Alexander Rodnyansky

Rodnyansky produced over 30 films and more than 20 television series including Stalingrad (2013) - the highest grossing Russian film ever ($67 million). Among other films produced by Rodnyansky: The 9th Company (2005), Heat (2006), Piter FM (2006), The Inhabited Island (2009), The Sun (2005), A Chef in Love (1997), A Driver for Vera (2004), East/West (1999). He created Ukrainian TV network 1+1 and for seven years was the CEO of Russian media company CTC Media. Alexander Rodnyansky graduated from Kyiv's National University of Film, Theatre and Television as a documentary director. In 1983 he started his career at Kyivnaukfilm studio. He has directed 10 feature documentaries which won him over 40 prestigious awards both at home and abroad. For the documentary Raoul Wallenberg’s Mission he was awarded the highest award for a documentary filmmaker in the USSR – the Russian National Film Award NIKA as well as the European Film Award (for Best Documentary). Last farewell USSR (1991) was awarded the Gran Prix of Cinema Jove Film Festival in Valencia, Russian National Film Award NIKA, Special Jury prize at the Festival International de Cinema Nyon and the Best Documentary prize at the Duisburg Film Festival. Last farewell USSR Film II (1994) won the Russian National Film Award NIKA, the Silver Dove award at International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, the Jury prize and FIPRESCI at the International Documentary Film Festival at Yamagata and the Grand Prix at the Strasbourg Film Festival. From 1990 till 1993 he worked as a producer and film director at the German television channel ZDF. In 1994 he returned to Ukraine to create the first independent television channel in the country, 1+1. In a matter of months 1+1 became the leader of the television market in Ukraine. Rodnyansky served as CEO of 1+1 and was a co-owner of the company together with Central European Media Enterprises (CME). Later he sold his interest in 1+1 to CME. In 2002 Rodnaynsky was asked to head the American company Story First Communication (later renamed CTC Media) which operated one TV-channel - CTC. Under his leadership the company transformed into an international television powerhouse with five channels in three countries. Rodnyansky was responsible for making CTC Media the first ever Russian media company to have an IPO on NASDAQ. In 2002 the CTC Channel had a market value of approximately $40 million; when Rodnyansky left CTC Media in 2008, the company's market capitalization was over $4 billion; CTC doubled its audience share and became the fourth most popular channel in Russia. In 2009 Rodnyansky founded AR Films through which he now controls a movie production company Non-Stop Production, the leader of the distribution of independent films Cinema without frontiers (Kino Bez Granits) and the most important film festival in Russia - Kinotavr. In 2011 Alexander Mindadze's film Innocent Saturday produced by Alexander Rodnyansky premiered in competition of 61st Berlin International Film Festival.

Born on: 2 July, 1961

Born in: Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR