Parity Pipeline

Parity Pipeline

Love & Vodka

Love, vodka, and the adventure of a lifetime unfold when a young Michigan writer follows his heart to Ukraine, discovering unexpected family, uproarious laughter, and a romance that transcends borders.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • SCREENINGS
  • CREDITS

Genre

Synopsis

Follow your heart and give love a shot. Based on a true story, LOVE AND VODKA is a romantic dramedy with a heartfelt, dramatic twist. Bobby, a high school film teacher and fledgling screenwriter, recalls the magic of 2018 when he falls in love with Katya, a Ukrainian exchange student. Bobby impulsively travels to Ukraine to propose to her and meet her family—discovering unexpected relatives, uproarious laughter, and a romance that transcends borders.


Bio

Heidi is an award-winning director, writer, actress, and p.g.a. mark producer with over 25 years of experience bridging the American heartland and European cinema. Her solo feature directorial debut, Love & Vodka, won the 2025 SRFF Women’s Film Critics Circle Award for "Best Women Directed Film" and was the Closing Night selection of the 2024 Cinetopia Film Festival. With a career forged in New York, Berlin, and Michigan, Heidi specializes in stories of resilience. Her journey began in Berlin’s theater scene, apprenticing with Wim Wenders’ Road Movies GmbH, before transitioning to production on major studio titles such as UnchartedSalt, The Gryphon (Amazon) and Pagan’s Peak (Sky) . A classically trained actress, she honed her craft at T. Schreiber Studio, Stella Adler, Schott Studios Berlin, and Jeff Daniels’ The Purple Rose Theatre. This foundation informs her "actor-first" directing philosophy, which she further refined while working on Her Telling Heart and Darcy.

As CEO of Personae Entertainment Pictures / Personae Film UG Germany, Heidi focuses on international co-productions with social impact. She holds an BA from the University of Michigan, a degree in Directing & Cinematography from the Motion Picture Institute, a Certificate from University of California, Los Angeles School of Film & TV's Advance Screenwriting Prof. Program, MIA from Columbia University, an MBA from Eastern Michigan University, and is an MBA candidate at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF (exp. 2027). A champion for gender equity, she is the Founder of UPWIFT and a proud member of Film Fatales, the PGA, SAG-AFTRA, AEA, NYWIFT, Alliance of Women Directors, and WIFT Germany.

Screening History

World Premiere - Cinetopia International Film Festival 2024

New York Premiere - SR Socially Relevant Film Festival 2025 / Winner: Women Film Critics Circle "Best Film" of SRFF2025

Credits

Director of Photography - Jay Feather

Actress - Svitlana Kosolapova

Actor - Zach Bradley

Sound Designer & Mixer - Sabrina Naumann-Reichow

Editor - Yakiv Komarynsky