The Vision Behind Mriia Mentors Program
MriiaFilms was born from a simple but powerful conviction: Ukrainian creative talent deserves world-class opportunities.
Today, we're thrilled to launch the Mriia Mentors Program — live mentorship sessions connecting Ukrainian theatre and film actors with international professionals who can help them break into global markets.
This isn't theory. This is 90 minutes of real talk where Ukrainian actors ask burning career questions to working professionals from Netflix, HBO, international casting directors, European production companies, and successful peers who've made the leap.
Upcoming live sessions:
Daniel Chamorro (Spanish actor/director, Netflix "Criminal", Movistar+ "El día de mañana") → luma.com/gxrsixcq
Jörg Vincent Malotki (Rush, The Congress, Catweazle, Wilsberg, creator of 34-episode comedy series The Bee) → luma.com/hy44ux0o
Joshua Bitton (NY Actor, HBO "The Night Of", The Pacific, Castle) → (registration opening soon)
Every session is recorded and shared with all program members. Join once, access everything.
What Ukrainian Actors Gain
1. Direct Access to Decision-Makers
✅ WORKING ACTORS coach showreel building, self-tape techniques, career transitions
✅ CASTING DIRECTORS teach audition strategies that actually work internationally
✅ AGENTS explain representation paths (US, UK, EU, Spain)
✅ DIRECTORS reveal what gets actors cast in leading roles
✅ PRODUCERS share how to find English-language projects
2. Practical, Market-Specific Knowledge
US/UK market: Self-tape formats, agency submission strategies, reel length expectations
Spanish market: Movistar+, Netflix Spain casting processes, regional vs international work
German/EU market: Theatre-to-film transitions, festival circuit strategies, co-production opportunities
Showreel mastery: What works on international casting platforms vs local Ukrainian expectations
What Mentors Gain
1. Reach Pre-Vetted, Serious Talent 20+ motivated Ukrainian actors per session (not 100 random applicants)
2. Build Your Eastern European Network
✅ Access to Ukrainian theatre talent actively seeking international work
✅ Theatre-to-film transition specialists (rare expertise)
✅ Festival programmers, co-producers seeking Eastern European stories
✅ Diaspora networks connecting Ukraine-Europe-USA
How This Develops Ukrainian Theatre & Cinema The Current Challenge
- Ukraine's theatre scene thrives (200+ active companies)
- Cinema production collapsed 70% since 2022
- Actors master Ukrainian theatre → Need international film skills
- No structured path from UA stages → Berlin/Cannes/LA sets
Stage 1: LIVE LEARNING → International career strategies
Stage 2: PROJECT WORK → Actors apply advice in MriiaFilms projects
Stage 3: OPPORTUNITIES → Mentors recommend talent to casting/agents
Stage 4: SHOWREELS → Ukrainian actors build international-standard reels
Stage 5: CO-PRODUCTIONS → Connect Ukrainian stories with international partners
Projected impact after 12 months:
100+ actors with international-standard showreels 20+ working relationships between mentors and Ukrainian talent 5+ co-productions connecting Ukraine-Europe-USA
What Program Gives
→ Tasks, Homework → Self Tapes Review → Showreel Review → New mentors → Agent prep
Funding Model (Transparency)
MriiaFilms Platform revenue (paid project management tool) ↓ 10% allocated Mriia Mentors Program (FREE for actors) ↓ Covers • event hosting + recordings • Platform project hosting • Marketing • Collaborative Film/Theatre Projects
Join Today — Spots Limited Actors: Apply once → Get all sessions, recordings, project access
Join Mriia Mentors Mentors: Share your expertise → Reach motivated Eastern European talent
MriiaFilms Members: Already in? Check "Mriia Mentors Program" project.
Mriia Mentors isn't charity. It's investment. Every session builds Ukrainian capacity for international work. Every mentor relationship creates future collaborations. Every showreel brings Ukraine's stories to world screens.
Join us in building Ukrainian cinema's next chapter.
#mriiaMentors #UkrainianActors #InternationalFilm #JoshuaBitton