Film Forum

Razom, which means "together" in Ukrainian, is dedicated to upholding the principles of the Revolution of Dignity (Maidan) and actively contributing to the establishment of a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. We achieve this by creating, inspiring, and collaborating on initiatives that motivate people to think, partner and do. Razom for Ukraine (Razom) was founded in 2014 and is a leading US-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting Ukraine. With a robust international network of volunteers and partners, we provide humanitarian aid, and administer programs focused on health, advocacy, civil society and culture. Headquarters are in New York City with offices in Washington, D.C, and Kyiv, Ukraine.

Oksana Karpovych is a Ukrainian-Canadian filmmaker, writer and photographer born in Kyiv. She lives and works between Kyiv and Montreal. Her first feature documentary DON’T WORRY, THE DOORS WILL OPEN won the New Visions Award at RIDM in 2019 and received a special mention at Hot Docs 2020. In her personal projects, Karpovych explores the everyday life and oral histories of ordinary people and how state politics intrude into the private sphere, influencing the communities she intimately documents. Karpovych is a Cultural Studies graduate of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine and a Film Production graduate of Concordia University in Montreal.

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, leading their film programming to continue shining light on Ukrainian storytelling and filmmakers in the US. Razom Cinema aims to elevate the presence of Ukrainian cinema in the U.S. through built relationships with film festivals, distributors, producers, and audiences, thus encouraging international recognition of Ukrainian films internationally. Most recently, she directed a short animation Sunflower Field that explores how the child psyche is impacted during war — which won numerous awards, especially Best Short Animation at Oscar-qualifying Woodstock 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 Aspen Shorts, DOC NYC, Urbanworld Film Festival, Athena Film Festival, and more. As a Producer at honto88, Polina has worked with brands like David Yurman, Netflix, The Meteor, and Planned Parenthood, and more. She holds a BFA in Film & TV from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a minor in Integrated Digital Media.

Supported by a Humanities New York Action Grant

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