Victor Aleksandrovich Kossakovsky (born 1961 in Leningrad) is a Russian documentary filmmaker. He began his career in motion pictures at the Leningrad studio of Documentaries as assistant cameraman, assistant director and editor in 1978. He graduated from the Higher Courses of Film Writers and Directors in Moscow in 1988 and in 1993 his first feature Belovy (The Belovs) won both the VPRO Joris Ivens Award and the Audience Award at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam. Soon after Victor created his own production company, Kossakovsky Film Production. His films made in the 90s and 2000s all enjoyed great audience and festival success. Other awards include the Special Jury Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and the Dok Leipzig 'Findling' award for Pavel i Lyalya in 1999, the Documentary Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Award of Honor at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for Sreda, the True Vision Award at the 2012 True/False Film Festival and the Genziana d'Oro – Gran Premio Città di Trento at the 60th Trento Film Festival (2012) for Vivan Las Antípodas. In many of his films, Kossakovsky plays the role of editor, cinematographer, writer, and director. Currently Victor is busy teaching around the world and at the same time creating his cinema of poetics and reality.
Russia