Nihikéyah

Varfalamey Kuraga (Belarus) and Quintin Schomaker (USA) are accomplished filmmakers whose collaborative work emphasizes cultural identity and cross-cultural connections. Kuraga, a Belarusian director, editor, and cinematographer, is recognized for his contributions to documentary films such as “Crossroads” (2014) and “Debut” (2017). “Debut,” directed by Anastasiya Miroshnichenko and edited by Kuraga, was selected as the Belarusian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards and premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in 2017. Schomaker, a creative filmmaker with a diverse portfolio, has worked on documentaries, commercials, films, and music videos, including serving as cinematographer for “Shot Clock” and “Keeping Faith” (2017), and contributing to “Climbing to the Window” (2014). Together, they worked on the movie “The Road to Slavalachia,” a work-in-progrss documentary exploring the collaboration of folk musicians from the Appalachian region of the USA, Belarus, and Western Ukraine, highlighting the unifying power of traditions and music across diverse communities.