Darya Zhuk left post-Soviet Belarus at the age of 16 to study in the US. She received a degree in Economics at Harvard University, and an MFA with honors in Film Directing from Columbia University. Her award-winning short films have been selected to SXSW, Palm Springs, Tarkovsky, Oaxaca, Atlanta, Koroche, Santa Fe Independent film festivals just to name a few. She was nominated for best Female Director by Adrienne Shelly Foundation, and won the best Female Writer-Director at New York Television Film festival. She received numerous production grants such as Panavision Emerging filmmaker’s grant, Columbia University Interdisciplinary Arts Council Grant, and New York Council for the Arts grant. After being invited to Tribeca Film Institute Work in Progress session, her debut feature ‘Crystal Swan’ executive produced by Vice Films is set to premiere at an A-level film festival summer 2018.