Vadim Kostrov

Born on August 17, 1998, in Nizhny Tagil, located in the Ural region of Russia, Vadim Kostrov's journey in the realm of filmmaking commenced. His relocation to Moscow in 2016 marked a fateful turn. In 2017, he enrolled in the esteemed VGIK (Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography), specializing in Dramaturgy. Notably, it was during this period that Kostrov embarked on the creation of his inaugural short documentary film, ""The Silent Night,"" filmed entirely on an iPhone.

In 2018, Kostrov chose to depart from VGIK, embarking on a new phase of his creative odyssey. This era bore witness to the emergence of his first feature-length documentary, ""Loft-Underground."" This film delved into the tapestry of Moscow's art-underground culture, casting a discerning gaze upon the art squats that flourished during the 1980s and 1990s, and continue to shape the city's contemporary landscape.

The year 2019 ushered in a period of prolific productivity for Vadim Kostrov as he initiated his Ural series. Within this series, a trilogy of documentaries unfolded: ""Narodnaya,"" succeeded by ""After Narodnaya,"" and culminating with ""Comet."" This creative phase also bore witness to the creation of Kostrov’s autobiographical works, namely ""Orpheus,"" ""Summer,"" and ""Winter.""

Fast-forward to 2021, Vadim Kostrov's name reverberated across the international festival circuit. Despite being merely 23 years of age and having never before showcased his films beyond the borders of Russia, nor having received any form of public financing for his cinematic endeavors, Kostrov astounded the industry. Like a comet streaking through the sky, his meteoric rise commenced at the Sheffield DocFest with ""Summer,"" followed by a noteworthy presence at FIDMarseille with ""Orpheus,"" and further acclaim at Doclisboa with both ""Winter"" and the comprehensive Narodnaya trilogy.

In March 2022, a retrospective titled Proxima Estación: Vadim Kostrov was held at FICUNAM (Mexico City), solidifying his status as an artist with a unique voice.

Amidst the geopolitical turmoil of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kostrov swiftly sought refuge, initially finding haven in Istanbul before eventually becoming exiled to France. Despite the upheaval, his cinematic endeavors persist steadfastly.

In July 2022, Kostrov premiered his creation ""Fall"" at the esteemed FIDMarseille festival. This was swiftly followed by the international competition premiere of his latest short documentary film, ""I Saw,"" at Doclisboa in October of the same year.

In 2023, he presented his new short film ""Still Free"" at Berlin’s Critics’ Week, which later screened at numerous international festivals including the Jeonju International Film Festival, FIC Valdivia, DocBuenos Aires, and many more.

In the summer of 2023, Spectacle Theater in New York City launched an all-year-long retrospective of his work titled Kostrov’s Seasons, organized around the four seasons.

In June 2024, his new feature film Normandie, shot in France in September 2022, premiered at FIDMarseille. In October 2024, a retrospective titled Manifested Time: Vadim Kostrov was held at Doc Films at the University of Chicago. In May 2025, Kostrov personally presented his film Summer at the University of Cambridge.

Nowadays, he is developing an immersive multimedia installation called Project U and working on the essay films Vers la lumière and Time of Summer, among other projects.