Pilot Studio Co-Founder Aleksandr Tatarskiy Dies

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgAleksandr Tatarskiy, co-founder of Moscow-based Pilot Studio, passed away in his sleep of an apparent stroke over the weekend of July 21, 2007. He was 57 years old.

Tatarskiy, along with Igor Kovalyov, founded Pilot Studio, which was the first non-state run animation house in Russia. The studio has won more than 50 international awards, including an honorable mention for Taraskiy at the Leipzig DOK Festival in 2003 for his film, RED GATES. RESEMON. Tatarskiy was the president and art director of the studio as well as director, writer and producer on short films and TV series for Pilot. He was director on the TV series, MIKE, LU & OG and his 20 animated shorts include MODELING CLAY CROW and LAST YEAR'S SNOW FALL.

Taraskiy began his career as a movie critic before taking classes in animation at the Kiev Animation Studio. While working there as an animator, he met Kovalyov and the two later moved to Moscow and formed Pilot in 1988. Recently, he was the creator on a Pilot project transforming Russian folk tales into animation.

Kovalyov told AWN that Tatarskiy was the creative impetus behind the studio and a truly great producer, who made Pilot into one of the world's premiere production houses.

Oleg Vidov, the former Russian actor and co-founder/ceo of Films by Jove, said, "Sasha Tatarskiy was both talented and good-hearted. He took first Soviet and then Russian animation in a new direction, giving many young directors their first start in the business. With him, and on their own, they went on to win top international awards. Some even ended up in Hollywood. His PLASTICINE CROW, a 10-minute short made for Soviet television in 1981, became a classic."