year’s Qualifying Animated Shorts
We Are Moving Stories - interview with Carmela Baranowska
Variety - Woodstock Film Festival 2023
Oberlin Review - Cleveland Film Festival Highlights Ukraine
ReadCopy - Artist Spotlight: Polina Buchak
Ukraine State Film Agency - Artists for Ukraine showcased Ukrainian movies in Palm Springs as a fundraising event in support of Ukraine
KESQ News Channel 3 - 'Artists for Ukraine' film festival in Palm Springs raising money, sharing culture this weekend
Kino-teatr.ua - From Ukraine to Hollywood and back
My Kharkov.info - Фильм украинского режиссера Полины Бучак показали на кинофестивале в Нью-Йорке
Razom For Ukraine - A Day in the Life of a Razom Volunteer During Wartime
My-Kiev.com - Українська режисерка Поліна Бучак: «Час показати українське кіно всьому світові!»
We Are Moving Stories - with Carmela Baranowska