From TV to Film: How Ukrainian producer Oleksandr Buhela gained international recognition and graduated from the New York Film Academy

From TV to Film: How Ukrainian producer Oleksandr Buhela gained international recognition and graduated from the New York Film Academy

Kyiv  •  UNN

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Oleksandr Bugela went from being a producer on Ukrainian TV to a director in Hollywood. His film Lost In Memories won an award at the prestigious LA Shorts festival and is eligible for an Oscar nomination.

From a producer of projects on Ukrainian television to a director of films screened at film festivals, it took not just one step, but almost ten years of hard work for Oleksandr Bugela to conquer Hollywood. We will tell you how the man got to where he is today, reports UNN.

Now living in Los Angeles and having received an award for his film Lost In Memories from the LA Shorts International Film Festival, which is one of the most prestigious festivals and qualifies films for the Oscars, BAFTAs and Canadian Screen Awards, Oleksandr Buhela recalls how important it was for him to convey the right meanings and symbols at every step of his career.

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In the short film Lost In Memories, which tells the story of a Vietnamese soldier looking for his son, the director touches upon several socially important topics: parent-child relationships, alcoholism, and the problems of people with PTSD. Bugel dedicated his film to Ukrainian soldiers and refugees who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder every day.

The film Lost In Memories  was Oleksandr's final work at the New York Film Academy, where he graduated in August after a year-long sabbatical. Bugela postponed his master's studies for a year due to the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022 - he could not stand aside, so he actively participated in the volunteer movement to support Ukraine. In particular, the director has realized several video projects about Ukrainians in Los Angeles who help Ukraine.

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At the same time, in April 2022, Oleksandr started working as a music video maker, which he still does today. He assists in the filming process and produces music videos for American musicians. In fact, combining directing and producing is Bugela's dream job: "These are two professions that determine how the story will be told. Whether it will touch the viewer's soul or evoke empathy," explains Bugela.

The man's directorial talent was first recognized in 2018. Back then, he took a month-long workshop at the New York Film Academy in Florence. After graduating with honors, Bugela began working with commercial videos, and in the fall of 2019, he made a four-part social and motivational film about life transformation for social media. And on the eve of his master's degree, Oleksandr completed another year-long course at the New York Film Academy, presenting a noir detective film called Healthy Death about the impact of unhealthy eating on health.

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Oleksandr's work has always been connected to controversial topics in one way or another. While he is now realizing his ideas as a screenwriter and director, his main field of activity was previously television production.

TV producer Bugela's bright career path began at the Ukrainian TV channel Inter in 2015. Back then, for two years - from 2015 to 2017 - Oleksandr was a producer of the socio-political show Black Mirror. For context, the first episode of the show, which was launched on the channel in 2014, was devoted to the ATO and the important and difficult question of whether it should be continued or negotiated.

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Oleksandr's portfolio also includes fun programs, such as the entertainment TV game Good Evening on Inter and the children's program Bullfinches and Christmas Tree. For producing the latter in 2018, Bugela received an award from the national television award "Teletriumph" - the project won in the nomination "Best Children's Program".

This victory was a milestone in the career of the talented producer - Oleksandr was recognized by the international television community and became a popular producer and consultant in Eastern Europe. His active work in Ukrainian and international TV projects earned him membership in the Media Association of Ukraine and the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio.

In 2019, Oleksandr Buhela was a member of the jury team at the Best Corporate Media of Ukraine award and received the Golden Ray award in the Best International Producer category, and in 2021 he was a member of the jury at the TV award "Turn On".

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What's the point? Before he moved to the United States and began his amazing career as a director and screenwriter, Bugela was recognized worldwide as a producer. He was called everywhere, and the world's best projects wanted to collaborate with him and pay him handsome fees for his work.

However, while successfully demonstrating his production skills in international shows, Bugela has always continued to follow his heart's call - to film. Since 2018, while still working in Ukraine, Oleksandr has been engaged in film production. Starting with promotional video projects for local businesses, the man now makes short films that win awards at world festivals, embodies interesting ideas in music videos for musicians, and actively cooperates exclusively with foreign clients.

And after you watch the noir detective and the director's latest short film, be sure to check out the music videos by Oleksandr. Oleksandr Bugela's exceptional talent and authentic perception of the world will inspire you to new achievements.