Kirill Sokolov

The talents of versatile Russian writer/director Kirill Sokolov were brought to the attention of Western audiences via the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia in 2018. A riotous, action-filled black comedy, Sokolov's debut film, "Why don't you just die?," draws upon the cinematic styles of his favorite directors, Sergio Leone, Martin McDonagh, Park Chan-wook, Martin Scorsese, and, of course, Quentin Tarantino. Although his first full-length feature film is distinctly Russian, uniquely characterized as a Western-style action film playing out within the confines of a Moscow apartment, Sokolov endeavors to tell a universal story that international audiences will still be able to relate to. Sokolov was born in 1989 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 2012, he received a master's degree in the Physics and Technology of Nanostructures. However, even as he worked to complete his degree in Physics, he began making short films with his friends, initially using just ketchup as blood. Inspired by films such as "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," "Evil Dead 2," "Oldboy," and "Kill Bill" Volumes 1 and 2, Sokolov discovered that he had both a love and a talent for dark comedy, a genre which has yet to gain popularity in Russia. In 2013, when Sokolov's filmmaking hobby started to consume all of his time, he enrolled in a program for Advanced Courses for Film Directors and Scriptwriters (VKSR) at the workshop of V. Khotinenko, P. Finn, and V. Fenchenko. In 2015 he successfully defended his diploma with the short film "The Flame." In addition to his debut film, "Why don't you just die?" Sokolov has edited several Russian full-length feature films, written several full-length screenplays, and directed music videos and commercials.