Michael Lockshin (film director)

Lockshin was born in 1981 in the United States and grew up in both the United States and Russia.{{cite web | url=https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvNTgxNjQ3OS9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVk/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL2VwaXNvZGUvNTkwMzYwMDA?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj8heWK74OFAxXlM1kFHaBSAZwQkfYCegQIARAF | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320221701/https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvNTgxNjQ3OS9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVk/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL2VwaXNvZGUvNTkwMzYwMDA?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj8heWK74OFAxXlM1kFHaBSAZwQkfYCegQIARAF | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 20, 2024 | title=Google Podcasts }}

Lockshin graduated with a MA degree in psychology from Moscow State University.{{Cite web |last=Neskorpas |title=director – michael lockshin – ic.tv |url=https://i-c.tv/director/michael-lockshin/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=IC.tv – production |language=en}} After graduation, Lockshin moved to London, where he began directing commercials and music videos.

According to Business Insider, Lockshin is not a Russian citizen.{{cite web |last=Corcoran |first=Jason |title=Six months into the Ukraine war, Russia's film industry is on life support |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/back-to-the-ussr-russias-film-industry-on-life-support-2022-8 |access-date=20 August 2022 |date=18 August 2022 |website=Business Insider}} As of 2021, he lives in Los Angeles.{{cite news |last1=James |first1=Caryn |title=The Master and Margarita: The Russian box-office hit that criticised the state |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240430-the-master-and-margarita-the-russian-box-office-hit-that-criticised-the-state |access-date=3 November 2024 |work=BBC News |date=1 May 2024}}

He is the son of the scientist Arnold Lockshin, who received political asylum in the USSR.{{cite interview |last=Lockshin |first=Michael |subject-link= |interviewer=Scott Simon |title=A film based on a novel about a 1930s writer gains surprise popularity in Russia |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/03/23/1240461600/a-film-based-on-a-novel-about-a-1930s-writer-gains-surprise-popularity-in-russia |access-date=19 June 2024 |work= |publisher=NPR |location= |date=23 March 2024}}{{cite web |last=Dolin |first=Anton |title="Серебряные коньки» — российский сказочный ромком с либеральными идеями от сценариста «Эпидемии" |trans-title="The Silver Skates: a Russian fairytale rom-com with liberal ideas from the scenarist of "To the Lake" |url=https://meduza.io/feature/2020/12/10/serebryanye-konki-rossiyskiy-skazochnyy-romkom-s-liberalnymi-ideyami-ot-stsenarista-epidemii |access-date=26 May 2022 |website=Meduza |language=Russian}}{{cite news |date=31 January 2024 |title="Мастер и Маргарита". Как развивался скандал вокруг фильма, который задумывался в одной реальности, а вышел совсем в другой |trans-title="The Master and Margarita". How the scandal around the film, conceived in one reality and released in another, came to be |url=https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/c4nk9ne8yxro |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=BBC News Русская служба |language=ru}}{{cite news |last=Shavrey |first=Andrey |date=3 February 2024 |title=Новый фильм "Мастер и Маргарита" Михаила Локшина — внезапный нож в спину российской пропаганды |trans-title=Michael Lockshin's new film "The Master and Margarita" is an unexpected knife in the back to Russian propaganda |url=https://novayagazeta.ee/articles/2024/02/03/novyi-film-master-i-margarita-mikhaila-lokshina-vnezapnyi-nozh-v-spinu-rossiiskoi-propagandy |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=Novaya Gazeta |language=ru}} He has Jewish heritage from his father's side.{{cite web |last=Recer |first=Paul |date=10 October 1986 |title=Defector Underwent Troubling, Unexplained Change, Boss Says |url=https://apnews.com/article/340efaa24201571ec560266341815f5f |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508153732/https://apnews.com/article/340efaa24201571ec560266341815f5f |archive-date=8 May 2023 |access-date=21 May 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}

While still studying in college, Lockshin started working in the film industry. He shot commercials for over 10 years, and his spots won numerous awards, including Cannes Lions Young Director's Awards,{{Cite web|date=2012-06-03|title=Alumni: Michael Lockshin|url=https://www.youngdirectoraward.com/alumni-michael-lockshin/|access-date=2021-12-21|website=Young Director Award}} Golden Drum, and others.{{Cite web |last=Beltrone |first=Gabriel |date=2015-04-02 |title=Is This Strange Russian Ad With a Man Drowning the Perfect Metaphor for Social Media? |url=https://www.adweek.com/creativity/strange-russian-ad-man-drowning-perfect-metaphor-social-media-163823/ |access-date=2022-04-27 |language=en-US}} The David Duchovny ad (2014) went viral.{{Cite web|last1=Kozlov|first1=Vladimir|date=2014-07-29|title=David Duchovny's Russian Beer Commercial Goes Viral (Video)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/video-david-duchovny-stars-russian-721915/|access-date=2021-12-21|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Vourlias |first=Christopher |date=2021-06-07 |title=12 Rising Russian Talents Ready for the Global Stage |url=https://variety.com/lists/12-rising-russian-talents-key-buyers-event/ |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Lockshin's debut feature film, Silver Skates, shot in 2019, was released theatrically Christmas 2020 in Russia to high acclaim. The movie became the first Russian-language Netflix Originals movie.{{Cite web|title="Серебряные коньки" стали первой российской полнометражкой Netflix Original|url=https://www.gazeta.ru/culture/news/2021/05/03/n_15936782.shtml|access-date=2021-12-21|website=Газета.Ru|language=ru}} It premiered as the Opening Film of the Moscow International Film Festival. At the 20th Golden Eagle Awards (2021), Silver Skates was nominated for 12 awards, a record in the history of the Golden Eagle Awards, and won 6 awards, including "Best Picture".{{cite web |last=Al'perina |first=Susanna |title=Фильм "Серебряные коньки" получил шесть наград на кинопремии "Золотой орел" |url=https://rg.ru/2022/01/31/film-serebrianye-konki-poluchil-shest-nagrad-na-kinopremii-zolotoj-orel.html |website=Rossiyskaya Gazeta |date=31 January 2022 |trans-title="The film "Silver Skates" won 6 awards at the Golden Eagle awards" |language=Russian |access-date=25 May 2022}} Lockshin himself was nominated for Best Director.{{cite web |title=Номинанты премии «Золотой Орел» за 2021 год |url=https://www.kinoacademy.ru/news/nominanty-premii-zolotoy-orel-za-2021-god |website=NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES OF RUSSIA |trans-title="Nominees of the Golden Eagle Awards 2021" |language=Russian |access-date=26 May 2022}}{{cite web |title=Лауреаты премии «Золотой Орел» за 2021 год |url=https://www.kinoacademy.ru/news/laureaty-premii-zolotoy-orel-za-2021-god |website=NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES OF RUSSIA |language=Russian |trans-title="Winners of the Golden Eagle Awards 2021" |access-date=26 May 2022}} The film also won "Best Picture" from the Association of Producers awards (APKIT), and won several awards at the Nika Awards in 2021, with Lockshin up in the category "Discovery of the Year".{{cite web |title=Российская кинопремия Ника 2021: Открытие года |url=https://www.kinonews.ru/nika2021/#nom59 |website=kinonews.ru |access-date=27 May 2022}}

His second feature film The Master and Margarita, which he also co-wrote,{{cite web |date=20 April 2021 |title=Михаил Локшин начал работать над экранизацией "Мастер и Маргариты" |trans-title="Michael Lockshin has begun production of a film adaptation of "The Master and Margarita |url=https://ria.ru/20210420/bulgakov-1729092777.html |access-date=27 May 2022 |website=Ria Novosti |language=Russian}} is based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, and stars German actor August Diehl.{{Cite web|last=Grater|first=Tom|date=2021-07-22|title='A Hidden Life' Actor August Diehl Starring In $15M Russian Drama 'Woland'|url=https://deadline.com/2021/07/a-hidden-life-august-diehl-15m-russian-drama-woland-1234798036/|access-date=2021-12-21|website=Deadline|language=en-US}} The film was shot in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/dubrovnik/item/14351-dubrovnik-at-the-centre-of-a-new-movie-production-woland | title=Dubrovnik at the centre of a new movie production - Woland - the Dubrovnik Times }} The film's release date was pushed multiple times due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and problems with funding the film's post-production.{{Cite news |title=The Russian Filmmaker Trapped Between Hollywood and Moscow, New York Times, Aug. 10, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=10 August 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/magazine/russia-hollywood-films.html |last1=Aleksander |first1=Irina }}{{Cite web |last=Vourlias |first=Christopher |date=2024-02-02 |title=Why Russia's Propaganda Machine Is on the Attack Against a Blockbuster Adaptation of 'The Master and Margarita' |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/global/russia-propaganda-putin-master-and-margarita-1235893906/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} Initially slated for a release by Universal Pictures on January 1, 2023, the film's release date was pushed back multiple times with attempts to censor the film and take the director off the movie.{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Andrew |date=2024-02-23 |title=‘It was a very hard journey’: Master and Margarita director on its unlikely Russian success |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/23/master-and-margarita-director-on-its-unlikely-russian-success |access-date=2025-04-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Since Universal Pictures pulled out of Russia as did other western companies after the war, the film was released by Atmosphefa Kino in Russia on January 25, 2024.

The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences,{{Cite web |title=Рецензии на фильм Мастер и Маргарита (2024), отзывы |url=http://kritikanstvo.ru/movies/masterimargarita_2024/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Критиканство |language=ru-RU}}{{Cite news |last=Kyiv |first=Marc Bennetts, George Grylls and Tom Ball in |date=2024-03-12 |title=The banned writer sparking anger in Kyiv and Moscow 84 years after his death |newspaper=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/article/putin-defying-film-of-the-master-and-margarita-is-box-office-hit-in-russia-pjjft9k7v |access-date=2024-03-12 |language=en |issn=0140-0460}} with Russia's most prominent film critic - Anton Dolin calling the film "The best blockbuster out of Russia in its post-Soviet history".{{Cite web |title=«Мастер и Маргарита» Михаила Локшина — первая достойная экранизация романа Булгакова Антон Долин рассказывает, почему этот фильм не мог не взбесить пропагандистов |url=https://meduza.io/feature/2024/01/29/master-i-margarita-mihaila-lokshina-pervaya-dostoynaya-ekranizatsiya-romana-bulgakova |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Meduza |language=ru}} However the film was targeted by nationalist activists, propagandists, and government officials, including Vladimir Solovyev, Margarita Simonyan, Zakhar Prilepin, and Tigran Keosayan who complained about the director's views on the war in Ukraine, the film's anti-regime stance, and the fact that the Ministry of Culture had provided funding for a film seen as propagadting anti-Russian ideas, even though it was before Russia's full-scale invastion into Ukraine. They demanded a criminal investigation into the film and into Lockshin himself. This was echoed by parliament members of the State Duma as well.{{Cite news |title=New York Times, Life Imitates Art as a 'Master and Margarita' Movie Stirs Russia | work=The New York Times | date=16 February 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/movies/master-and-margarita-movie-russia-reaction.html?smid=url-share | last1=Sonne | first1=Paul }}{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Andrew |date=2024-02-23 |title='It was a very hard journey': Master and Margarita director on its unlikely Russian success |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/23/master-and-margarita-director-on-its-unlikely-russian-success |access-date=2024-02-27 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

The film received a record 14 nominations and 6 wins at the annual Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards, including Best Feature Film. It received 7 nominations and 7 wins at the Russian Film Academy's Nika Awards, including Best Picture. At the same time the official government film awards "Golden Eagle" totally ignored the film. At the Nika Awards ceremony those receiving the prizes had to agree to not mention the director's name.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-26 |title=Триумф ленты «Мастер и Маргарита» на премии «Ника» оказался подпорчен цензурой: организаторы церемонии приложили все усилия, чтобы со сцены не прозвучало имя режиссёра фильма |url=https://echofm.online/stories/triumf-lenty-master-i-margarita-na-premii-nika-okazalsya-podporchen-czenzuroj-organizatory-czeremonii-prilozhili-vse-usiliya-chtoby-so-sczeny-ne-prozvuchalo-imya-rezhissyora |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=ЭХО |language=ru}}

Despite all the backlash, the film became one of the highest grossing films ever at the Russian box office.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-01 |title=Сборы фильма «Мастер и Маргарита» превысили 2 млрд рублей |url=https://www.vedomosti.ru/media/articles/2024/03/01/1023328-sbori-filma-master-margarita |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Ведомости |language=ru}}

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Category:21st-century Russian screenwriters

Category:Russian male screenwriters

Category:Russian film directors

Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:American emigrants to the Soviet Union

Category:21st-century American writers

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Category:Film directors from Texas

Category:American people of Jewish descent