I am a French-Russian freelance documentary filmmaker based in Paris with over 10 years of experience directing, producing, shooting, and editing short documentaries for cultural institutions and NGOs in the US and France. I trained in audiovisual production and editing and began my career producing music videos for world renown artists such as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joji, The Avalanches, Bomba Estereo, among others, and went on to direct, shoot and edit short documentaries for the series All Arts on PBS, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Galerie Gagosian, Perrotin, among others. I have directed several independent documentaries presented at international festivals, exploring human trajectories, memory, and the subtle contradictions of human nature, focusing on intimate, human-centered stories with authentic, immersive emotion. Between 2023 and 2025, I completed the DocNomads Master Program in creative documentary filmmaking, pursuing my film practice across Europe.…

Macha Tsarenkov

I am a French-Russian freelance documentary filmmaker based in Paris with over 10 years of experience directing, producing, shooting, and editing short documentaries for cultural institutions and NGOs in the US and France. I trained in audiovisual production and editing and began my career producing music videos for world renown artists such as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joji, The Avalanches, Bomba Estereo, among others, and went on to direct, shoot and edit short documentaries for the series All Arts on PBS, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Galerie Gagosian, Perrotin, among others. I have directed several independent documentaries presented at international festivals, exploring human trajectories, memory, and the subtle contradictions of human nature, focusing on intimate, human-centered stories with authentic, immersive emotion. Between 2023 and 2025, I completed the DocNomads Master Program in creative documentary filmmaking, pursuing my film practice across Europe.…

Available to hire

I am a French-Russian freelance documentary filmmaker based in Paris with over 10 years of experience directing, producing, shooting, and editing short documentaries for cultural institutions and NGOs in the US and France. I trained in audiovisual production and editing and began my career producing music videos for world renown artists such as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joji, The Avalanches, Bomba Estereo, among others, and went on to direct, shoot and edit short documentaries for the series All Arts on PBS, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Galerie Gagosian, Perrotin, among others.

I have directed several independent documentaries presented at international festivals, exploring human trajectories, memory, and the subtle contradictions of human nature, focusing on intimate, human-centered stories with authentic, immersive emotion.
Between 2023 and 2025, I completed the DocNomads Master Program in creative documentary filmmaking, pursuing my film practice across Europe.

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Language

French
Fluent
English
Fluent
Russian
Intermediate

Work Experience

Short Documentary Director, Cinematographer, Editor at DocNomads
January 1, 2025 - Present
Directed, shot, and edited the short documentary "It Takes Two To Tango" (13’). Delivered a complete documentary production workflow from field production to final edit, supporting festival submission and distribution.
It Takes Two To Tango - Short Documentary - Director - DP - Editor at DocNomads
October 1, 2024 - May 18, 2025
In the milongas of Brussels, sixty-something Sergio, with his 1930 charm and broken French, dances on the edge of desire and solitude, seeking in each fleeting embrace a connection that always eludes him. Festivals: Traces de Vies, 2025 Filmfest Dresden 2026
Brand Content Docs Editor, Color Grading, Sound Mixing at French Office of Biodiversity
January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Edited documentary-style brand content and handled color grading and sound mixing to ensure broadcast-ready deliverables with consistent image and audio quality.
Videographer, Video Editor at Evenium
May 4, 2023 - June 10, 2023
Shot and edited brand content video for Evenium Company in Paris
Journalist, Videographer at Business Insider
June 1, 2022 - July 22, 2022
Writing and filming for Business Insider's documentary series *World Wide Waste*
Video Editor at Lumento Films
February 1, 2022 - December 6, 2023
Editing of institutional films for the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art and the Pinault Collection, Bourse de Commerce
Brand Content Docs Editor, Color Grader, Sound Mixing at The Pinault Collection (Bourse de Commerce) & Lumento
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2023
Edited and graded brand content documentary work for the Pinault Collection, including sound mixing to ensure coherent, high-quality final outputs.
Brand Content Docs Editor, Color Grader, Sound Mixing at Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2023
Edited documentary-style brand content and performed color grading and sound mixing, supporting storytelling and professional finishing for cultural programming.
Brand Content Docs Editor, Color Grader, Sound Mixing at Goodseed Production
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2023
Provided editorial, color grading, and sound mixing for brand content documentaries, shaping narrative flow and technical polish for final deliverables.
Director at CivicFab
August 1, 2021 - July 15, 2023
Facilitating “Critical Thinking” workshops with the Civic Fab organization to help vulnerable youth develop their critical thinking skills through filmmaking.
Video Editor at Goodseed Productions
February 1, 2021 - July 18, 2023
Editing of corporate videos and brand content for the French Office for Biodiversity, 19M, Klarna, and Red Star Football Club
Feature Documentary Director, Cinematographer, Editor at Freelance (USA, France)
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Directed, shot, and edited the feature-length documentary "Beautiful Struggle" (54’). Managed the full documentary process from production to post-production, including festival-oriented finishing.
Facilitator / Director (Workshops: short film production) at Civic Fab
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2023
Facilitated critical thinking workshops and guided short film production with students from priority-education schools, supporting on-set direction, narrative development, and practical filmmaking skills.
Video Editor at Cyprian Films, NYC
November 1, 2020 - November 30, 2020
Documentary Series Episode Flow State for ALLARTS: Artist Naomi Okubo on Japan, Fashion and Anonymity. Sophia Kayafas visits Naomi Okubo, whose work explores patterns and fashion. In her art, the female subject turns away from the viewer, melting into the intricate background. Okubo prepares to move back to Japan, leaving her beloved Greenpoint neighborhood.
Videographer at Rosetta Stones
July 1, 2020 - August 30, 2020
Capsules Videos for Native Speaker
Editor (TV Doc Series) at Cyprian Films (for All Arts, PBS)
January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020
Edited TV documentary episodes for All Arts (PBS), including "Flow State" (13’) and "Slow Down: River to River" (19’), supporting narrative structure and technical sound/image continuity.
Video Editor at Annex88
July 1, 2019 - July 30, 2019
Hugo Boss Suit Challenge Social Media Campaign, directed by Bill Stepanoski
Documentary Editor at Cyprian Films
July 1, 2019 - August 1, 2019
ALL ARTS presents a film by Liz Sargent and Cyprian Films: “Slow Down: River To River” to introduce the River to River Festival, organized by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Fiction Film Editor at The New Yorker
March 1, 2019 - March 30, 2019
Short Fiction Film Editing : A journey to find a sofa takes Abeer through a series of encounters with quirky characters —including her ex-boyfriend — in Noa Osheroff’s Sofa So Good.
Fiction Short Film Editor at The Screening Room | The New Yorker
January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019
Edited the short film "Sofa So Good" (12’) for fiction presentation, contributing to pacing and narrative clarity for festival/broadcast contexts.
Video Director and Editor at Perrotin Gallery
November 1, 2018 - December 20, 2018
Perrotin Gallery Exhibition Video and Teaser - Gregor Hilderbrandt
Video Editor and Videographer at Pushpin Films, NYC
September 6, 2018 - September 27, 2018
Video Editing and videography for Gagosian, Pace Galleries, The Food Network, TimeOut Market, Phaidon
Social Media Editor at Jenny Holzer Studio, LLC
February 27, 2018 - August 7, 2019
Video Editing for Jenny Holzer Social Media
Freelance Producer at Paradoxal Inc.
January 3, 2018 - April 13, 2018
Charlotte Gainsbourg Music Video, Sylvia Says, Directed by Nathalie Canguilhem Drew Barrymore Crocs Campaign, Co-Produced by 22MM Production
Brand Content Docs Editor, Color Grading, Sound Mixing at Pushpin Films (NYC)
January 1, 2018 - January 1, 2020
Edited brand content documentaries and performed color grading and sound mixing, supporting deliverable quality across multiple clients and projects.
Documentary Director, Cinematographer and Editor at Freelance
December 6, 2017 - June 25, 2021
Beautiful Struggle, Feature Documentary, 54' Beautiful Struggle follows three young artists who have chosen to build their lives in New York, a city as magnetic as it is merciless. Through Florentina, Andres, and Greg, we wonder what still drives so many people to confront it, lose themselves in it, and reinvent themselves there. New York becomes both muse and adversary, a place that shapes those daring enough to call it home.
Short Documentary Director at Sophia Contemporary Gallery (London)
January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017
Directed the short documentary "The Breeze At Dawn" (7’) for exhibition/gallery programming and festival submission.
Freelance Producer at Walter Pictures
March 1, 2016 - December 14, 2018
Producer Music Video Joji / Slow Dancing in the Dark Commissioned by 88Rising Post-Production Supervisor Music Video Bomba Estereo / Duele Directed by Sam Mason Producer Music Video Vancouver Sleep Clinic / Someone To Stay Production Manager Music Video The Avalanches / Because I'm Me Producer Corporate Wallpaper* - Bugaboo Production Assistant Commercial Etsy - Difference Makes Us Producer & Creative Director Music Video Sofi Tukker / Awoo Producer Music Video Sofi Tukker / Drinkee Field Producer Documentary On Yoga, the Architecture of Peace
Documentary Director at Sophia Contemporary Gallery
October 1, 2015 - February 12, 2016
The Breeze at Dawn is a poetic portrait of Reza Derakshani, an Iranian painter and musician in exile. Festival Selection: International Film Festival on Art, Montreal, 2017

Education

Double Major in Art History and English at Institut catholique de Paris
October 1, 2009 - June 30, 2012
Double Major in Art History and English at The City College of New York
August 22, 2011 - June 21, 2012
Master's Degree in Art Business at Sotheby's Institute of Art
August 28, 2013 - March 18, 2015
Master Thesis: The Art Prize Phenomenon: Impact and Limits in the Contemporary Art World(s)
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree at DocNomads - FilmEU - Lusofona University (Portugal), Luca School of Arts (Belgium), SZFE (Hungary)
August 18, 2023 - June 30, 2025
The DOCNOMADS Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) in Documentary Filmmaking is a two-year, full time, European graduate program, open to the world and delivered by a consortium of three universities in Portugal, Hungary and Belgium.
Joint Master Degree in Documentary Filmmaking (Erasmus Mundus) at DocNomads (Portugal, Hungary, Belgium)
January 1, 2023 - January 1, 2025
Double Major in Art History and English at Institut Catholique de Paris & The City College of New York
January 1, 2009 - January 1, 2012

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Non-Profit Organization, Education, Professional Services
    It Takes Two To Tango - Un Tango à Deux, C'est Mieux - Short Documentary, 13' (2025)
    In the dim glow of Brussels’ tango halls, sixty-something Sergio with his 1930 charm and broken French, dances on the edge of desire and solitude, seeking in each fleeting embrace a connection that always eludes him. Festival Selections: Traces de Vie, France (2025) Dresden Film Festival, Germany (2026) documentary videoeditor cinematographer…
    Beautiful Struggle, Feature Documentary, 54' (2021)

    Beautiful Struggle follows three young artists who have chosen to build their lives in New York, a city as magnetic as it is merciless. Through Florentina, Andres, and Greg, we wonder what still drives so many people to confront it, lose themselves in it, and reinvent themselves there. New York becomes both muse and adversary, a place that shapes those daring enough to call it home.

    Festival Selections:
    Paris Lift-Off Film Festival, 2021
    Dumbo Film Festival, 2021
    New Filmmakers NY, Roma Prisma Award, 2021

    Documentary Series Episode: Artist Naomi Okubo on Japan, Fashion and Anonymity

    Directed by Minos Papas
    Cinematograhy by Minos Papas
    Editing by Macha Tsarenkov
    Produced by Cyprian Films, New York
    Run Time: 14’
    Release: March 2021 on ALL ARTS TV, USA

    Slow Down: River to River - Experimental Short Film, 20' (2019)

    Director: Liz Sargent
    Cinematograhy by Minos Papas
    Editing by Macha Tsarenkov
    Produced by Cyprian Films, NY
    Music: Nathan Halpern, Robert Pycior, Chris Ruggiero
    Run time: 19’
    Release: PBS Network, 2019

    Awards​​​​​​​: 63rd Annual New York EMMY Award in Arts Program/Special category

    Slowing down is often overlooked as New Yorkers sprint to their next stop, office, coffee shop. Through vignettes of performance set within the busy city landscape of Lower Manhattan, Slow Down: River to River asks the viewer to take a moment, reflect and immerse themselves in the imagery created by the artists, dancers and people of New York. Slow Down: River to River is an experimental documentary about the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s 17th Annual River to River Festival. It features the work of Yoko Ono and Pam Tanowitz in addition to performances restaged for camera.

    Sofa So Good, Short Fiction Film, 12' (2019)

    A journey to find a sofa takes Abeer through a series of encounters with quirky characters, including her ex-boyfriend, in Noa Osheroff’s Sofa So Good.

    Directed by Noa Osheroff
    Cinematograhy by Adam Gundersheimer
    Editing by Macha Tsarenkov
    Produced by Ben Fesintein, Noa Osheroff
    Music Supervisor: Jonathan Hecht
    Production Designer: Ashley Brett Chipman
    Cast: Nataly Aukar, Hiam Abbass, Zayn Alexander, Tom Thakkar, Omri Anghel, Ashley Hamilton

    Release: The Screening Room | The New Yorker, July 2021

    The Breeze At Dawn, Short Documentary for Sophia Contemporary Gallery, 7' (2017)

    The Breeze at Dawn is a poetic portrait of Reza Derakshani, an Iranian painter and musician in exile.

    Cinematography by Sam Mason, Sam Ghanbar, Scott Snyder
    Editing by Janis Vogel & Macha Tsarenkov

    Festival Selections:
    Festival de Films sur l’Art, FIFA, Montréal, 2017

    Richard Serra exhibition Video for Gagosian Gallery

    Pushpin Films