Roxy Toporowych is an award-winning writer/ director focused on telling authentic, slice of life stories, often weaving colorful characters with world events, tackling themes of identity, culture and community. She is an NYU Tisch alum, IFP Narrative Lab Directing Fellow, winner of the IFP/Gotham Award for Emerging Directors, Fulbright Scholar and an AFI DWW+ 2024 fellow.
Her narrative feature debut, JULIA BLUE, a love story between an aspiring photojournalist and a soldier haunted by war, was produced internationally, while she was a Fulbright Scholar living in Kyiv, Ukraine. She won the Special Jury Prize for Best Director World Cinema at the Woodstock Film Festival and the Best Director Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival. Julia Blue was a part of Rooftop Films Works in Progress Screenings and Seattle Film Festival Work in Progress Labs. JULIA BLUE was named one of the top ten films about Ukraine by The Guardian UK.
Previously, Roxy directed the dance documentary feature, FOLK! (HotDocs/East SilverMarkets) and the comedy web series 2ND AND 9TH. Additionally, she created the show Awkward Dance Party for the Tribeca Film Festival and was a finalist for SeriesFest and Almanack Writers Labs for her comedy series, COMMIE PARTY! She has served as a producer on documentaries for HULU, HBO and Tribeca Enterprises, and often draws on her documentary background for her fly-on-the-wall cinematic approach.
Roxy started her career in set decoration in New York City. Beginning as an intern at Saturday Night Live, she built a career as an IATSE member on projects such as: Captain America: Winter Soldier, Confess Fletch! and West Side Story. Her on-set crew experience, watching directors such as Steven Spielberg and Adam McKay, as well as countless talented TV directors, has made her to pivot to full-time directing a natural one.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Jury Prize Winner Best Director World Cinema, Woodstock FF
Jury Prize Best Film - Julien Dubuque Film Festival
Best Film - Cambria Film Festival
Best International Feature - Mystic Film Festival
Best International Feature - Female Eye Film Festival
Jury Prize Winner - Best Director. Sonoma Intl FF
American Film Institute DWW+ Fellow 2024
IFP Narrative Lab Fellow - New York, NY
IFP deepEuphoria Calvin Klein 'Live the Dream' Grant Winner
Fulbright Scholar - Kyiv, Ukraine
*Rooftop Films - Work In Progress
*Seattle International Film Festival - Work in Progress Forum
*Women in Film LA - Finishing Fund Recipient