Born in St.Petersburg Russia Karina graduated from Hermitage School of Art History. In 1992 she moved to Los Angeles to continue her undergraduate work in Art History at UCLA. After graduation she did art and historical research for an A&E renowned documentary series History of Christianity. In the fall of 1999 Karina was accepted into the Producing Program at the American Film Institute on American Express Scholarship, awarded on behalf of Academy Award Nominee Brenda Blethyn, where she successfully produced five short narrative films and received my MFA in Producing. Her thesis project "Ubuntu's Wounds" won Pan-Arfrican Film Festival, the Kodak Audience Award, the Caucus Award, the Martin Ritt Award, and the DGA Award. "Ubuntu's Wounds" was screened at Cannes Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival. It was acquired and shown by HBO. In 2004 Karina produced a feature film "Malachance" (New York Times Critics' Pick, Cannes Film Festival, AFI Fest, Cinevegas, IFP).