Max Rykov is a video producer, photographer, and documentary filmmaker currently based in the Washington, DC area. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, he immigrated to the United States at 8 years old and took up filmmaking in teenage years. His first independent documentary project was “Pianino for Peace” about young Ukrainian musician refugees on tour after being displaced following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Despite being a student work, this reached global audiences in international film festivals and screenings. Max went on to create films that reached White House Student Film Festival, International Peace and Film Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival, etc.. He received a BS in Digital Media Production from Florida State University, and went on to be Head Video Producer at ARTECHOUSE where he worked closely with digital artists and exhibitors. His work was featured by United Nations Foundation, Pantone Color Institute, Forbes, New York Times, and other platforms. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Max has refocused on documentary work and impact driven storytelling.

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