Biography

Maksym Tuzov is an award-winning writer, director, and war journalist from Ukraine. A representative of the "new wave" of young Ukrainian filmmakers, Tuzov is at the forefront of the "cultural resistance", dedicating his recent works to Russian invasion and its effects on everyday Ukrainians.

In 2021, Tuzov graduated from the Karpenko-Kary KNUTKiT, where he studied TV directing under Vasil Viter and Vitaliy Savchuk. His same-year diploma film "The Righteous One" has collected 30 wins at 21 international film festivals, including the annual Cannes Film Awards and the Student LA Film Awards. In 2022, "The Righteous One" received the Kyiv City Council's award "For Creative Achievements," presented by the mayor, Vitali Klitschko.

In 2022, Tuzov was approached by Oleg Kokhan, a prominent theater and film producer and founder of the SOTA Cinema Group. Kokhan decided to entrust him with one of the first novella films to be included in the anthology film "War Through the Eyes of Animals", starring Sean Penn. Tuzov wrote and directed "The Rabbit, or There and Back Again".

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Tuzov's focus shifted to war documentaries and religious films. He became a member of the Nova Media association, received accreditation as a military journalist, and decided to dedicate his craft to filming the devastating aftermath of the Russo-Ukrainian war at the front lines and surrounding territories.

Raised in the Baptist faith (not too common in Ukraine), Tuzov established his first production company, "eyes of faith cinema", focusing on the effects of the war on faith, religion, and religious denominations in Ukraine. As of 2024, the company has produced three documentaries: "The Gospel post 24.02", "The Ecclesia of Saltivka", and "Here am I", all written and directed by Tuzov.

A year later, Tuzov established his second production company, L'Arte Cinema Group, directing, writing, and producing documentary films "Doppelganger", "Call Sign 'Artist'", and "Vincent".

In 2024, he became a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.

- IMDb mini biography by: Dmytro Gordon