Evgeny Mikhailovich Afineevsky (Russian: Евгений Михайлович Афинеевский; born October 21, 1972) is an Israeli-American film director, producer and cinematographer. He has an Academy Award nomination and Emmy nominations for his documentary Winter on Fire. Afineevsky resides in the United States.

Early life

Afineevsky was born in

Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzan is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and t ...

, Tatar ASSR,

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

on October 21, 1972 to a

Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

family. In the early 1990s, Afineevsky became an

Israeli citizen Israeli citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Israel. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew in the world h ...

and served in the

Israeli Defence Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branch ...

. As he became involved in the film industry, he relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

through connections to

Menahem Golan Menahem Golan ( he, מנחם גולן; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon ...

, living there since 1999. Afineevsky is openly homosexual.

Career

Early Israeli and American works

Afineevsky's filmmaking career began as a teenager when he won the First Prize for Best Documentary in

, the capital of the

Republic of Tatarstan The Republic of Tatarstan (russian: Республика Татарстан, Respublika Tatarstan, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə tətɐrˈstan; tt-Cyrl, Татарстан Республикасы), or simply Tatarstan (russian: Татарстан, tt ...

, and was invited to participate in the Black Sea International Film Festival hosted by the USSR Pioneer Camp Orlyonok in

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southe ...

region, Russia. In Israel, from 1994-2000, Afineevsky coordinated and produced more than 30 musicals including “Bat” (Die Fledermaus), “Gypsy Baron,” “Viennese Blood,” “Night in Venice,” “Silva Princess of Csárdás”, and “Mozart Konzerte” with the Prague National Opera Orchestra. From 1997 – 1999 he produced and co-directed two stage plays, “The Mousetrap” and “Spider Web”, by

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

. "In 1999, still in Israel, he directed the TV series “Days of Love.” In 2000-2002, he produced three feature films, “Crime & Punishment,” starring

Crispin Glover Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

Clive Revill Clive Revill is a New Zealand actor, best known for his performances in musical theatre and the London stage. A veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he has also starred in numerous films and television programmes, often in character parts. ...

, and

Margot Kidder Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), known professionally as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress whose career spanned five decades. Her accolades include three Canadian Screen Awards and one Daytime Emmy A ...

; “Death Game,” starring Billy Drago, Joe Lara, Richard Lynch and Bo Brown; and “The Return from India,” starring Aki Avni, Riki Gal, Assi Dayan, Dana Parnas and Orly Perl." "As producer of “The Return from India” (2002), Afineevsky received the Israeli Grand from the Israeli Film Fund. In 2005, he received The Gold Special Jury Award from the 38th Annual Houston Worldfest for “The Return from India.” In 2007, he received the Platinum Remi Award from the 40th Annual Houston Worldfest for his film “Crime & Punishment” (2002). In 2008, he received the Platinum Remi Award from the 41st Annual Houston Worldfest for his film “Death Game” (2002). “ Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!” was his feature directorial debut for which he collected over 23 awards in the US and abroad. He created the educational documentary project “Divorce: A Journey Through the Kids’ Eyes,” which received awards and recognition from the US festival circuit."

Documentaries on Ukraine and Syria

His historical feature documentary '' Winter on Fire'' was an official selection of the

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and Telluride international film festivals, received the People’s Choice Award for the Best Documentary from the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

, the 2016

Television Academy Honors The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. It is a 501(c)(6) non-prof ...

br>Award
and was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in the Best Documentary category and the

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

in th
Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking category
The film covered the

Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhno ...

protests in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

. In 2016 Afineevsky spent months on the ground in Syria, using his cameras to craft a comprehensive account of the war. His documentary, '' Cries from Syria'', was an Official Selection at the 2017

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...

. HBO acquired US TV rights to ''Cries from Syria'' ahead of its world premiere in the Documentary Premieres section of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The film debuted on March 13, 2017 and on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals. In August 2017 Afineevsky was awarded with the Friend of the Free Press Trophy by the

Los Angeles Press Club The Los Angeles Press Club is an American journalism organization founded in 1913. It honors journalists through its annual National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and SoCal Journalism Awards. The Board of Directors includes the organi ...

for his work on ''Cries from Syria''. He was named the Best Director at the annual

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards The Critics' Choice Documentary Awards are accolades that are presented by the Critics Choice Association to honour the finest achievements in documentary filmmaking and non-fiction television. They were established in 2016, and the first ceremony ...

in New York on November 2, 2017. On November 21, 2017

Producers Guild of America The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 8,000 members of the producing establishment w ...

named ''Cries from Syria'' among the nominees for the Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures Award. He and his film earned IPA Satellite Awards nominations for Best Documentary and Best Song in a Documentary fo
PRAYERS FOR THIS WORLD
performed by

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

. The Awards Circuit Community Awards nominated his movie as Best Documentary Feature for 2017. He wo
International Documentary Association
��
Courage Under Fire Award
earned a PGA Award nomination, won a Humanitas Prize and Cinema for Peace Awards as Most Valuable Documentary of the Year, won 32nd Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival and 51st Houston WorldFest Film Festival, as well as the

Overseas Press Club The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member, as was the war correspondent Peggy Hull. The club seeks to maintain ...

’
Peter Jennings Award
During 2018, Afineevsky and his movie ''Cries from Syria'' earned four Emmy nominations. In 2022, Afineevsky released a documentary ''Freedom on Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom.''

''Francesco''

Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, released in 2020, features

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...

. A segment from the documentary in regards to homosexuality and the Catholic Church triggered worldwide headlines in October 2020. In the documentary, Bergoglio declared, with multiple cuts nonetheless. According to

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...

, the statement stirred controversy as it was regarded as contradicting Catholic teachings on homosexuality which officially categorises homosexual activity as "deviant behavior." Afineevsky said concerning this film: "I am not trying to do propaganda. What I'm trying to do, I’m trying to show to the people what they're missing."

Awards

On February 21, 2020 Catholics in Media Associates awarded him with 2020 CIMA Social Justice Award. In 2018 he received th
Cinema for Peace
Award for most valuable documentary of the Year for his movie Cries from Syria.

Filmography

* ''

Death Game ''Death Game'' (also known as ''The Seducers'') is a 1977 American psychological thriller film directed by Peter S. Traynor, and starring Sondra Locke, Seymour Cassel, and Colleen Camp. The film follows an affluent San Francisco businessman who ...

'' (2001) * ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' (2002) * ''

Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! ''Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!!'' is a 2009 comedy film directed, co-written, and produced by Evgeny Afineevsky and starring Lainie Kazan, Saul Rubinek, Vincent Pastore, John Lloyd Young, Jai Rodriguez, Bruce Vilanch, Fred Swink and Carmen Electra. The ...

'' (2009) * '' Open Heart'' (2012) * '' Divorce: A Journey Through the Kids' Eyes'' (2014) * '' Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom'' (2016) * '' Cries from Syria'' (2017) * ''

Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), seve ...

'' (2020) * '' Freedom on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom'' (2022)

References

External links

*
Winter On Fire: Ukrain's Fight for Freedom receives TV Academy Honors Award

Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom - EMMY AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

Cries from Syria Official Website

The International Documentary Association - Courage Under Fire Award
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afineevsky, Evgeny 1972 births Living people American film directors American film producers 20th-century American Jews American people of Russian-Jewish descent American LGBT people Israeli film directors Israeli film producers American people of Israeli descent Israeli people of Russian-Jewish descent Israeli LGBT people Mass media people from Kazan Russian Jews Gay Jews LGBT film directors