The Calf / Теленочек

Credits

Alyona Styrikovich

Director
02/23/1988

Biography

Alyona Styricovich is a director working across fiction, documentary, and commercial projects. Born into a family of scientists researching nuclear engineering and physics, she grew up with a strong curiosity about the world and a desire to look deeper into human stories and hidden details. She studied directing in Moscow and Los Angeles and took part in several international programs in Europe focused on directing and screenwriting. Her work is driven by atmosphere, emotional precision, and the search for unexpected visual perspectives. Alongside commercial work, Alyona develops independent films, documentaries, and music videos. She is currently working on her first feature film.

Filmography

2026 - The Calf Short fiction film, director 2026 - Breed of Memory Documentary film, director (in production) 2022 - The Duelists Documentary film, staged scenes director Supported by IRI 2022 - Sirius-19 Documentary film, cinematographer US-Russia co-production 2022 - Sound the Alarm Documentary film, cinematographer Directed by John Trainor US-Russia co-production 2021 - Ignore Don’t Short fiction film, director Festivals and awards: iFilm Festival, Los Angeles, USA Shiny Sparkle Independent Online Film Festival Mannheim Arts and Film Festival, Germany - Award Winner MosFilmFest, Moscow - Award Winner SHORT to the Point, Bucharest - Award Winner Vertifilms - Vertical Films Festival, Prague Deep Focus Film Festival, New York - Honorable Mention Short Shot Fest, Moscow 2020 - Reality Documentary-experimental essay about isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic Director 2019 - DAD Short fiction film, director Festivals and awards: Koroche Film Festival, Russia Gorky Fest, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia Kinoshock Film Festival, Anapa, Russia Shnit International Short Film Festival, Moscow Family Film Project, Portugal Rome Independent Prisma Awards, Italy Pune Short Film Festival, India Ciudad de Mexico International Film Festival, Mexico Chennai International Film Festival, India Deep Focus Film Festival - Honorable Mention

Directors Statement

I have a feeling that nature, animals, and the world around us are trying to speak to us, but we have forgotten how to listen. For me, The Calf is a story about true friendship, the longing for warmth, and the search for one’s own voice. It follows a child who begins to question the familiar world of adults for the very first time. Strangely enough, on the exact day we arrived at the farm to begin filming, a calf was born there. I decided to take it as a good sign.