Casting Director – Anna Sakharova (Kovalenko)

— Seven years ago, a friend of mine was looking for an assistant for a longrunning 60-episode project. He asked me to help him find someone. I ended up organizing a casting of girls for the assistant role. After talking to all of them, he offered me the job instead. That’s how I became the executive producer’s assistant. Sixty episodes, two film crews — I learned a lot during that time: how to recruit a team, how things work on and off set. When the project ended, I was offered a position as a casting assistant. After working a couple of years in that role, I felt I was ready for more. I moved on to work as a coordinator in the producer’s department, dealing with contracts, actor riders, and all kinds of other tasks.

At one point, a friend called and asked me to recommend a good casting director. After thinking about it, I decided to try myself. I knew it was a leap out of my comfort zone, and it would be a challenge. I hired an assistant — and things just started rolling. I met a wonderful director, Serhiy Shcherbyna, and now we’re great friends

— Rodnia (“Kin”). It’s my favorite project.

— I work at Space Production. I just finished a project for Mamas Film Production. Occasionally, I work with Tri-ya-da Production.

— I have a master’s degree in International Economics and Management. But I’ve always been a creative person — I loved festivals, events, I was a class monitor. That’s probably why I enjoy casting so much — every day feels like a celebration. At the end of the day, I often think: “Thank God I survived.”

— I started working as a casting director in 2019. But I never dreamed of this profession, and it wasn’t a goal — it all happened naturally. When I was an executive producer’s assistant, I liked organizing and selecting people. Many told me I should become either a second director on set or a producer. But I lean more toward creativity. Yes, there’s the role of creative producer, but to be one, you need to really understand scripts — to read and write them well. That’s not my strong suit yet.

That said, I feel comfortable where I am now. Not because I’m relaxed and don’t want to push myself, but because I truly love casting. I understand the competition is fierce now, and to stay in demand, you need to be better than you were yesterday — go to theaters, discover new faces, be open to experiments, take risks, give chances to people you haven’t worked with yet — not just go with proven actors.

There was one case when I cast a very young, non-professional actor in a leading, emotionally demanding role — purely based on his self-tapes. Before this, he had only done background work. But he did an amazing job. After filming, the director called me and said: “Anna, that kid was magical! He moved me and his scene partners to tears — so genuine, so touching. Where did you even find him?”

— Yes, and I even told him I’d like to work with him as an agent. His name is Maksym Yakovlev. We met when he was auditioning for a project I was working on. His self-tape really impressed me — that’s how we started collaborating.

— Just write to me — send photos, a reel, anything that sparks my interest and makes me want to meet them. The key is that I have to feel we can be mutually useful. If I know I can only find a role for a certain type once every six months — then it makes no sense. For example, Zhenya Lamakh — I think he’s incredibly talented. For his age, he has massive experience, and that’s the kind of actor I really want to help work. But if I know someone’s good, yet I don’t currently have the resources to support them — I’ll probably say no. When I suggest actors for a role, I make sure they’re strong competitors — the casting has to be fair.

— I had all sorts of dreams — interior designer, journalist, translator. Right after university, I worked in advertising and wanted to be in HR. I enjoyed interacting with people. Now I do it every day — sometimes a bit too much.

— I have many, but lately, they’ve taken a back seat because of work. A few years ago, I set a goal for myself: “I want lots of interesting work.” Well… be careful what you wish for. Now I barely find time to rest.

My biggest passion is travel. I love Italy, Spain, and I’d gladly return to the Maldives. I enjoy meeting people during trips, walking a lot, listening to street musicians. But for now, travel is on pause — two years ago I was in Sicily, and since then just a few days in Odesa each year. I love the mountains. Before COVID, I used to ski often. Back in university, I skated almost every weekend — though I’ve lost the skill a bit now. I know I need to make time for travel and hobbies, but sometimes I just can’t delegate my work. Even when I’m busy, I try to go to the theater. It helps me reset.

— In June, Sasha Formanchuk invited me to Peer Gynt — a wonderful performance at the Ivan Franko Theater. A few years ago, my favorite national actor, Vasyl Basha, invited me to The Forest — it was amazing: laughter and tears within seconds. Unfortunately, it’s no longer in the repertoire. One performance that really lifted my spirits and that I constantly recommend is The Wardrobe by Lena Kolyadenko — pure theatrical magic. If you love ballet — this is a must-see!

— Before the profession, I watched shows just like a regular viewer — my favorite was Friends. More recently, I really liked The Queen’s Gambit. I also enjoyed Survivor Games — I wish we had similar budgets in Ukraine. We could shoot something just as good, especially in the Carpathians. And I also love the classic Liquidation.

— First, I’d wish for a time machine — to go back and change something. Second — for my loved ones to be alive and healthy. Third — since childhood I’ve dreamed of building a shelter for animals, a home for the elderly, and one for abandoned children. Ideally, I’d like to combine all three into one place.

— Never give up. Always believe in yourself and your talent. Knock on closed doors. If you weren’t approved after an audition — that doesn’t mean anything. The fact that you were even invited is already a win. Every meeting with a director, every audition — it’s all experience and a chance to leave an impression. Keep growing, keep learning, search for projects, don’t be afraid to reach out to casting directors and remind them you exist. Record quality self-tapes, stay passionate about your profession — someone will believe in you. Somewhere, someone is already writing a script just for you.