Russian theater and film director, People's Artist of the RSFSR Gleb Anatolyevich Panfilov was born on May 21, 1934 in Magnitogorsk.
In 1957 he graduated from the Department of Chemistry of the Ural Polytechnic Institute, in 1963 — the correspondence department of the camera department of VGIK (workshop of Anatoly Golovnya), in 1965 — the directing department of the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors (workshop of Leonid Trauberg).
He worked as a foreman at the Sverdlovsk plant of medical devices, researcher at a research institute, head of the propaganda department of the Sverdlovsk city committee of the Komsomol.
In the late 1950s, Panfilov organized a film studio in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), where, together with friends, he made several films — «Nylon Jacket», «People's Police» (1958). Soon he was invited to local television, where he made the following films: «Get up to our system» (1959, documentary), «Killed not in the war», «Nina Melovizinova» (both short, 1962) and «The Case of Kurt Clauseville» (1963 , feature TV movie).
In 1966, Panfilov was enrolled in the staff of the Lenfilm film studio, where he began filming his first feature film, There Is No Way Through the Fire (1967). In 1969, the film won a prize at the Locarno International Film Festival (Switzerland).
In 1970, the director made his second feature film, Inception. In 1971, the film received the Silver Lion at the International Film Festival in Venice (Italy).
In 1975, Panfilov's film I Ask for Words was released, which was awarded the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary (Czechoslovakia, 1976) and the prize of the International Film Festival in Barcelona (Spain, 1977).
In 1977, Panfilov joined the staff of the Mosfilm film studio, and also became the head of the workshop at the Higher Director's Courses. Due to the issue of emigration raised in it, the picture did not appear on the screen until 1987. Having entered the international distribution, the film received the main prize of the Berlin IFF — «Golden Bear» (1987).
In 1981, the film «Valentina» was released, in 1983 — «Vassa», which brought the director the Golden Prize of the International Film Festival in Moscow (1983).
The film «Mother», shot by the director based on the works of Maxim Gorky in 1990 In 1991, Panfilov created the Vera film studio, named after his mother, and became its artistic director.
In 2000, the director released a film about the last Russian imperial family, The Romanovs. The Crowned Family. In May 2001 at the festival «Vivat, cinema of Russia!» in St. Petersburg, the film received the main prize.
In February 2006, the film «In the First Circle» based on the novel by Alexander Solzhenitsyn was released on television. The television series has been widely acclaimed and won a number of awards, including the Nika Award for Best Television Film.
Simultaneously with the series, a feature film based on the novel was being filmed. The script for the film version was written by the director himself. A film called «Keep Forever» was released in 2007. In 2008, the film received a special prize from the United Nations in Russia at the XIV International Human Rights Film Festival «Stalker».
In October 2008, the film «Guilty Without Guilt» based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky was released. The picture was awarded the «Golden Eagle» award.
In August 2021, at the 74th Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland), the world premiere of the film «Ivan Denisovich» based on Alexander Solzhenitsyn's story «One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich» took place. As a director and screenwriter, Panfilov completed the story of the soldier Ivan Shukhov, telling more details about how he fought, how he was captured, how he fled from him, how he ended up in a camp. In November 2022, the film took the main prize at the 44th international film festival Efebo d «Oro in Palermo, Italy.
Gleb Panfilov for the film «Ivan Denisovich» was awarded the Golden Eagle Award for Best Director.
In 1986, Gleb Panfilov made his debut as a theater director on the stage of the Lenkom Theater with William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The main roles were played by well-known actors Oleg Yankovsky (Hamlet), Alexandra Zakharova (Ophelia), Inna Churikova (Gertrude). In 1992, Panfilov staged the play «…Sorry» based on the play by Alexander Galin with Inna Churikova and Nikol Karachentsov in the lead roles on the Lenkom stage. In 2010, the theater premiered Gleb Panfilov's play «The Lioness of Aquitaine» based on Goldman's play «The Lion in Winter», in 2012 — the play «Salvation Lie» based on the play «Trees Die Standing» by Alejandro Casona.
In 2017, on the stage of the Theater of Nations, Gleb Panfilov presented the play «The Audience» based on the play by Peter Morgan.
Gleb Panfilov — People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984), laureate of the Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR (1985), laureate of the Presidential Prize in Literature and Art in 2001 and 2003.
He was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (2010).
He was the winner of the Nika (2005, 2012), Golden Eagle (2006, 2021) and other awards.
In 2020, Gleb Panfilov received the prize of the International Film Festival. Andrei Tarkovsky «Mirror» for outstanding contribution to cinema.
He was married with a second marriage to the People's Artist of the USSR Inna Churikova (1943-2023). Their son Ivan (1978) is an actor and screenwriter. The eldest son, from Panfilov's first marriage, Anatoly (1957) is a theater and film actor, production designer.
He died on August 26, 2023 at the age of 90.
The material was prepared on the basis of information and open sources