Kirill Mikhanovsky is a Russian–American director, screenwriter, editor, and producer, best known for directing the critically acclaimed 2019 American comedy drama ''
Give Me Liberty Give Me Liberty may refer to:
* "Give me liberty or give me death!", a 1775 quotation attributed to Patrick Henry
Film
* ''Give Me Liberty'' (1936 film), an American drama short directed by B. Reeves Eason
* ''Give Me Liberty'' (2019 film), an ...
''.
Biography
Mikhanovsky grew up in Moscow. While attending the
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...
, where he majored in linguistics, Mikhanovsky drove medical transport for disabled people. Around that time, Mikhanovsky wrote and directed a short film, ''Terra, Terra''. While in the NYU Grad Film Program Mikhanovsky studied directing under
Boris Frumin
Boris Moiseevich Frumin (, ; born 24 October 1947) is a Soviet, American and Latvian film director and screenwriter.
Career
Frumin's film '' Errors of Youth'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. His ...
.
Career
Mikhanovsky made his directorial debut with '' Sonhos de Peixe'', shot with non-actors in a fishing village in the Northeast of Brazil. ''Sonhos de Peixe'' premiered in the
Semaine de la Critique
Critics' Week (), until 2008 called International Critics' Week ('), is a parallel section to the Cannes Film Festival organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics.
History
Critics' week was created in 1962, after the French Syndicate of ...
section of the 59th Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded Prix Regards Jeunes.
Mikhanovsky directed ''
Give Me Liberty Give Me Liberty may refer to:
* "Give me liberty or give me death!", a 1775 quotation attributed to Patrick Henry
Film
* ''Give Me Liberty'' (1936 film), an American drama short directed by B. Reeves Eason
* ''Give Me Liberty'' (2019 film), an ...
'', which had its world premiere in the
Directors' Fortnight
The Directors' Fortnight (, formerly ) is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festival as a ...
Alice Austen
Elizabeth Alice Austen (March 17, 1866 – June 9, 1952) was an American photographer working in Staten Island. She is best known for her street photography and her intimate depictions of women's lives and relationships in the Victorian era ...
(who’s also a producer), Mikhanovsky proves to be a virtuoso of chaos," wrote
Manohla Dargis
Manohla June Dargis ( ) is an American film critic. She is the chief film critic for ''The New York Times''. She is a five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.
Career
Before being a film critic for ''The New York Times'', Dargis ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
Independent Spirit Award
The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
nominations, including Best Editing for Mikhanovsky and Best Feature Under $500,000 (
John Cassavetes Award
The Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award is presented to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $1,000,000 by the Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It is named aft ...
), winning in the last category.
Mikhanovsky co-wrote Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa's ''
Gabriel and the Mountain
''Gabriel and the Mountain'' () is a 2017 Brazilian-French drama film directed by Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa. It was screened in the Critics' Week section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, it won the France 4 Visionary Award and the Gan ...
''.
Mikhanovsky spent five years researching and developing a modern-day tragicomedy set in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Kirill Mikhanovsky at the
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...