Sergei Gerasimov (film director)


Sergei Appolinarievich Gerasimov was a Soviet film director and screenwriter. The oldest film school in the world, the VGIK, bears his name.
Gerasimov started his film industry career as an actor in 1924. At first he appeared in Kozintsev and Trauberg films, such as The Overcoat and The New Babylon. Later, he was commissioned to produce screen versions of the literary classics of socialist realism. His epic screenings of Alexander Fadeyev's The Young Guard and Mikhail Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don were extolled by the authorities as exemplary.
During several decades of their teaching in the VGIK Gerasimov and his wife Tamara Makarova prepared many generations of Russian actors. In his last film Gerasimov played Leo Tolstoy, while Makarova was cast as Tolstoy's wife. Gerasimov is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery of Moscow.

Moscow Film Festival

Gerasimov was the President of the Jury at the 1959, 1965, 1969 and the 1985 Moscow International Film Festival. He was a member of the jury in 1961 and 1971.
In 1967 his film The Journalist won the Grand Prix at the 1967 festival.

Awards and honours

;Director
;Actor