Daniela's profile
Daniela Mileykovsky is an award-winning director and cinematographer dedicated to crafting visually compelling narrative and documentary films that amplify underrepresented voices. Her most recent short film, *Just A Little Longer* (2024), premiered at esteemed festivals such as the DC Shorts International Film Festival, Columbia Maryland Film Festival, and ICFF. The film garnered critical acclaim, earning the Excellence in Direction award at the WRPN International Women's Film Festival and the Best Cinematographer award from the Independent Women Film Magazine. In 2024, Daniela was also honored with the 1st Place Altitude Award from Women in Media.
As a cinematographer, Daniela has collaborated with industry icons Vivica A. Fox and Yvette Nicole Brown on their directorial debut films, *The Party* and *Through Her Eyes*, which stream on BET Network. She also directed and shot thirteen episodes of the documentary series *Our American Story* for Voice of America where she captured the essence of contemporary immigrant American lives.
Born to Jewish refugee parents from Uzbekistan, Daniela is a first-generation American who discovered early on that visual art was her most powerful means of communication. With English as her second language, she explored drawing, painting, photography, and animation to express herself. This need for visual storytelling led her to pursue a BFA in Film and Video at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, which she earned in 2014.
A recurring theme in Daniela's work is the exploration of resilience, identity, and human connection, often through the lens of the immigrant experience. Her films aim to create empathy and understanding by using the universal power of visual language. Currently, she is developing a feature film inspired by her family’s immigration story, supported by the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fellowship. The project reflects her commitment to illuminating the sacrifices and triumphs of those seeking freedom and belonging.
