Julia Kushnarenko grew up in a small city in the North Caucasus and graduated from the directing department at VGIK, named after S.A. Gerasimov. With over eight years of experience as both a documentary director and editor, Julia has worked on projects such as the feature film Voy, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Maxim Arbugaev. She has also collaborated as an editor with prestigious organizations, including National Geographic Magazine (USA), Vogue Magazine, Stereotactic Production, and “E” Film Company.

Her mid-length film Terra was shown at over 40 festivals worldwide and has received more than 15 awards from international film festivals, including the Jean Loup Passek Award at the MDOC - Festival Internacional de Documentário de Melgaço (Portugal).

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In 2017, Julia began exploring hybrid forms of cinema and co-founded the International Dance Film Festival Bodyscope. Over the five years of its existence, the festival grew into a five-day event showcasing experimental films from around the world. 

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In 2022, Julia was awarded a scholarship for the DocNomads International Master’s Course in Documentary Film Directing, where she honed her skills alongside 24 students from around the world, creating films across Portugal, Hungary, and Belgium.

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Her most recent dance documentary project, When the Chair Fell into the Void, was selected for DOK Short n' Sweet Pitch at DOK Leipzig, where it was praised for its bold approach to cinematic language. The film focuses on the migration experience and how the protagonists undergo a transformation of identity when leaving their homeland. The film was completed in March 2025 in collaboration with Dérives - Atelier de Production (Wallonia, Belgium) and is now awaiting its international premiere.