Olenka’s short films launched her filmmaking career. The Summons, premiered at the LA Shorts Fest in 2009 and was awarded The Grand Prize and Best Drama Director of the NexTV Entertainment Acting and Directing Competition in 2011. 

 

Alternate Sides, a comedy about alternate side parking in NYC starring Gerry Bamman (Home Alone), won Best Short Film and Best Supporting Actor at The Golden Egg Film Festival in 2013 while Goodbye, Sweetheart, a 1940’s noir, was nominated for Best Short Film at the 2013 Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto.

 

The sophisticated camera movements and cinematic style of storytelling in her short film The Mole, captured the attention of Executive Producer Peter Horton and opened the door for her to direct two episodes of New Amsterdam (NBC) which in turn led to the opportunity to direct the talented James Spader in The Blacklist (NBC).

 

Olenka was raised in NYC and received a BA from New York University. She was awarded the Hollywood Trident Fellowship to study at the LA Film School. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.