Fyodor Khitruk (1917-2012)

A major figure in the world of international animation, and father of the Russian Winnie the Pooh (1969), Fyodor Khitruk has passed away at age 95.

He joined the Soviet-run Soyuzmultfilm Studio as an animator in 1937, and became a director in 1959. Khitruk was instrumental in bringing modern graphics to Russian animation and won numerous awards for his short films – including the Golden Palm at Cannes.

A lifelong fan of the art form, Khitruk released a two-volume book, The Profession of Animation, describing his 50 years of experience in 2008. He spent his final years teaching animation at the Moscow Academy.

As tribute, we present his 1968 satire on filmmaking – Film, Film, Film: