On January 10, 2026, the fifth international FOLLOW YOUR HEART Film Festival took place at the Hilton Miami Aventura, bringing together auteur cinema, high fashion, and contemporary art within a unified cultural space.
For the fifth consecutive year, the FOLLOW YOUR HEART festival has been forming a platform for dialogue between creators, the professional community, and audiences, going beyond genre boundaries and conventional formats. The festival was made possible thanks to the support of the official partner, Hilton Miami Aventura — a contemporary, international-level venue located in the very heart of Aventura. The hotel became an integral part of the artistic narrative of the event, organically integrating into the visual and cultural concept of the festival.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART is a space where artistic expression transcends genre limits, and an international audience comes together to create new ideas, collaborations, and cultural meanings. In 2026, the event was held in an atmosphere of refined modern luxury, Palm Royal, and became one of Miami’s key cultural events at the beginning of the year. Approximately 300 guests attended the competitive film program and fashion presentations.
Festival Organizers and Key Figures
Oxana Nechaeva — Founder of the festival, director and producer of international cultural and film projects, and ideologist of FOLLOW YOUR HEART as a platform for authorial dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Valentina Varnavskaia — Organizer of the festival’s fashion program, international fashion producer, curator of fashion presentations and the visual concept of the event.
Tatiana Pustovit — Event Manager, Hilton Miami Aventura.
Albert Rudnitsky — Festival Programming Director and Chairman of the Jury.
Ekaterina Odintsova — Host of the evening.
The festival evening and awards ceremony were hosted by Ekaterina Odintsova, television presenter and journalist. A recognizable media personality, she is known for her work on major television projects and for covering cultural, social, and international events. Her refined sense of dialogue, confident delivery, and elegant stage presence set a clear and dignified tone for the entire evening.
Thanks to her precise and delicate moderation, she seamlessly connected the competitive and non-competitive programs, ensuring a cohesive structure and a high level of public presentation. Her ability to maintain rhythm, atmosphere, and emotional coherence made the ceremony dynamic and perfectly balanced.
As part of the non-competitive program, the festival introduced a special Vertical Cinema section, marking the debut of a new category dedicated to vertical filmmaking. This initiative reflected the festival’s openness to the evolution of cinematic language and new visual formats.
Special recognition was given to producer Dan Tilmor, whose participation underscored the festival’s high international and professional level. As a recognized industry professional, he has been involved in major international selection and evaluation processes, including projects associated with the Academy Awards®, strengthening the festival’s connection to the global film community and contemporary industry standards.
The non-competitive program also featured the film Clown Story, directed by Albert Rudnitsky, the festival’s Programming Director and Chairman of the Jury. In 2025, Albert Rudnitsky served as a script supervisor on the film Anora, which received five Academy Awards® across five categories and was also awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His international experience and professional background continue to shape the artistic direction and curatorial standards of the festival.
The competitive program presented a wide range of films distinguished by strong authorial voices, artistic integrity, and high production quality.
The Grand Prize for Best Film was awarded to Timelessness, recognized for its artistic coherence, emotional depth, and refined cinematic language. The film also received the Best Actress Award, presented to Darya Ekamasova for her powerful, nuanced, and emotionally precise performance.
The Best Actor Award was presented to Artur Ignatenko for his role in Some Like It, praised by the jury for its authenticity, precision, and expressive strength.
For I Am Dead received awards for Best Director and Best Production, highlighting both its strong authorial vision and outstanding production execution.
The Best Cinematography Award was presented to Local Warming, directed by Manuel Barbie, for its visual expressiveness and exceptional work with image, atmosphere, and cinematic language.
Best Production Design — The Feed, directed by Amber Gray.
In 2026, more than 300 submissions from 30 countries worldwide were received for festival participation. The official competition program included 10 best international short films with English subtitles, selected based on artistic integrity, originality of authorial language, and thematic relevance.
Fashion Show as Part of the Cultural Program
An integral and now well-established tradition of the festival is its fashion program. In 2026, audiences were presented with runway shows by the brands La Magnetique and DrevelmaN.
The brand DrevelmaN (designer Artem Drevelman) showcased a dramatic and expressive vision of women’s fashion — strength, scale, interplay of light, and runway space. The show was marked by theatricality, emotional depth, and strong visual coherence.
The brand La Magnetique (designer Kateryna Frumina) presented a collection of pajama-style suits, revealing femininity through playfulness, lightness, and subtle interaction with the audience. The looks were distinguished by harmony, thoughtful styling, and a high level of visual culture.
The flawless result of the shows was made possible thanks to beauty sponsor, the professional Dana Lekus Beauty Team, led by makeup artist and hair stylist Dana Lekus, as well as the team members: Valentina Agrimbau (Makeup Artist), Andre Wolf (Makeup Artist), Emir Tibilov (Hair Stylist), Sonia Contreras (Hair Stylist), Yuliia Babych (Aboimova) (Hair Stylist), and Lyudmila Gromova (Hair Stylist).
Musical accompaniment for the evening was provided by DJ Tanya Coleman, whose selection maintained a dynamic atmosphere and unified rhythm throughout the event.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART MIAMI 2026 Jury
The festival jury included representatives of cinema, fashion, art, the beauty industry, and media:
Albert Rudnitsky — Director, cinematographer, and screenwriter based in New York. He has created award-winning short films, theatrical productions, music videos, and commercial projects in both Europe and the United States.
Dmitrii Galdin — Director, screenwriter, and creative producer with over 15 years of experience in film, television, and media. A two-time winner of the national TEFI television award, working in auteur cinema, documentary projects, and new visual storytelling formats.
Oleg Blinov — Director, actor, producer, and screenwriter with a career spanning diverse film and television projects.
Elchin Ahmadov — Luxury director and creative director, founder of Epic Vision 88 LLC (Miami), recognized for cinematic commercial storytelling and collaborations with international brands and artists.
Oleh Stepovyi — Documentary filmmaker and journalist combining journalistic precision with deep social analysis, with over 15 years of experience.
Sasha Korolko — Film and television director specializing in contemporary visual formats.
Aleksandr Karpov — Film and commercial editor whose work has been screened at Clermont-Ferrand, Kinotavr, and Los Angeles CineFest; winner of Best Editing & Sound at Cinescape with over 10 years of experience.
Alona Ksenofontova — Film and television hair stylist with over 13 years in the industry, member of IATSE Local 706, with experience on major European and U.S. productions including Warner Bros., Apple, HBO, and Max.
Yevgen Petrenko — Director of photography and lighting specialist with artistic education and experience in modern film and television equipment.
Kateryna Tytarenko — International sports photographer and creator of the Aesthetic Motion Synchrography
methodology.
Solomiia Romaniuk — International brow artist, licensed esthetician, and multiple winner of international beauty championships.
Kateryna Frumina — Designer and founder of La Magnetique, known for contemporary premium aesthetics and lounge silhouettes.
Ivan Vasiliev (Joseph Auren) — Fashion designer based in Berlin with over 15 years of experience, known for architectural minimalism and futuristic design.
Valentin Gnezdilov — Leading costume designer with extensive experience in Russian cinema, two-time nominee for the Golden Eagle Award.
Maryna Lazorenko — Television producer with over 15 years of experience on major TV formats.
Artem Drevelman — Founder of the fashion house DrevelmaN.
Nataliia Iksanova — Art director, designer, artist, and expert in spatial design.
Olga Kamenskaya — Vice president of an insurance company, an organizer of large-scale events and celebrations, and a motivator for thousands of women.
Jemma Russo — Famous fashion designer.
Adriana Kostetska — Award-winning producer and director, the founder of Kosta Talent Agency, and the creator of Hollywood Star Studio for children and families.
Arnel San Pedro, MBA — Producer and showrunner with over 20 years of experience on major international fashion and film platforms.
Dana Lekus — International beauty expert, creative director, and beauty technologist with international judging and industry leadership experience.
Andressa Afonso — Professional makeup artist and beauty educator from Brazil with over 15 years of experience.
Alina Kuznevych — International hair stylist with numerous awards and professional achievements.
Valeriia Khasanova — Master brow artist, licensed esthetician, and permanent makeup artist, as well as an international educator and beauty expert specializing in advanced brow and lip techniques. World Beauty Championship winner.
Denys Miniailo — Fashion stylist working in runway and editorial projects.
Lyudmila Gromova — Hair expert and international mentor.
Iryna Babych — Photographer ranked in the top 1% worldwide by 35AWARDS.
Yuliia Babych — Hair expert and recipient of international professional awards.
Mikhailo Salai — Music producer for fashion and cultural projects.
Stas Kozub — Fashion photographer specializing in runway and editorial work.
Dmytro Lukianchuk — Videographer and filmmaker focusing on fashion content.
Elizaveta Eremenko — Actress, model, and stand-up comedian, graduate of the New York Film Academy.
Elizaveta Kozlova — Internationally recognized soprano, known for expressive dramatic interpretation; performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Yale School of Music, and venues in Paris, Berlin, and Naples.
Jani Grigoryan — International multidisciplinary visual artist working in street and documentary photography and video-based cultural documentation.
Anastasia Milovskaia — Fashion designer.
Margarita Howis — International Visual Artist.
Ruslan Evseev — Famous international fashion producer.
The Follow Your Heart team extends sincere gratitude to all directors, artists, partners, jury members, and guests who became part of this unforgettable evening. Your creativity, courage, and belief in the power of cinema, fashion, and art transform the festival into something greater than an event — a living cultural movement. Together, we create stories that transcend borders, inspire hearts, and leave a lasting mark on the world.
Photography: Stanislav Kozub, Iryna Babych
© Follow Your Heart 2026
Industry News - Gossip Stone TV - Exclusive Celebrity Shows, Fashion, and Luxury News originally published at Industry News - Gossip Stone TV - Exclusive Celebrity Shows, Fashion, and Luxury News
