Vitaly Mansky was born in Lviv, Ukraine, and graduated from VGIK (the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography). He has become one of the most prominent contemporary documentary filmmakers and producers. As a director, he has made more than 30 films, which have been screened at festivals worldwide, including the Cannes IFF, Berlinale, Locarno IFF, TIFF, San Sebastián IFF, IDFA, and Karlovy Vary IFF, and have received over 100 awards. As a producer, he has been involved in hundreds of films. He is also the President of the Artdocfest/Riga IDFF and a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mansky has lived in Latvia since 2014, and he is currently being persecuted by the Russian authorities for expressing his civic stance.