4. Cultural Manager - Olena Lysenko's Portfolio

Cultural manager

I served as a Program Director's Assistant at GogolFest, the international festival of contemporary art that attracts over 60,000 visitors per year and features 400+ events (music, theater, dance, performance art, cinema, exhibitions). We created a festival program in collaboration with artists from 20+ countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Latvia, France, and others. The festival was honored with the EFFE Award (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe).

In 2016, I was the Program Coordinator of the National Competition of Short Films for the Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival, the biggest Ukrainian film festival accredited by FIAPF, held across 7 cinemas, featuring 4 competition programs and 11 non-competition programs. I coordinated the national competition program of 22 short films. The role involved managing logistics, scheduling, correspondence, presenting films, and moderating press conferences and Q&A sessions.

Over the years, I gained experience by volunteering and supporting various cultural events. From 2015 to 2019, I led guided tours for festival guests from over 30 countries at the Kyiv International Short Film Festival. As a Press Center Assistant and Social Media Contributor for Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, I helped create content for the festival's official Instagram account.

The years of involvement in these festivals gave me the opportunity to work with emerging talents, witnessing their transition from short films to full-length features. I established connections with film professionals, critics, journalists, and festival programmers, frequently participating in the industry events such as pitchings and film markets.