Yuri Tsapayev
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Yuri Tsapayev was born in Simferopol, Crimea. Growing up in the world
of music, theatre and films, Yuri was groomed for a life in the arts.
He studied music at the Simferopol School of Music and graduated from
the State University of St. Petersburg with Master Degree in Science.
Yuri first started making films in St. Petersburg while studying at the
University, developing a taste for darkly comic stories and brooding,
often surreal imagery using an 8mm camera. During Russia's famous
Perestroika period, he established fine art galleries in Novgorod, Tver
and Moscow. In the late 1990's Yuri published a newspaper "Artodox"
dedicated to arts and culture. With his friends in Tver, he established
a movie production company "Beliy Svet," which is now a very successful
film studio. Yuri moved to San Francisco in 2001 to pursue a career as
an art dealer. He traveled extensively throughout the United States
exhibiting his collection of contemporary Russian art. Despite his
focus on art, Yuri did not forget his musical roots: during this same
time, he composed and recorded three albums under the name "Indie
Knight." In 2008, while attending The Hollywood Film Institute, he made
an impressive transition to filmmaking with the sensitive and
critically acclaimed short film "Tick Knock," which won 3rd place in
the 72 Hour International Film Challenge and also was officially
selected for the Barcelona and Chicago short film festivals in 2009.
Driven by a passion for filmmaking, Yuri quickly honed his skills and
earned a reputation for his stylish visuals that complemented complex
story lines. Early in 2009, he put it all on the line to make the
feature film "Contractor's Routine." In order to build sets consistent
with industry standards and codes and work within his budgetary
constraints, Yuri pursued licensure as a general contractor in order to
manufacture necessary props for his film. Yuri is currently working as
director Paralux Productions' next psychological drama, "When the War
Just Ended," which is slated to be produced late in 2014.