International sales manager, Film.UA
- Earned her bachelors and masters degrees in law from Kyiv National Linguistic University
- Joined Film.UA Group in 2018
Although she received a masters degree in law, Nahorna was not “passionate” about the subject. Her diploma work focused on intellectual property protection, and after working as a legal counsellor in the acquisitions department of a television media holding company in Ukraine, she joined Kyiv-based sales and production outfit Film.UA Group in 2018.
“I was looking for the chance to escape from a pile of paperwork and step into a more dynamic, versatile environment,” she explains.
Nahorna cites her fellow Film.UA colleagues, including the current and former heads of distribution Evgeniy Drachov and Igor Storchak, as her key mentors; they have taught her the lessons that have helped guide her career. “This business is built on trust, and that trust doesn’t appear overnight,” she observes. “It’s cultivated through time, consistency, and showing you genuinely care about your partnerships.”
These are challenging times for sellers, and in Ukraine those challenges have only been exacerbated by a war that has created “another layer of complexity”, says Nahorna. Whatever the hurdles, though, she still relishes markets and festivals.
“Markets are where inspiration sparks. You meet people, share ideas and suddenly a new collaboration is born,” states the executive, who has recently been working on high-profile Ukrainian titles such as Mavka: The Forest Song and The Witch: Revenge.
“I want to continue growing within our industry, exploring new markets, new models of distribution,” she adds. “At the same time, I would love to stay connected to the creative side, collaborating more closely with producers to shape projects for international audiences from the development stage.”
Contact: Kateryna Nahorna
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