01/16/2026
Follow Your Heart Film Festival 2026: Miami as a Crossroads of Cinema, Fashion, and Contemporary Art
On January 10, 2026, Miami once again affirmed its status as a global cultural capital with the fifth edition of the Follow Your Heart Film Festival, held at the Hilton Miami Aventura. At the very start of the year, the festival brought together independent cinema, high fashion, and contemporary art, creating a refined and dynamic platform for creative exchange.
Follow Your Heart Film Festival is more than a showcase of films — it is a space where artistic expression transcends genre, borders, and traditions. In 2026, the event unfolded in an atmosphere of modern elegance inspired by the Palm Royal aesthetic, becoming one of Miami’s most distinctive cultural highlights of the season. Approximately 300 guests attended the competitive film screenings and fashion presentations, celebrating storytelling, visual art, and design.
The festival was founded by Oxana Nechaeva, an international film and cultural producer whose vision established Follow Your Heart as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, artistic freedom, and global dialogue.
The fashion program was curated by Valentina Varnavskaia, an international fashion producer responsible for shaping the runway concept and visual identity of the event. On behalf of Hilton Miami Aventura, event coordination was led by Tatiana Pustovit, while Albert Rudnitsky served as Program Director and Chairman of the Jury.
The awards ceremony and evening program were hosted by Ekaterina Odintsova, whose elegance and confident presence set a sophisticated tone for the night.
In 2026, the festival received over 300 submissions from 30 countries, selecting ten international short films for its official competition program. Expanding its creative scope, Follow Your Heart introduced a new Vertical Cinema category, recognizing innovative storytelling in vertical format.
Special recognition was awarded to producer Den Tolmor. Additionally, the festival featured an out-of-competition screening of Clown Story by Albert Rudnitsky, who also worked as script supervisor on the Academy Award-winning film Anora.
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Follow Your Heart Film Festival 2026 Winners
• Grand Prix – Best Film: Timelessness
• Best Actress: Darya Yekamasova
• Best Actor: Artur Ignatenko (Some Like It)
• Best Director & Best Producer: For I Am Dead
• Best Cinematography: Local Warming, directed by Manuel Barbi
• Best Production Design: The Feed
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Runway Program
The festival’s fashion showcase featured collections by DrevelmaN and La Magnetique.
Artem Drevelman presented bold, dramatic womenswear, while Kateryna Frumina explored femininity through fluid, pajama-inspired silhouettes.
The flawless ex*****on of the runway shows was made possible thanks to Dana Lekus Beauty Team, the festival’s official beauty sponsor. Led by makeup artist and hairstylist Dana Lekus, the team included Valentina Agrimbau, Andre Wolf, Emir Tibilov, Sonia Contreras, Yuliia Babych (Aboimova), and Lyudmila Gromova.
Music for the evening was curated by DJ Tanya Coleman.
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FOLLOW YOUR HEART MIAMI 2026 Jury
Albert Rudnitsky, Dmitrii Galdin, Oleg Blinov, Elchin Ahmadov, Oleh Stepovyi, Sasha Korolko, Aleksandr Karpov, Alona Ksenofontova, Yevgen Petrenko, Kateryna Tytarenko, Solomiia Romaniuk, Kateryna Frumina, Ivan Vasiliev (Joseph Auren), Valentin Gnezdilov, Maryna Lazorenko, Artem Drevelman, Nataliia Iksanova, Olga Kamenskaya, Jemma Russo, Adriana Kostetska, Arnel San Pedro, Dana Lekus, Andressa Afonso, Alina Kuznevych, Valeriia Khasanova, Denys Miniailo, Lyudmila Gromova, Iryna Babych, Yuliia Babych, Mikhailo Salai, Stas Kozub, Dmytro Lukianchuk, Elizaveta Eremenko, Elizaveta Kozlova, Jani Grigoryan, Anastasia Milovskaia, and Ruslan Evseev.
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Final Statement
With its fifth edition, Follow Your Heart Film Festival strengthened its identity as a cultural platform where cinema, fashion, and contemporary art converge.
The Follow Your Heart team extends heartfelt gratitude to all directors, artists, partners, jury members, and guests who made this evening unforgettable. Your creativity, passion, and belief in the power of art transform this festival into more than an event — it becomes a living cultural movement. Together, we create stories that transcend borders, inspire hearts, and leave a lasting impact on the global creative landscape.
