Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography

The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, meaning All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov, aka VGIK, is a film school in Moscow, Russia. With no confirmed accounts, VGIK, along with the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and The American Film Institute, competes for the title of being the oldest film school in the world.

he institute was founded in 1919 by the film director Vladimir Gardin and is the oldest film school in the world.[1] From 1934 to 1991 the film school was known as the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (Russian: Всесоюзный государственный институт кинематографии).

Film directors who have taught at the institute include Lev Kuleshov, Marlen Khutsiev, Aleksey Batalov, Sergei Eisenstein, Mikhail Romm and Vsevolod Pudovkin. Alumni include Sergei Bondarchuk, Elem Klimov, Sergei Parajanov, Alexander Sokurov and Andrei Tarkovsky.

Since 1986 the school has been named after the film director and actor Sergei Gerasimov.