"Babi Yar. Context" producer.
Born in Moscow (Russia). Graduated from the Philological Faculty of Moscow State University, and then received a degree in Film Studies from the Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). Maria Choustova has been based in Europe since 1994. In 2004 - 2009 Maria worked as a film & culture correspondent for the BBC Russian Service (BBC World Service) and as Programme Advisor for the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). In 2009 Maria began her career as casting director and creative producer.
In 2013, together with Sergei Loznitsa, Maria launched a film production company ATOMS & VOID (The Netherlands). In 2014 Maria Choustova and Sergei Loznitsa presented MAIDAN, the chronicles of Ukrainian revolution, at the Séance Special of Festival de Cannes. Loznitsa’s subsequent feature-length documentaries, produced by ATOMS & VOID, THE EVENT (2015), THE TRIAL (2018) and STATE FUNERAL (2019) had their world premieres at the Venice Film Festival. In 2021, Sergei Loznitsa’s BABI YAR. CONTEXT, produced by ATOMS&VOID for the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial, had its world premiere in Cannes.
Maria is currently working on production and development of new fiction and documentary projects by Sergei Loznitsa. In 2020, together with Sergei Loznitsa, Maria launched a film production company FATA
MORGANA for the production of Loznitsa’s feature film BABI YAR. Maria Choustova is a member of the European Film Academy.
FILMOGRAPHY:
Producer:
“Letter” (2013, The Netherlands) IFFR
“Reflections”/ “Bridges of Sarajevo” (2014, France, The Netherlands) Cannes Film Festival
“Maidan” (2014, The Netherlands) Cannes Film Festival
“The Old Jewish Cemetery” (2014, The Netherlands)
“The Event” (2015) (The Netherlands, Belgium) Venice Film Festival
“The Trial” (2018) (The Netherlands) Venice Film Festival
“State Funeral” (2019) (The Netherlands, Lithuania) Venice Film Festival
“Babi Yar. Context” (2021) (The Netherlands, Ukraine) Cannes Film Festival, Special Jury Prize L’Oeil D’Or
Co-producer:
“Mr Landsbergis” (2021) (Lithuania, The Netherlands) IDFA, Best Film, Best Editing
“The Natural History of Destruction” (2022, Germany, The Netherlands, Lithuania) Cannes Film Festival
Associate producer:
“A Gentle Creature” (2017, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Lithuania) Cannes Film Festival
“Donbass” (2018) (Germany, Ukraine, The Netherlands, France) Cannes Film Festival, Best Director Certain Regard
“A Night at the Opera” (2020, France)
Casting director:
“My joy” (2010) Cannes Film Festival
“In the fog” (2012) Cannes Film Festival, FIPRESCI Award
“A Gentle Creature” (2017) Cannes Film Festival
“Donbass” (2018) Cannes Film Festival, Best Director Award Certain Regard
