Biography: Director, producer. Merited Artist of Russia (2006). Born in Leningrad in 1963. Graduated from the director’s faculty of the Film Institute VGIK (1988, class of M. Khutsiev). In 1989 made his debut film “Gambrinus”. As director and producer has created about 50 cinema and television films; his works have received Golden Eagle and NIKA awards in the categories Best Film and Best Series, and prizes from the Guild of Film Critics and Scholars; they have gathered prizes worldwide, including the main prize and a prize for direction at the Moscow IFF in 2004.