Now streaming on amazon prime, tubi, roku, xumo, relay & more!

AWARD-WINNING "LOVE & VODKA" CELEBRATES WORLD PREMIERE AND INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

​ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Following its high-profile debut as the closing night selection of the 2024 Cinetopia Film Festival, the independent feature
Love & Vodka continues to garner industry honors.

Most recently, the film was awarded the prestigious SRFF Women’s Film Critics Circle Award for "Best Women Directed Film" at the 2025 SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival in New York.

Directed by University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University graduate Heidi Elizabeth Philipsen-Meissner, the film marks her solo directorial debut. A true transatlantic production from Personae Entertainment Pictures, the film was led by Heidi Philipsen-Meissner, p.g.a., who was awarded the p.g.a. mark alongside her husband and fellow producer Niko Meissner, p.g.a..

A Story of Hope and Resilience

"Love & Vodka" follows a Michigan screenwriter struggling to complete a rom-com about a former flame, only to find his fictional world colliding with a harrowing reality. Based on the true story and memoir by R.J. Fox, the film stars Svitlana Kosolapova and Zach Bradley.
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Originally conceived as a "fish-out-of-water" comedy about Fox’s impulsive 2001 trip to Ukraine to propose to an exchange student, the screenplay was updated by Philipsen-Meissner to reflect the modern tragedy of the Russian invasion. The resulting "romantic dramedy" explores the power of storytelling as a tool for survival and transatlantic friendship during a global crisis.

From Ukraine to Michigan

When the 2022 attacks forced production out of Ukraine, the team pivoted to 
Bay City and Grayling, Michigan. With the blessing and support of the local Ukrainian diaspora, Michigan locations doubled for the Ukrainian countryside, allowing the production to provide a vehicle for hope and support for the community.

Now Streaming

Following its triumphant screening for nearly 1,000 festival-goers at the historic Michigan Theater, "Love & Vodka" has expanded its reach to global audiences.
The film is now available to stream on:

• Amazon Prime Video (Watch here)
• Tubi and Plex (Streaming for free)
• The Roku Channel and Xumo Play

About Personae Entertainment Pictures

With offices in Berlin and Detroit, Personae Entertainment Pictures is a transatlantic development company focused on international feature films that highlight socially relevant, human-interest stories.
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Media Contact:
Jason Brown, PublicCity PR
[email protected]; 248-663-6166
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