Yuri Borisovich Norshteyn

Director-animator, screenwriter, artist.

1941 – Born, Andreyevka, Penza province (in evacuation during WWII)
1943 – Family moves back to Moscow
1948-58 – Attends general school
1956-58 – Attends children’s art school
1958 – Job in furniture factory
1959 – Joins vocational animation course of Souzmultfilm studio
1961 – Graduates from Souzmultfilm animation courses and becomes animator at studio proper
1967 – Marries Francheska Yarbusova
1968 – Son Boris is born
1970 – Daughter Ekaterina is born
1979 – Began to teach at the Highest Courses of screenwriters and directors, at the Department of Directors of Animated Film (until 1996)
1989 – Quit Souzmultfilm
1990 – Began work at “Foundation of Rolan Bikov” and organized the animation studio “Artel”
2000 – (until present) founded “Foundation of Yuri Norshteyn”, studio “Artel” legally becomes part of the “Fund of Yuri Norshteyn”
2006 – Quit the “Foundation of Rolan Bikov”

In various years read lectures at VGIK
Honorary professor at VKIG
Master-classes:
Norway (1993), England (1991, 1994), Hungary, Italy, France, Poland, Canada, Sweden (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998), USA (2000), Holland (1998), Belgium (1994, 1995), Poland (1993, 2001), Latvia, Japan (1995-2007 yearly)

Wife: Francheska Yarbusova – art director of animated film
Son: Boris (1968)
Daughter: Ekaterina (1970)
Father: Berko Norshteyn (1905-1956)
Mother: Basya Krichevskaya (1912-2001)

Exhibitions:
Perm Gallery, Moscow Cinema Museum, Paris City Hall, Tokyo Ghibli Museum, Moscow Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Awards:
1971 - Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: Battle by Kerzhenets named Best Animated Film
1972 - Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films: Grand Prize for Battle by Kerzhenets (shared with Ivan Ivanov-Vano)
1972 - Tbilissi: Battle by Kerzhenets named Best Animated Film
1972 - Bombay Film Festival: "Diplom" for Battle by Kerzhenets
1975 - Annecy International Animated Film Festival: Special Jury Prize for Heron and Crane
1975 - New York (U.S.): First Prize for Heron and Crane
1976 - Frunze All-Union Film Festival: Hedgehog in the Fog "best animated film"
1976 - Teheran Children's and Youth Film Festival: Hedgehog in the Fog "best animated film"
1977 - Odense (Denmark): Grand Prize for Heron and Crane
1979 - USSR State Prize for Fox and Hare, Heron and Crane, Hedgehog in the Fog (awarded to Norshteyn, Yarbusova, and Zhukovskiy)
1980 - Lille (France) International Festival of Films Jury Grand Prize for Tale of Tales
1980 - Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films: Grand Prize for Tale of Tales
1980 - Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada): Best Film Longer Than Three Minutes Award for Tale of Tales
1984 - Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival: Tale of Tales voted by large international jury to be the greatest animated film of all time
1989 - Tarkovsky Award for contribution to the development of the fine arts
1991 - Annie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Animation
1995 - Russian Independent Triumph Award (acknowledging 'the highest achievements in art and literature')
1996 - People's Artist of Russia
1996 - 1st Open Russian Festival of Animated Film, Breakthrough Prize for Russian Sugar (commercial)
2002 - Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films: Tale of Tales again voted by large international jury to be the greatest animated film of all time
2003 - Tokyo, Japan: Hedgehog in the Fog was named the best film of all time; second place was Tale of Tales
2004 - Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
2005 - Master Award for the exhibition in the Moscow Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
2005 - Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, USA: Honorary Doctorate in the Fine Arts


Yuri Norshteyn Filmography:
1962:
Zhivya tsifry (Living Numbers), drawn, 9:31 min, animator (R. Davydov)
Dve skazki (Two Tales), drawn, 16:18 min, animator (L. Amalrik)
Kto skazal miyau? (Who Said Meow?), puppets, 9:12min, animator (L. Amalrik)
Vnimaniye, v gorode volshebnik (Look Out, There’s a Magician in Town), (live action featuring puppet-animator (V. Bychkov), for Belarusfilm with animated section by Souzmultfilm)

1963:
Skazka o starom kedre (Tale of the Old Cedar), puppets and live action, 18:18 min, animator (V. Degtyarev)
Mister Twister, flat puppets, 16:12 min, animator (A. Karanovich)
Moskvichok (The Little Moskvich Motor Car), puppets, 7:54 min, animator (I. Boyarsky)

1964:
Levsha (The Left-Handed Craftsman), drawn and cut-out, 42:00 min, animator (I. Ivanov-Vano)
Moskovskiye Novosti (Moscow News), puppets, 8:06 min, animator (I. Boyarski)

1965:
Kak odin muzhik dvukh generalov prokormil (How One Peasant Fed Two Generals), cut-out, 22:58 min, animator (I. Ivanov-Vano, V. Danilevich)
Kanikuly Bonifatsiya (Bonifacio’s Holiday), drawn, 9:12 min, animator (V. Khitruk)

1966:
Moi zeleny krokodil (My Green Crocodile), puppets, 9:12 min, animator (V. Kurchevsky)
Podi tuda – ne znau kuda (Probably That Way – I Don’t Know), cut-out with some puppets, 55:36 min, animator (I. Ivanov-Vano, V.Danilevich)

1967:
Vareshka (The Mitten), puppets, 10:18 min, animator (R. Kachanov)
Nu I Ryzhik! (Good Old Ginger!), puppets, 10:24 min, animator

1968:
Legenda of zlom velikane (Legend of the Wicked Giant), puppets, 10:00 min, animator (I. Ivanov-Vano, V. Danilevich)
Ostorozhno, shchuka! (Careful – Pike!), puppets, 18:54 min, animator (I. Ufimtsev, M. Kamenetsky)
25e – pervy den (25th – the First Day), cut-out, 8:05 min, co-director, co-scriptwriter and co-art director (with A. Tyurin), animator

1969:
Zhadny Kuzya (Greedy Kuzya), puppets and live-action, 10:48 min, animator (I. Ufimsov, M. Kamenetsky)
Skazka pro kolobok (Tale of a Pie), puppets, 10:00 min, animator (N. Chervinskaya)
Vremena goda (The Seasons), puppets, 9:03 min, assistant director (to Ivanov-Vano), animator
Babushkin zontik (Grandma’s Umbrella), puppets, 9:03 min, animator (L. Milchin)
Deti i spichki (Children and Matches), cut-out, 6:00 min, director, animator

1970:
Pismo (The Letter), puppets, 9:36 min, animator (R. Kachanov)
Bobry idut po sledu (Beavers Follow the Track), puppets, 18:36 min, animator (M. Kamenetsky)

1971:
Secha pri Kerzhentse (Battle by Kerzhenets), cut-out, 10:12 min, co-director (with I. Ivanov-Vano), animator
Malchik i myachik (The Little Boy and the Ball), puppets, 10:00 min, animator (V. Danilevich)
Cheburashka, puppets, 20:06 min, animator (R. Kachanov)
General Toptygin, puppets, 16:42 min, animator (I. Ufimtsev)

1972:
Losharik (Little Horsey), puppets, 10:18 min, animator (I. Ufimtsev)
Mama, puppets, 9:48 min, animator (R. Kachanov)
Novogodnaya skazka (A New Year’s Tale), puppets, 17:36 min, animator (V. Degtyarev)

1973:
Avrora (Aurora), puppets, 18:24 min, animator (R. Kachanov)
Aibolit and Barmalei, puppets, 16:42 min, animator (N. Chervinskaya)
Lisa i zayats (Fox and Hare), cut-out, 12:24 min, director, animator

1974:
Pokhozhdeniya Chichikova: Manilov (The Adventures of Chichikov: Manilov), puppets, 10:00 min, animator (B. Stepansov)
Tseplya i zhuravl (Heron and Crane), cut-out, 10:00 min, director, co-scriptwriter (with R. Kachanov), animator

1975:
Yezhik v tumane (Hedgehog in the Fog), cut-out, 10:29 min, director, animator

1976:
38 popygaev (38 Parrots), puppets, 7:58 min, animator (I. Ufimtsev)

1977:
Za den do nashei ery (One Day B.C.E.), 4:00 min, montage of still photos with lighting effects (F. Khitruk)
Ya lechu k vam vospominaniyem (I Fly to You in Memory – Part I of Andrei Khrzhanovski’s Pushkin Trilogy), drawn and cut-out, 30:24 min, animator

1979:
Skazka skazok (Tale of Tales), cut-out, 28:00 min, director, co-scriptwriter (with L. Petryshevskaya), animator

1980:
I s vami snova ya (I am with You Again – part 2 of Khrzhanovsky’s Pushkin Trilogy), drawn and cut-out, 30:06 min, animator

1981:
O sporty, ty – mir (O Sport, You Are Peace), live action feature (Y. Ozerov) with animation section (F. Khitruk), montage of still photos with lighting effects, prod. co. Mosfilm

Production begun on Shinel (The Overcoat), director, animator, co-scriptwriter (with L. Petryshevksaya)

1982:
Osen (Autumn – part 3 of Khrzhanovsky’s Pushkin Trilogy), drawn and cut-out, 42:00 min, animator)

1994/5:
Russki Sakhar (Russian Sugar), series of sugar commercials, cut out and some drawn, director, scriptwriter, animator

1998-99:
Opening titles for Spokoinoi nochi, malyshi (Good Night, Children), cut-out and some drawn, 2:00 min, director, scriptwriter (idea from M. Aldashin), animator (design V. Olshvang), for Channel 1 television

2003:
A stanza of Winter Days, an international team project based on a collaborative poem led by Matsuo Basho, cut-out and some drawn, 1:37 min, director, scriptwriter, animator, for Imagica Entertainment Inc, Japan

News Biographies Films Books Pictures Articles Contacts
25th – the First Day
Battle by Kerzhenets
The Fox and the Hare
The Heron and the Crane
Hedgehog in the Fog
Tale of Tales
The Overcoat
 Yuri Norshteyn Foundation ©2009-2012
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