Katarina Poljak (they/them) is a celebrated independent filmmaker and Performance Artist whose award-winning work has been showcased at The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, Vox Populi Gallery, and several international film festivals. Their works, often involving the body and contemporary dance performances, are informed by a critique of social traditions and technology. Poljak's performance-based films transport audiences to fantastical realms, blending retro futurism, sculptural set-design, and intricate handmade costumery. Influenced by collaborations with experimental film and performance artist Kathy Rose, Poljak is committed to creating work that navigates the intersection of past and future mass culture, challenging the unspoken boundaries shaping our social lives.​ A recipient of a BFA from The University of the Arts, where they studied both Dance and Film, Poljak earned the prestigious Shannon D. Moore major film award for their thesis film in 2019. Intrigued by humanity's trajectory into "posthumanism" and its framing by the idealized human body, their work evokes a sense of surrealist suspense, explores society's fascination with the spectacle of gore, and taps into the visceral nervous system of the grotesque. The incorporation of bizarre, macabre, and unsettling imagery and concepts in Poljak's work often elicits profound and visceral responses from viewers. ​Poljak's latest film, INCREDIBLE MACHINE GLASSBODY, garnered acclaim with selections and wins at various international film festivals in 2020. They’re currently a Professor at The University of the Arts, School of Film and an Artist in Residence at Mascher Space Cooperative. In these positions, they persist in curating provocative film and performance works.