The 11th International Internet Film Festival Star Independent became one of those events that goes far beyond the usual festival format. Its Miami event, held for the fourth time at Ashkaneli restaurant in Miami, turned not only into a cinematic occasion, but also into a space of cultural memory, international dialogue, civic solidarity, and charitable action. For the Ukrainian community in the United States, this evening became a reminder that art has the power not only to move people emotionally, but also to unite, support, and inspire.
The central event of the evening was the screening of Taras Tomenko’s film “A Sentimental Journey to Parajanov’s Planet”, which resonated as the intellectual and spiritual finale of the festival program. This film became not merely the closing screening, but the inner semantic chord of the entire evening — a reflection on creative freedom, the dignity of the artist, memory, and culture as a space of inner independence. In the context of a festival where many works were devoted to war, identity, pain, and hope, this film acquired particularly symbolic power.
But Miami this year will be remembered not only for the film screening. An important mission of the event was the fundraising campaign for the opening of a children’s theater studio in the city of Bucha — a project by Ukrainian actor and producer Andrii Karpov. This charitable component gave the festival a special human dimension. Here, art did not exist separately from life — it became its continuation, a form of support, and a means of action. In this combination of culture and responsibility, Star Independent once again proved that Ukrainian art today speaks to the world not only in the language of aesthetics, but also in the language of the heart.
Miami as a Point of Cultural Attraction
The special atmosphere of the evening was created by an artistic program in which music, style, and international presence came together. The guests were supported by remarkable representatives of the creative community whose performances became an important part of the cultural image of the event.
Tetiana Melamed, a singer originally from Odesa who has performed for many years on the stages of Chicago and Miami, gifted the audience with a refined musical presence in which emotional depth, European aesthetics, and stage elegance were harmoniously combined. Frenchlanguage songs occupy a special place in her repertoire, and this sophisticated tone made her performance a true highlight of the evening.
Fazile Ibrahimova, a Crimean singer, added another dimension to the event — sincerity, spirituality, and inner strength. Her participation became a symbol of cultural unity and support for Ukrainian art at the international level.
A vivid accent of the evening was also the fashion
presentation by Kazakh designer Aidana Omarova, who showcased her work within the framework of the festival. Her creations, combining contemporary aesthetics, femininity, and traditional motifs, naturally complemented the overall atmosphere of the event. An additional emotional note was brought by the presentation of her new song “Business Woman”, which emphasized the festival’s open international character.
Winners of the 11th Star Independent: The Geography of Talent and the Themes of Our Time
One of the highlights of the festival was the ceremonial award presentation, which confirmed the breadth of genres and themes represented this year. The program honored works dedicated to contemporary music, social impact, children’s creativity, war, cultural memory, television, documentary filmmaking, and short films.
In the Music Videos category, the winners were:
- Tell It — Ivanna Melay ft. Really Doe — Best Music Video;
- Forever — Andrii Pidluzhnyi — Grand Prix, Best Music Video;
- Dance With Me — Malgivski — Outstanding Dance Music Video;
- American Ukrainian — GREMO — Best Patriotic Video in Chicago;
- Peace in War — Yuliia Frants — Special Jury Mention.
In the Children’s Music Videos category, the awards went to:
- Fly Away — MartA — Best Children’s Video in Ukraine;
- Gotham | Present Chronicles — Nora Polinya — Best Children’s Video in the USA;
- Feeling Good (cover) — Sofi Bastet — Best Children’s Video.
In the Children’s Social Videos section, “Culture Against War” by Viktoriia Zelenko received the award for Outstanding Young Reporter.
Among the Animated Films, “UFO” by Anatolii Matviichuk won the top honor.
In the Non-Traditional Art category, “Holovna” by Diana Kosheva was recognized as the Best Non-Traditional Art Video.
In Advertising, the winners were:
- “We Are Soft. Happy.” — Olena Akimova & Nobel Le — Best Advertising Video;
- Why So Many Caregivers Choose Abcor? — Abcor — Best American Advertising Video;
- WindowsWeatherGuard: When the World Got Loud — Alisa Wenger — Special Jury Mention.
In the Social Videos category, important awards were presented to:
- “Protez Foundation” — Yaroslav Savchak — Best Social Impact Video;
- “Festival of United Ukrainian Culture in Florida” — REC USA — Best Social Impact Video.
Among the Short Films, the winners included:
- “The Perfect Friend” — Serhii Alyoshiechkin — Best Actress: Anzhelika Petrovska;
- The Cake — Flame World Production — Outstanding Social Impact Film;
- BURDEN — Alex Hramakovskyi — Best Actor in a Short Film;
- “Berehynia” — Siia Titova — Best Ukrainian Short Film on Social Themes;
- “The Tender Triumph” — Francisco Bassiñana — Best Foreign Film about Ukraine.
In the Series section, the following projects stood out:
- Beat, Heart, Beat — COSMOS AGENCY, with awards for Best Director — Dasha Trehubova, Best Actor — Oleksii Horbunov, Best Actress — Daria Leheida;
- BEEHIVE — Best Chicago Series.
In Documentary Film, the awards went to:
- “The Story of Olena Yaremchuk” — IMMIMENTARY — Best Contemporary Atmosphere;
- “Antarctica: War Diaries” — UP UA Studio — Best Visual Mastery;
- “War in Ukraine: An Inside View” — Mykhailo Hershtein — Best American-Ukrainian Film;
- “A Sentimental Journey to Parajanov’s Planet” — Taras Tomenko — Best Documentary Film Director.
In the Shows and Interviews category, the winners were:
- “Time for the Ukrainian Song” — Andrii Pidluzhnyi — Best Arts Program;
- No Filters: Alyona Alyona — URC Radio — Best Contemporary Atmosphere;
- Skrypin, Halan | Radio UA Chicago — Best Ukrainian-American Political Program.
- In Feature Films, the award for Best Feature Film Director went to “BANDERAS” directed by Zaza Buadze.
This list of winners demonstrates that Star Independent embraces not only the Ukrainian but also a broader international cultural space. Works from Ukraine, the United States, and other countries — including Poland, Germany, Estonia, and others — create a shared space for a great conversation about freedom, memory, war, identity, and human dignity.
Humanity as the Festival’s Main Theme
Despite the variety of genres and formats, all the works were united by one central internal theme — humanity. It emerged in social videos, music clips, documentaries, and short films alike. These works contained much pain, but no hopelessness; many losses, but no inner defeat. Ukrainian cinema today does not turn away from truth. It speaks honestly, openly, and deeply — and that is precisely why it touches the heart.
In this context, the words of Vasyl Symonenko sound especially appropriate:
“Do you know that you are a human being?”
The festival in Miami once again proved that in times of darkness, light is seen most clearly. And today, Ukrainian cinema is exactly such a light.
The Festival Jury: People Who Shape the Level, Meaning, and Credibility of the Event
A particularly significant role in the structure of the festival belongs to the jury — a circle of professionals who determine not only the winners, but also the cultural direction of the event. It is the jury that establishes a high standard of artistic thinking, professional ethics, and international dialogue.
In times of war and global challenges, such expert evaluation becomes a form of cultural responsibility: support for those authors who speak of freedom, pain, hope, memory, and dignity.
Oksana Osher
Oksana Osher, Chair of the Jury, is a writer, screenwriter, and cultural figure working at the intersection of the Ukrainian and American cultural spaces. Her experience combines literary depth, dramaturgical thinking, and sensitivity to themes of historical memory, identity, and human experience. Her presence lends the festival intellectual rigor and spiritual depth.
Vadim Perelman
Vadim Perelman is an internationally acclaimed film director and producer whose participation on the jury underscores the festival’s high professional status. His experience in world cinema allows him to evaluate works within a broader context of directing, dramaturgy, visual language, and global cinematic thinking.
Steven Manas
Steven Manas is an actor, director, and producer known for his international creative projects. On the jury, he brings the perspective of a person who works with emotional authenticity, screen presence, and the power of the cinematic image. His professional lens is especially important in recognizing the inner truth of a film.
Valentyn Opaliev
Valentyn Opaliev is a cultural and artistic figure whose work is connected to supporting creative initiatives and international cultural cooperation. His presence adds a strategic understanding of art as a tool of cultural diplomacy and international partnership.
Oleksandra Smilianska
Oleksandra Smilianska represents the contemporary cultural environment and communication practices. Her experience makes it possible to assess not only the artistic quality of the works, but also their relevance for today’s audience, their visual language, and their new meanings.
Tetiana Lohush
Tetiana Lohush is a cultural manager, publisher, patron, and intellectual whose contribution to the development of the Ukrainian cultural environment is systemic and profound. Her participation gives the festival particular moral weight, underscoring that art is also a responsibility before society and time.
Volodymyr Filipov
Volodymyr Filipov is a producer and media manager with extensive experience in film and television. As a jury member, he brings a practical industry perspective and an ability to see in each work not only aesthetics, but also professional potential, media viability, and future cultural influence.
Andrii Karpov
Andrii Karpov is a Ukrainian actor, producer, and cultural figure who combines creative work with charitable initiatives. His presence at the festival is especially symbolic, since his project for a children’s theater studio in Bucha became the centerpiece of the charitable mission of the Miami event.
Oleksandr Berezan
Oleksandr Berezan is a representative of the creative community whose participation in the jury helps maintain a balance between professionalism, openness to the new, and respect for the deeper artistic content of each work.
Mykola Martynenko
Mykola Martynenko complements the jury with a broad social perspective and an understanding of how art functions within a wider national and international context. His participation expands the cultural horizon of the festival.
Maryna Lazorenko
Maryna Lazorenko is an executive television producer with nearly twenty years of experience working on major television projects. She specializes in formatted shows and entertainment programs and has worked on such well-known productions as MasterChef, MasterChef. Children, The Boys’ School, Weighted and Happy, Goddess of Shopping, My Perfect Dress, Supermommy, Around the World for Treasure, Mystical Stories, Star Factory, People’s Star, and others.
Her professional path covers the full television production cycle — from concept to broadcast realization. On the jury, she represents a high television culture, managerial precision, and a professional understanding of the contemporary screen format.
Meerim Dzhunushalieva
Particular attention is also drawn to Meerim Dzhunushalieva — a digital producer, producer of cultural projects, and applicant for the utility model “A Device for Dynamic Macro Shooting of Objects”. Her professional trajectory has developed at the intersection of media production, visual innovation, and cultural communication.
Beginning in digital marketing and social media, she later moved into the creation of complex visual systems, the organization of shoots, and the launch of educational formats and cultural events. Practical work with content led her to applied technological solutions in product and macro cinematography, where she began exploring stabilization, camera synchronization, and controlled movement.
This experience became the basis of her utility model application. As a jury member, Meerim represents a new generation of professionals for whom cinema, digital platforms, innovation, and cultural diplomacy are all parts of one contemporary media space.
It is precisely this diversity of the jury — from directors and producers to writers, media managers, cultural figures, and digital experts — that makes Star Independent not merely a competition, but a platform of trust. Here, evaluation becomes not a formal procedure, but a shared responsibility for the voice that the world hears from Ukraine today.
Chicago and Miami: A Unified Festival Space
Although the Miami event became a distinct and vivid occasion of its own, it organically continued the overall rhythm of the festival, which also unfolded in Chicago. During the gala event in Chicago, the audience watched the series “BEEHIVE” — a project created by Ukrainian artists now living in America. The producer of the series is Serhii Wenger. The story tells about the lives of truck drivers, a theme especially close to the reality of Chicago and the Ukrainian diaspora. In this story one could feel everyday truth, labor, endurance, and the strength of character.
Another special part of the Chicago program included performances by the Malgivski sisters and Ivanna Melay, as well as the fashion presentation “Ukrainian Beauty” by designer Sandra and Sabrina. In this way, the festival in Chicago and Miami appeared as one cultural route — from screen to stage, from art to charity, from local com- munity to international presence.
Charity as a Continuation of Art
The charitable dimension of the festival was especially moving this year. The charity auction featured a Ukrainian korovai, paintings by Olena Yaremchuk and Yuliia Stelmakh. The funds raised were donated to the Protez Foundation, which provides prosthetics and rehabilitation for Ukrainian soldiers, to the children’s foundation U4UA, and to the drone systems school Maestri Air Bro. Special gratitude was expressed to the benefactors, in particular Andrii Kulbachnyi.
In this context, charity was not an addition to the artistic program. It became its natural continuation — proof that true culture always has a human heart.
Partners of Support
An important role in the realization of the festival was played by the support of partners and sponsors. Among the general and gold partners of the opening of the 11th IIFF Star Independent Chicago were Abcor, ChicagoKent Law, and Yaremchuk Group. The event’s partners also included International Intellectual Leadership, Notary Miami, Lotus Innovations, Planeta Group, Sergiy Wenger, Viva Express, Zingcha, and others. The support of business, legal institutions, cultural organizations, and civic communities once again proved that the festival is an event of collective action, where art is sustained by solidarity.
The organizers and guests also expressed special gratitude to Planeta and the international law firm Yaremchuk and Partners for their contribution to the development of this cultural initiative and international creative dialogue.
Final Chord
The 11th International Internet Film Festival Star Independent in Miami once again proved that Ukrainian art in America is not merely alive — it is developing, speaking to the world on equal terms, shaping a new cultural history, and creating a space of trust, memory, and action. This event contained everything that matters most today: creativity, charity, international dialogue, professional excellence, and deep human feeling.
And that is why the Miami evening of Star Independent will be remembered not as just another ceremonial event, but as a living story about the power of culture to hold a community together. About cinema that is not afraid of truth. About a jury that carries not only professional, but also cultural responsibility. About Ukraine, which even far from home continues to sound beautiful, dignified, and convincing.
I can also prepare a shorter magazine version in polished English or a more elevated editorial-style version for publication.
