Biography
Vera Tomilova is an internationally recognized independent film director. She was born in a small town not far away from Moscow in April 7, 1989. Vera was dreaming to become a director and make films since kinder garden. She starts getting an outstanding skills to fight for her place among the stars since childhood. Her unique style of directing can be traced back to her undergraduate work. From 1993 until 2001, she attended music school in her city. There she studied music theory, the piano, and vocals. She was particularly adept at the piano which she studied for eight years. Her background in music is rare for film directors. She knows how to integrate the music with the rest of the film, how to explain and direct actors to work with the music, and how to work with the musicians. From 1996 until 2011, she studied dance and became a choreographer. She studied in the school "Dance Way" under Evgeny Antonov supervision, who is internationally recognized and danced on Broadway. She studied Latin American, Jazz and Contemporary Dance. She won medals at international dance competitions. During this time she created a dance videos and performances, including Russian Military Day performance that was performed at the Kremlin in Moscow in December, 2011. Her experience as a dancer and choreographer has shaped the way she approaches filmmaking. All directors are well versed in using language to convey emotion, but not all directors are able to convey emotion without using words. Ms. Tomilova has combined her background in music, dance and choreography with her directing skills to produce films that evoke emotion visually through what is seen, as well as the words that are used. It is easy to describe what a director is trying to convey through words, but it is stronger to show it so that people feel it and react emotionally.
From 2004 until 2009, she attended the Humanities Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting (GITR) where she earned her combined Bachelor/ Master's degree in TV and Film Direction. Her program was a very competitive program to be admitted to and to graduate from. Only about 50% of the students who started with her completed the program. Vera Tomilova excelled in school. While in school, she was invited to work for film company "LexFilm" who produces documentaries for Russian Central Government TV station.(VGTRK) She was the only student from her class invited to work in this prestigious position. While working in this position, she gained invaluable hands-on experience producing and directing TV series and films.
At the end of 2012, she attended a filmmaking workshop at the world renowned New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. There she directed "Fallen Angel' which has been well received by American audiences having been nominated for and received some awards.
Vera Tomilova's Accomplishments In 2014, Vera Tomilova directed "War Voices," which is a documentary short film based on real letters from Russian soldiers serving on the front line to their family members. Despite the film only being on the film festival circuit for a short time, the film has already been recognized with an honorable mention award at the International Film Awards Berlin (Ifab) and was a 2014 official selection for the 17Th Annual ARPA International Film Festival. Most recently, the film has been nominated as an Official Selection for the 2015 Columbia Gorge International Film Festival which will be held August 6th through the 16th.
In 2013, Ms. Tomilova directed a short film, "Fallen Angel," which has received considerable attention. The film's main character, Michael, is the son of an American Senator. In trying to make it on his own without his father's help as a photographer, his agent suggests that his girlfriend take drugs so that he can photograph the effects. Unfortunately, his girlfriend follows the agent's advice and overdoses while Michael is photographing her dancing (she was a ballet dancer). The film is a 2014 Accolade Global Film Competition winner, was an official selection in the 2014 Lucerne International Film Festival in Switzerland and in the 2014 Action on Film International Film Festival. The film was also a nominee for Best Documentary at the Great Lakes International Film Festival. Additionally, Ms. Tomilova received a Certificate of Excellence -Special Festival Mention at the 4th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival (2014).
In 2014, she also directed a music video for the popular up-and-coming Russian pop singer, Natali Yura. The music video "Yung Luv" aired in the U.S. in September 2014. Natali Yura also held a video contest for the best fan made music video of "Yung Luv." Ms. Tomilova served as a judge in this contest along with myself, Kirk Lightburn (Sony Music), and VP Boyle.
In 2015, she also directed a documentary titled, "Letters to Motherland," which follows the lives of Russian emigrants who came to the U.S. after the Russian Revolution in 1917. On September 26, 2014 she was interviewed on KDVS 90.3 FM by Richard Estes about what she discovered making this film about Russian emigrants living in California.
In 2011, Ms. Tomilova served as First Director Assistant for a Russian Television show called "Petrovich," which aired on NTV. She also served as First Director Assistant for a feature film titled, "I'll be around," which was directed by Pavel Ruminov, a well-known Russian film director. The film won at the prestigious Russian film festival Kinotavr.
From 2007 until 2012, Ms. Tomilova produced documentaries and educational films for TV Channel Russia and the Government Film Foundation of Russia. She directed and edited "The Secret of Earth," directed and wrote "The man after 40.....," served as production manager and first director assistant for "The Secret of Behterev," and "The moon," and she served as production manager and first director assistant for a large international project called "Hydrocarbon Man - From War to Peace."
In 2010, she worked as a director's assistant for the film company Teleformat which produced a TV show called "Sled." She also worked as a first director assistant, production manager, and executive producer, alongside director Anton Lanshakov to make "Not a fairy tale," a children's feature film. She has also directed commercials for Barclays Bank, Ladymail.ru, and Surgery Clinic; directed and edited an educational film about Jazz Dance titled "Dance Way," and directed and edited music videos from a travel company called "Spectrum" in Turkey.
Based on her record of accomplishments, it is clear that Ms. Tomilova is regarded as an outstanding and notable independent film director. To be continued.....
