Alexei Popogrebsky was born in Moscow, Russia, to a family of a renowned screenwriter. This influential background likely played a significant role in shaping his early interests and aspirations in the film industry.
Early on, Alexei demonstrated a keen interest in the field of psychology, which led him to pursue higher education at Moscow State University and the University of Wisconsin.
In 1995, Alexei teamed up with Boris Khlebnikov, a film theory student, to co-direct two shorts. This collaborative effort marked the beginning of a long-standing creative partnership between the two filmmakers.
Their joint directorial debut feature, Koktebel (2003),achieved unparalleled success by screening in the official selection at some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, Moscow, and Karlovy Vary.
Alexei's first solo effort as writer/director, Simple Things (2007),won numerous prestigious international awards, swept all top accolades at the Sochi and Angers film festivals, and received the Best Screenplay award at the Russian Academy Awards.
In 2010, Alexei released his third feature as writer/director, How I Ended This Summer, which was set and shot on a polar station in the Russian Arctic. The film won two Silver Bears at the Berlin Film Festival and went on to win the London and Chicago Film Festivals, as well as the Best Film and Best Screenplay awards at the Russian Film Academy Awards.
Following his studies at the European Film Academy 3D Masterclass, Alexei directed a 3D short, Bloodrop (2011),initially conceived as a tongue-in-cheek technical test but ultimately released in cinemas, generating hundreds of thousands of views online and winning Special Awards at the 3D Image Festival in Lodz and Stereomedia in Brussels.
In 2017, Alexei directed the 13-episode TV series, The Optimists, which won the Russian Academy Award. Throughout his career, Alexei has served as a jury member at several esteemed film festivals, including Sundance, London, Karlovy Vary, Pusan, Sochi, and Sakhalin.
Currently, Alexei Popogrebsky serves as the Head of the Directing Department at Moscow Film School, the leading private film school in Russia, where he continues to nurture and guide the next generation of filmmakers.
