Timur Bekmambetov is an acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker and producer, known for creating technologically innovative genre films. His directorial debut in Hollywood was WANTED (2008) which starred Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy. The action film grossed $341 million and earned two Oscar nominations. Bekmambetov’s next film as a director is sci-fi thriller MERCY for Amazon MGM Studios, starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, which he produced alongside Oscar-winning producer Charles Roven (OPPENHEIMER). Bekmambetov is the pioneer of screenlife films in which the action is set from the point of view of smartphone and computer screens as characters utilize their devices that drive the narrative forward. His debut screenlife production – a teen horror pic UNFRIENDED (2015) – was picked up by Universal and went on to gross more than $65 million against a budget of $1 million. His next screenlife production, SEARCHING (2018) starring John Cho, became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival, grossing over $75 million. This film has also spawned sequel MISSING (2023) starring Emmy-winning Storm Reid that grossed $48.8 million and topped Netflix US movie chart. His latest screenlife production – the digital heist film LIFEHACK (2025) – premiered this March at SXSW and received a sensational 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Screenlife films earned Bekmambetov’s production company Bazelevs a place in Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative video companies in the world in 2021. Since 1989 he has been directing commercials. In 1992 Bekmambetov made his directorial and writing debut with Peshawar Waltz (1994), a film about the Soviet war in Afghanistan which received awards at several festivals in Europe. From 1992 to 1997 he made 18 commercials for the Russian bank “Imperial” and was named best young director of 1997 by Russian Film Academy. In 1999 he started his own film company, Bazelevs Production. His big break came with the success of the vampire franchise Night Watch (2004) and Day Watch (2006), which he directed during 2003 – 2005. Both films became international blockbusters, and received several awards and nominations. The third installment, Twilight Watch (2009), is slated for release in 2009. Since 2005, Bekmambetov has been working in Hollywood, writing, directing and producing several flicks, such as Wanted (2008), 9 (2009), and The Red Star. Back in Russia, he made another success directing The Irony of Fate 2 (2007), a romantic comedy based on the Soviet era characters and capitalizing on nostalgia among some of the post-Soviet audiences. Timur Bekmambetov established himself as a master of dense narrative. His films often surprise the viewers with eerie details, hectic pace and unusual twists and turns, and remain a challenge even for experienced audiences.