Biography

Viktor Taransky was born in 1941 to Czech immigrant parents in the small suburban town of Mahopac, New York. From an early age, Taransky developed a passion for drama and spent his free time assisting with community theatre productions and immersing himself in film. He attended public schools in Putnam and Westchester County, where he was a state track and field champion and an exemplary student. To this day, Taransky credits his pursuit of a career in the arts to his track coach and mentor, David Brzezinski.

Upon graduating high school, Viktor won an academic scholarship to the City University of New York, where he discovered the thriving New York City underground art scene. After meeting John Cassavetes in a jazz club in Greenwich Village in 1961, Taransky dropped out of CUNY one credit shy of a psychology degree and became part of a stable of filmmakers, musicians and artists who were focused on redefining American popular culture through the reconfiguration of modern narrative. Taransky spent the 1960's collaborating on a series of film and stage projects, including the seminal cinema verité series "Crossings". His early experimentations with no-budget dramas taught him much about the limitations of time and budgetary constraints that would serve him well as an independent filmmaker.

Taransky spent much of the next two decades working on his personal epic, STRAW GOD Part 1-10. Filmed over almost twenty years, with a revolving cast of actors, STRAW GOD foretold much of the generational angst that would become a part of popular culture in the 1990’s. The ten overlapping stories paint a gritty, intense picture of modern urban life and were hugely influential on a generation of contemporary directors, not to mention launching the careers of a large number of today’s critically acclaimed actors. The final installment, STRAW GOD Part Ten, garnered two Academy Award nominations, a Critic’s Circle nomination for Best Screenplay and Viewer’s Choice at the Tampa Film Festival. This landmark film series has recently been re-issued as a megabit digital compilation.

Viktor's first major studio film, A COLD DAY IN HELL, was a dramatic love caper set in early 20th century Texas. Despite an American Critics Award nomination and excellent reviews, A COLD DAY IN HELL was a box office disappointment. However, it was enough to catch the eye of Sydney Fiske III, head of Amalgamated Film Studios who promptly signed Taransky to an overall production deal. Viktor went on to helm a number of modestly budgeted feature films for the studio, and while none of them parked with mainstream audiences, Taransky remained a fixture on the arthouse circuit and with European film communities. After a series of much-publicized attacks on the demands of A-list stars, Taransky was labeled a malcontent. His deal with Amalgamated was terminated and his future in Hollywood seemed bleak. Yet, it was just as Taransky was losing faith in the American studio system that he discovered Simone, his muse. Now re-signed to a multi-million-dollar deal at Amalgamated, their work together on two warmly received feature films (SUNRISE, SUNSET and ETERNITY FOREVER) has been compared the legendary filmmaker and starlet works from the early days of Hollywood.

Taransky has finally taken his place among America's most innovative and accomplished directors. As to what the future holds, only time will tell.