The festival brings together auteur cinema, high fashion, and contemporary art, forming a space for dialogue between creators, the industry, and the audience.
MIAMI , FL, UNITED STATES, January 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — FOLLOW YOUR HEART is a platform where artistic expression goes beyond genre boundaries, and a talented international audience comes together to create new ideas, collaborations, and cultural meanings. The event will take place in the atmosphere of refined contemporary luxury Palm Royal and will become one of Miami’s key cultural highlights at the beginning of 2026.
Festival Organizers
Oksana Nechaeva — Founder of the festival, director and producer of international cultural and film projects.
Valentina Varnavskaia — Organizer of the festival’s fashion program, overseeing fashion presentations and the visual concept of the event.
Tatiana Pustovit — Event Director of Hilton Miami Aventura.
Albert Rudnitsky — Head member of the film festival jury, director and screenwriter, Academy Award winner (Oscar 2025) for Best Screenplay.
Program
In 2026, more than 300 submissions from 30 countries worldwide were received for festival participation. The official competition includes 10 best international short films with English subtitles, selected for artistic integrity, originality of authorial language, and relevance of themes.
Competition Films
For I Am Dead
Director: Patricia Delso Lucas
The Feed
Director: Amber Gray
Some Like It
Director: Adam White
Riscaldamento Locale / Local Warming
Director: Manuel Vitali (Italy)
The remaining films in the competition program represent diverse cultural contexts and artistic approaches, forming a multilayered portrait of contemporary international short filmmaking.
Evening Program
• Screening of 10 international short films
• Awards ceremony honoring winners in more than 10 categories
• Fashion presentation on the red carpet by La Magnetique and DrevelmaN
FOLLOW YOUR HEART MIAMI 2026 JURY
Oksana Nechaeva
Founder of the FOLLOW YOUR HEART festival. Director and producer of international cultural projects operating at the intersection of cinema, fashion, and contemporary art. Ideologist of the festival as a platform for authorial dialogue and new collaborations.
Albert Rudnitsky
Head member of the jury. Director and screenwriter, Academy Award winner (Oscar 2025) for Best Screenplay. An internationally recognized author with experience in both auteur and feature filmmaking.
Dmitrii Galdin
Director and producer, two-time winner of the national TEFI award. Specialist in television and documentary cinema.
Oleg Blinov
Director, actor, and producer, participant in international film festivals. Represents acting and directing expertise within the jury.
ELCHIN AHMADOV – luxury director and commercial filmmaker based in Miami, founder of Epic Vision 88 LLC. One of the most in-demand representatives of South Florida’s visual industry, working at the intersection of cinema, advertising, fashion, and luxury content.
Since relocating to the United States in 2021, Elchin Ahmadov has delivered hundreds of projects in collaboration with international brands and public figures. His portfolio includes projects with MrBeast, 50 Cent, DJ Khaled, Travis Scott, Supercar Blondie, as well as major commercial and fashion campaigns. His style is defined by cinematic language, high visual density, and the ability to transform commercial formats into artistic statements. As a jury member, he evaluates films through the lens of visual language, aesthetics, and the power of imagery.
Oleh Stepovyi — Documentary filmmaker and journalist focusing on social and public-interest topics.
Sasha Korolko — Film and television director specializing in modern visual formats.
Aleksandr Karpov — Film editor and sound designer, recipient of Best Editing & Sound awards.
Alona Ksenofontova — Film and television hair stylist, member of IATSE Local 706.
Yevgen Petrenko — Director of photography specializing in lighting and visual composition.
Kateryna Tytarenko — International sports photographer.
Solomiia Romaniuk — International aesthetics expert and professional championship participant.
Kateryna Frumina — Designer, founder of La Magnetique.
Ivan Vasiliev (Joseph Auren) — Fashion designer, Berlin.
Valentin Gnezdilov — Costume designer, nominee for the Golden Eagle Award.
Maryna Lazorenko — Television producer.
Artem Drevelman — Founder of the fashion brand DrevelmaN.
Nataliia Iksanova — Art director and designer.
Arnel San Pedro, MBA — Producer and showrunner.
Dana Lekus — Beauty director, participant in multiple Fashion Weeks.
Andressa Afonso — Makeup artist and educator.
Alina Kuznevych — International stylist.
Jemma Russo — Luxury designer, participant in NYFW and Cannes events.
Adriana Kostetska — Producer, Kosta Talent Agency.
Valeriia Khasanova — World Beauty Championship winner.
Denis Miniailo — Fashion stylist.
Lyudmila Gromova — Hair expert and international mentor.
Iryna Babych — Photographer, Top 1% worldwide according to 35AWARDS.
Yuliia Babych — Hair expert, recipient of international professional awards.
Follow Your Heart Film Festival
Follow Your Heart Film Festival
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