Mariia Ponomarova (1991, Kyiv) is a film director, screenwriter, and creative producer permanently based in The Netherlands since 2014.
Mariia studied film directing and screenwriting at Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema & Television in Ukraine graduating cum laude in 2013. Focusing on character development in film during her course, Mariia graduated from the Master of Film artistic research program in 2016 at the Netherlands Film Academy.
Short fiction and documentary films written and directed by Mariia were screened at such festivals as DokLeipzig, Sheffield DocFest, Chicago IFF, Sarajevo FF, Vancouver IFF, VIS Vienna Shorts, Odesa IFF, CineDOC-Tbilisi, Go Short ISFF, Netherlands FF, KISFF, FebioFest, RVK Feminist FF and others.
Her first fiction feature project 'The Right Answer' took part in Boost NL programme that included pitchings at NFF/Holland Film Meeting and IFFR/CineMart and it was developed as a part of the EAVE workshop.
Mariia's directing first documentary feature 'Nice Ladies' was presented, among others, at DokLeipzig Co-Pro Market, Meet Market and received a B2Bdoc Award at Producers Meet Producers event. Working on this film Mariia took part in IDFAcademy and DokIncubator workshop. The film had its Dutch & World premiere at Movies that Matter festival & will have an International premiere at HotDocs 2024.
Mariia's producer's documentary project 'Fragile Memory' that she co-wrote with Igor Ivanko was selected to multiple international festivals, including IDFA, Sheffield DocFest, DokLeipzig, Krakow Film Festival, Docudays UA, Baltic Sea Docs and Sarajevo FF, where it received a Special Jury Prize.
The fiction short film ‘The Diaper Cake’ that Mariia also produced received a Vimeo Staff Pick and was selected by festivals like Palm Springs Short FilmFest, Short Shorts Asia, Festival REGARD, Chicago International Film Festival, Interfilm Berlin, Molodist International Film Festival and more.
She is a frequent moderator, panel guest and case study speaker within the film industry (DocudaysUA IHRFF, Tempo Documentary FF, Millennium Docs Against the Gravity, Eastern Neighbors FF, HERdocs and more), a project manager for CineCoPro Conference at Filmfest München, a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and a Senior Consultant at the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE), where she co-hosts the Story Room members-based activity for filmmakers' feedback.
Mariia loves rhubarb, collects graphic novels and divides her time between Amsterdam and Kyiv.
Mariia studied film directing and screenwriting at Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema & Television in Ukraine graduating cum laude in 2013. Focusing on character development in film during her course, Mariia graduated from the Master of Film artistic research program in 2016 at the Netherlands Film Academy.
Short fiction and documentary films written and directed by Mariia were screened at such festivals as DokLeipzig, Sheffield DocFest, Chicago IFF, Sarajevo FF, Vancouver IFF, VIS Vienna Shorts, Odesa IFF, CineDOC-Tbilisi, Go Short ISFF, Netherlands FF, KISFF, FebioFest, RVK Feminist FF and others.
Her first fiction feature project 'The Right Answer' took part in Boost NL programme that included pitchings at NFF/Holland Film Meeting and IFFR/CineMart and it was developed as a part of the EAVE workshop.
Mariia's directing first documentary feature 'Nice Ladies' was presented, among others, at DokLeipzig Co-Pro Market, Meet Market and received a B2Bdoc Award at Producers Meet Producers event. Working on this film Mariia took part in IDFAcademy and DokIncubator workshop. The film had its Dutch & World premiere at Movies that Matter festival & will have an International premiere at HotDocs 2024.
Mariia's producer's documentary project 'Fragile Memory' that she co-wrote with Igor Ivanko was selected to multiple international festivals, including IDFA, Sheffield DocFest, DokLeipzig, Krakow Film Festival, Docudays UA, Baltic Sea Docs and Sarajevo FF, where it received a Special Jury Prize.
The fiction short film ‘The Diaper Cake’ that Mariia also produced received a Vimeo Staff Pick and was selected by festivals like Palm Springs Short FilmFest, Short Shorts Asia, Festival REGARD, Chicago International Film Festival, Interfilm Berlin, Molodist International Film Festival and more.
She is a frequent moderator, panel guest and case study speaker within the film industry (DocudaysUA IHRFF, Tempo Documentary FF, Millennium Docs Against the Gravity, Eastern Neighbors FF, HERdocs and more), a project manager for CineCoPro Conference at Filmfest München, a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and a Senior Consultant at the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE), where she co-hosts the Story Room members-based activity for filmmakers' feedback.
Mariia loves rhubarb, collects graphic novels and divides her time between Amsterdam and Kyiv.