Semion Vinokur is the founder and director of the independent production company ARI Films. He has directed, produced and written scripts for over seventy international documentaries. He has written eleven feature films, produced and directed many docudramas, as well as a prime-time television talk show series boasting over 100 episodes. Vinokur has won numerous awards including: First prize at the Shanghai International Documentary Film Festival; Finalist Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival; Jury Award at the Seoul International Documentary Film Festival; First prize at the International Jewish Film Festival, Buenos Aires; Gold Award at the Flagstaff International Film Festival, USA; Finalist award at the New York Festival, USA; The bronze plaque at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival, USA; and First prize at the Minsk/Belarus International Ecological Film Festival, Russia the Silver Medal at the 39th Annual World Festival, Houston Texas, in 2006, followed by the Best Foreign Film award at the Festival of Rome in September 2006.