Meet TIMUR GUSEYNOV and KATERYNA KURGANSKA

We had the good fortune of connecting with TIMUR GUSEYNOV and KATERYNA KURGANSKA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi TIMUR GUSEYNOV and KATERYNA KURGANSKA, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
KATERYNA: Love this question! One of my favorite quotes is from A Most Violent Year (2014): ‘When it feels scary to jump, that is exactly when you jump, otherwise you end up staying in the same place your whole life.’ I can’t say it better myself. Risk is an essential and inevitable part of any creative process.
TIMUR: Risk-taking has been a part of our lives long before we knew we wanted to become filmmakers. From getting lost in foreign places and taking responsibility in difficult situations to leaving secure careers to make movies, we’ve always embraced risks. It’s integral to filmmaking if you want to create something that is honest and stands out.

KATERYNA: Okay. Here’s a cool example. When we announced our plans to make two thesis films, Two Breaths (2024), in Hawaii with a minor actress and a manta ray, involving practical underwater scenes with heavy VFX, and Brooklyn (2024), in wintertime New York, with another minor actor and a pit bull, shot on 16mm film, many people rolled their eyes and said it was impossible. But we definitely weren’t ready to give up and accepted the challenge!

Here are the loglines for you guys, so you can understand our ambitions in just a few sentences:

Two Breaths (20 min, drama/fantasy) After a man-made disaster decimates an evergreen island, a stranded 11-year-old girl must find the tenacity to leave behind her home with the help of an unlikely friend – the majestic Manta Ray.

Brooklyn (20 min, drama/crime) After saving an abused pit bull, a troubled Brighton Beach teenanger who makes ends meet through crime while raising his little brother, must protect the dog from its nefarious owners.

And of course, it involves wearing multiple hats at the same time. Timur and I co-wrote both scripts. I directed Two Breaths while Timur was the cinematographer on it. Timur directed and shot Brooklyn while I produced it. Both projects were done in the same year, almost simultaneously.

TIMUR: Important remark here is that we had no budget. At all. Coming from modest backgrounds, getting these two projects off the ground was extremely challenging and financially risky. You can’t imagine how many times we heard ‘no’ before starting pre-production.

KATERYNA: However, we made it! We succeeded with the support of amazing industry professionals who said ‘yes’ to us, opened their hearts, and believed in our stories. They agreed to mentor, guide, support, and help in any way they could. It was honestly a fairytale coming true. The risk was worth it.

TIMUR: Both productions faced so many unforeseen obstacles, but the experience proved rewarding in unexpected ways. We kept pushing ourselves, collaborating with kind and talented people we’ll continue to work with in the future. Each risk, whether big or small, has pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow. It’s taught me resilience, creativity, and the importance of perseverance.

KATERYNA: We’ve just started the festival circuit for these two short films and have already received an offer for a feature. Not all locked doors are closed. Taking risks and achieving what we have, has only inspired me to move forward. Now, I can’t wait for the next adventure to begin!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
TIMUR: As many other filmmakers with a passion for storytelling and sharing their vision with the world, we’ve each encountered obstacles such as financial constraints, creative roadblocks, competition and various industry challenges. Overcoming these obstacles and navigating the setbacks is what helps us adapt and improve. Luckily we have each other to lean on during difficult times and push through, which is priceless.

Each of us has a personal approach to filmmaking and our stories cover a wide range of topics. However, they all share a common theme: they tell stories about people facing tough situations, making life changing decisions and owning up to their responsibilities. For example our newest films, Two Breaths and Brooklyn are very different but you can see that they are made by the same people. Our main goal is to tell unique and captivating stories across various genres, all with a sense of emotion and sincerity.

KATERYNA: Something I’ve learned very quickly is that you can walk fast on your own, but you cannot walk far on your own. Teamwork is everything.

It took a village to make Brooklyn happen, and it took an island to make Two Breaths happen. Every artist involved poured their heart and soul into creating this piece. Each team member brought their unique talents and dedication, transforming challenges into opportunities and pushing the boundaries of what we could achieve.

Filmmaking is all about collaboration, and we really couldn’t ask for a better team.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
KATERYNA: Being outside is my kind of meditation. Nothing inspires me more than nature. Many people who visit don’t realize that LA has so many great hiking spots in and around the city. My favorite is the Topanga Canyon Overlook, especially when it’s foggy. Thanks to June Gloom, it feels magical, like you’re entering another fairy tale dimension. There are many hidden trails that don’t get crowded, and we love it.

TIMUR: We also love good food and movies, so a big thing for us is exploring cool restaurants and vintage movie theaters. We enjoy taking friends to see a film at New Beverly Cinema or Lumiere Music Hall, and then going to happy hour at The Dresden or grabbing dinner at Cafe 50’s. Entering these places feels like stepping into a time machine, a unique experience you can’t find anywhere else.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
KATERYNA: This one goes to all the fairy godmothers and fairy godfathers who said ‘yes’ to us and held our hands through a challenging, problem-filled filmmaking journey!

TIMUR: A special thanks to Mark Bender and Nanlux Americas, and Wayne Schulman and Nanlite, for supporting both films with their amazing lighting equipment.

Huge gratitude to the Hawaii Media Inc. family for sponsoring us and solving countless logistics challenges with shipping equipment in Hawaii from one island to another—it was quite an adventure.

KATERYNA: Thank you to Otto Nemenz, Atlas Lens Co. team and Dan Kanes, and Sight & Sound Productions in Hawaii—these guys were always by our side during the production of Two Breaths!

Thanks to Luma Pictures for their magic fern VFX shots.

TIMUR: A heartfelt thank you to KODAK and Jake Bottiglieri for making 16mm film happen for us! Not many know, but we filmed everything on slightly imperfect stock, which Jake generously provided. It gave the image grit and a special kind of texture that complimented the story well.

KATERYNA: And we cannot express enough gratitude to Valerie Delahaye, Rusty Ippolito, Nick Brooks, Jamey Scott and Shelley Roden. You are our biggest inspiration. Thank you for everything.

Instagram: katyakurganska, timursguseynov

Image Credits
Ira Holubieva, Ben Wilson, Dalton Lu