Aleksandr Ivankin

Documentary film director, producer. Laureate of the Foreign Intelligence Service Prize of Russia in the field of literature and art (2010). Nonpartisan. Member of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR — Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation.

After graduating from high school in 1969, he entered the directing department of VGIK in the workshop of L.N. Derbysheva.

From September 05, 1969 to January 16, 1970 — set designer at the Gorky Moscow Art Theatre of the USSR.

In 1971, he entered the directing faculty of VGIK (workshop of L.M. Christie), from which he graduated in 1975 (specialty: "directing documentary films and television films").

While studying at VGIK, he made a study work "To be or not to be" about the production of "Hamlet" at the Taganka Theater. Theses: short documentaries "On the Bridge" (Novosibirsk TV) and "Every Day" (CSDF).

From May 23, 1975 to May 10, 1988 — director of the Russian Central Studio of Documentary Films (CSDF).

In 1986 — 1988 — artistic director of the creative and production association "Risk" (together with I.A. Grigoriev and P.M. Mostov) — a structural division of the CSDF. On December 29, 1986, by the decision of the tariff and qualification commission of the USSR State Cinema, the highest director's category was awarded.

In 1988 — 1993 — artistic director of the studio "Chance" VPTO "Videofilm" at the invitation of the general director of "Videofilm" O.V. Uralov.

In 1985-1993, a senior lecturer in documentary film directing at VGIK, he led a workshop for directing documentary films and TV films (together with A. Kochetkov) and an experimental workshop for directing and cinematography (together with I. Klebanov and A. Sirenko). In 1989, together with M.G. Toidze, he organized the studio "Contact Film".

From 1996 to 2007, he lived and worked in Canada.

In 1994 — 2007 — director under contracts with channels and companies in Canada, the USA and the UK, including: "Channel 4" (UK), History Channel (Canada), Art & Entertainment (USA) and others.

In 1998 — 2008 — director under the contract of the studio "Caravan Art".

Since 2007 — Artistic director and co-owner (together with A.V. Lomakin-Rumyantsev and V.V. Ivanov) of the Artel Studio (Studio ARTEL LLC).

Author and general producer of the TV project "Duels" dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. The project, consisting of ten films of two series each, tells about ten outstanding Soviet and Russian intelligence officers.

The Artel Studio also creates documentary and feature television films and series, including for Channel One.

Since 2002 — Academician of the Russian Academy of Cinematographic Arts "Nika".