Directing
Max Bessmertny
Born 1988-12-24 · Vladivostok, Russia
Max grew up in an artistic family with an accomplished painter father and a classical pianist mother, surrounded by a multicultural environment with friends and family speaking Russian, Portuguese, English and a little bit of Cantonese. He was inspired to view the world in a unique way which is reflected in all his film projects. After graduating from New York University Tisch School of Arts Masters in Film, Max wrote, directed and produced the noir short "Tricycle Thief" which was the first 'made in Macao' film to World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014 and won the 2015 Kodak Gold Award. His award-winning shorts include "Dirty Laundry" which premiered at We Are One (Tribeca x Youtube Film Festival in 2020) and "The Handover", a 30-minute black-and-white comedy which won best local entry at the Macao International Short Film Festival. In 2022 Max embarked on his first feature film journey with "The Violin Case", a story inspired by a true incident that happened to his father many years ago. The film was independently fundraised and shot during COVID when the whole world was under lockdown. It features an entirely local cast and crew and a childhood friend of Max's as lead actor - Kelsey Wilhelm. The storytelling style was inspired by the movie "After Hours", which parallels with the hero in "The Violin Case" who goes on a journey around the city in desperate search of his lost artwork.
Acting credits
NRAn artist tries to convince a group of casino executives to finance his art project.
Proposition
2012
NRA group of studio executives cast for the replacements of a band gone missing.
Brazilian Device
2015
The sevn sins of a group of hotel employees.
Seven Scenes
2010
Two roomates become acquainted during a game of chess.
Live
2011
NRA single banknote travels through town and clears all debts. Where does it end up?
The Great Debt
2017
Behind the camera
NR"Years of Macau" is an anthology film consisting of nine short films set in different years and locations in Macau. They include "Go Back Home", "REC-Last Days", "Sparkling Mind", "The Last Show", "Till the End of World", "The First Cigarette", "A Moment", "Dirty Laundry" and "Summer". All nine directors are from Macau, most of whom were born and raised here. The stories of each film share what the directors feel about Macau using the language of cinema to convey their love for the city.
Years of Macau
2019
NR"Years of Macau" is an anthology film consisting of nine short films set in different years and locations in Macau. They include "Go Back Home", "REC-Last Days", "Sparkling Mind", "The Last Show", "Till the End of World", "The First Cigarette", "A Moment", "Dirty Laundry" and "Summer". All nine directors are from Macau, most of whom were born and raised here. The stories of each film share what the directors feel about Macau using the language of cinema to convey their love for the city.
Years of Macau
2019
6.0A fisherman, a banker and an actress are involved in a love triangle in the middle of the ocean.
Sampan
2017
6.0A fisherman, a banker and an actress are involved in a love triangle in the middle of the ocean.
Sampan
2017
6.0A fisherman, a banker and an actress are involved in a love triangle in the middle of the ocean.
Sampan
2017
A Hmong guide's daily life in the mountains of Sapa, North Vietnam.
Chin and the Mountain
2013
A Hmong guide's daily life in the mountains of Sapa, North Vietnam.
Chin and the Mountain
2013
NRAn artist tries to convince a group of casino executives to finance his art project.
Proposition
2012
NRAn artist tries to convince a group of casino executives to finance his art project.
Proposition
2012
NRAn artist tries to convince a group of casino executives to finance his art project.
Proposition
2012
NRO Cravo (The Carnation) revisits the old streets of Macau, from the point of view of film noir: a passionate Portuguese man, a broken heart, an intrigue, a dark alley, memories of a lost territory.
O Cravo
2017
NRA group of studio executives cast for the replacements of a band gone missing.
Brazilian Device
2015
A young man falls while jogging.
Jog
2012
A young man falls while jogging.
Jog
2012
The sevn sins of a group of hotel employees.
Seven Scenes
2010
The sevn sins of a group of hotel employees.
Seven Scenes
2010
Two roomates become acquainted during a game of chess.
Live
2011
Two roomates become acquainted during a game of chess.
Live
2011
NRA painter has the worst night of his life after leaving his violin artwork in the back of a taxi in Macao.
The Violin Case
2026
NRA painter has the worst night of his life after leaving his violin artwork in the back of a taxi in Macao.
The Violin Case
2026
NRA painter has the worst night of his life after leaving his violin artwork in the back of a taxi in Macao.
The Violin Case
2026
NRA single banknote travels through town and clears all debts. Where does it end up?
The Great Debt
2017
NRA single banknote travels through town and clears all debts. Where does it end up?
The Great Debt
2017
NRA single banknote travels through town and clears all debts. Where does it end up?
The Great Debt
2017