Polina Ura Herman (Bushynska) – Producer, Director of LLC UP UA/USA STUDIO
Polina Herman (Bushynska) is a film producer, founder and owner of the companies UP UA Studio and UP USA Studio. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America, Television Academy, the European and Ukrainian Film Academies, the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine, Film Independent, the European Association of Psychodrama, the Institute of Psychodrama, Modern Psychology, and Psychotherapy under PAfE with a specialization in psychodrama practice, and also a member of the International Documentary Association (IDA).
Polina was born in Yevpatoria but later moved to Kyiv. Since 2022, due to the full-scale invasion by Russia, Polina moved to Los Angeles, where, with the support of American Cinematheque, she organized Ukrainian Film Days.
Education:
- In 2023, Polina finished the Professional Program in Producing at UCLA School of Theater Film & Television
- In 2013, she graduated from Kyiv National Theater, Cinema, and Television University, I. Karpenko-Kary with a degree in the Organization of Cinema and Television Production.
- In 2011, she graduated from Kyiv Institute of Culture and Arts with a degree in Marketing and Public Relations.
- In 2011, she studied marketing and advertising at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Career:
Polina began her professional activity in film production in 2012. By 2013, she had assumed the role of PR-Director at Insight Media LLC, focusing on the promotion of Ukrainian films such as “Normal Case”, “Ivan The Powerful” and “Istalgia.” Subsequently, she transitioned to overseeing the distribution of Ukrainian films at both LLC “435 FILMS” and LLC “Big Hand FILMS.” In 2014, Polina Herman was engaged in the organization and promotion of various social projects, such as «Week of Ukrainian Cinema in support of Oleg Sentov», charity shows of the film «Our hope». After that she began to deal with the distribution of Ukrainian films in companies LLC «435 FILMS» and LLC «Big Hand FILMS».
In 2016, Polina was a producer at the state film studio “National Cinematheque of Ukraine.” That year, she founded UP UA STUDIO production company, focusing on film production and promoting Ukrainian cinema. The company, producing both short and full-length feature and documentary films for both festival audiences and the broader public, can provide a complete cycle of film production. It also develops projects in the audiovisual sector and holds vast film events for promoting Ukrainian cinema. In 2023, she extended her mission by founding UP USA STUDIO film production company.
Filmography:
2024 – «The Cake», dir. Nadin Tsarinova, short feature film, USA;
2024 – «Antarctica: War Diaries», dir. Volodymyr Khomko, a full-length documentary film, Ukraine, Britain (post-production);
2024 – «Divia», dir. Dmytro Hreshko, a full-length documentary film, Ukraine, Poland (post-production);
2023 – «Branded Tigers», dir. Ethan Hasse, full-length feature film, USA;
2023 – «King Lear: how we looked for love during the war», dir. Dmytro Hreshko, a full-length documentary film, Ukraine;
2021 – Cultural event «Open Air Cinema Vernissage 2021»;
2021 – «Price of conflict», dir. Volodymyr Sydko, a full-length documentary film, Ukraine;
2021 – Producer of the Carpathian Mountain International Film Festival (Uzhgorod)
2021 – Participant «Digital Labs: Film Products» from House of Europe
2021 – «Mountains and heaven in between», dir. Dmytro Hreshko, a full-length documentary film, Ukraine;
2021 – «Broken», dir. Solomiia Tomashchuk, a short feature film, Ukraine;
2021 – «Homo Deus. Divine Human», dir. Yula Deglina, a short feature film, Ukraine;
2021 – «Between us», dir. Solomiia Tomashchuk a full-length feature film, Ukraine;
2020 – «Salt for the Sea», dir. Snizhana Gusarevych, a short feature film, Ukraine;
2020 – Cultural West «Open Air Cinema Vernissage»;
2020 – Online Project «Cinema Vernissage Online»;
2019 – «Last Day of War» 4 serial series to order “TRK Ukraina”;
2019 – production of the pilot of the series «Politials», UCF;
2019 – Executive Producer Tyserer «Sanira», UCF;
2019 – Documentary CCTV «Cold Test» Hojat- 2;
2019 – «Rooms», dir. Oleg Sienzov / Akhtem Sytablaev, Full-length Film, Ukraine / Poland;
2018 – «Rooms», dir. Tamara Trunova, theatrical performance, Ukraine;
2018 – «Khalepa na 5 Baksiv», dir. Myroslav Latyk, full-length feature film, Ukraine;
2018 – «Family Hour», dir. Maria Ponomareva, short feature film, Ukraine;
2018 – «In Joy and Only in Joy» dir. Maryna Roshchyna, short feature film, Ukraine;
2017 – «99 Songs, dir. Vishvish Krishnamorph, full-length feature film, India;
2017 – «Coffee in a circle», dir. Olexandr Soldatov, short feature film, Ukraine;
2017 – «The hero of my time», dir. Tonya Noyabrova, full-length feature film, Ukraine;
2016 – Film Distributor «Eight», dir. Alexander Shapiro, full-length feature film, Ukraine;
2016 – Director of the Promoter of the film «The Nest of the Turtledove», dir. Taras Tkachenko, feature film, Ukraine;
2016 – «Occupation», dir. Mark Hammond, full-length feature film;
2016 – «Travel», dir. Eugene Kirokosyan, short animated film;
2016 – «Synagogue», dir. Ivan Orlenko, short feature film, Ukraine;
2016 – «Power», dir. Anastasia Lavrynenko, short film, Ukraine;
2016 – «Champion», dir. Snizhana Gusarevich, short film, Ukraine;
2015 – distributor of Ukrainian films: «Love me», «My Mermaid, My Lorelay», «Lost City», «On the other side», «Crimea, as it was»;
2015 – «Mariupolis», dir. Mantas Quadaravichus, Full-length documentary, Lithuania / Ukraine / Germany / France;
2014 – co-organizer «Week of Ukrainian Cinema in support of Oleg Sentsova» (Ukraine, Georgia, Germany);
2014 – producer of the National Kinematics of Ukraine (Kyivnukfilm).
