ABOUT
POLINA ZAHA
I'm Polina Zaha,
Industry-recognized female director and DP working across fashion, beauty, and commercial film. My practice is rooted in a strong female perspective, celebrating beauty, diversity, and agency of women. At the core of my work is a desire to celebrate all people with warmth and respect. That energy of kindness is what I bring to every project.
My campaigns have generated over 32 million views, with multiple projects ranking as the #1 most engaged in brand history. My work has been featured on Instagram's official grid and selected as a LinkedIn marketing case study.
I grew up between London, Moscow, New York, Providence, and Los Angeles. After completing my degree in film at RISD and Psychology at Brown University, I started in high-end post-production, editing commericals for world's best cars and high-end perfumes. I gradually moved into directing and shooting. This background still informs how I work, as I understand every step needed to deliver a project at a commercial level. I've returned to -
RISD and Miami Ad School as a guest speaker, sharing what I've learned about building campaigns that perform. I've worked with brands like Sports Illustrated, Timberland, Ford, Google, MAC Cosmetics, Josie Maran, Simon Miller, and The Elder Statesman, Syrn, and previously led the video departments at Cult Gaia and Oh Polly, where I built stories designed to drive measurable impact and capture attention.
What drives me is a deep passion for creating work that celebrates diversity, positivity, and uplifts women, while shaping narratives into something unexpected and visually surprising. If you're looking for a director who pushes boundaries with intention, let's connect!
