Yuri Chernykh

After moving from Moscow, Russia to Baltimore and being adopted by an American family, Yuri found his passion for storytelling through film editing. He proved his skills at his local community college by not only co-founding the school's now-annual student film showcase, but also cutting three short films, all of which garnered praise for his achievements in editing. His most recent short, Thomas, screened at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in Seattle, where he won the "Best New Talent" award. In 2012, Yuri graduated from Towson University earning a BS in Electronic Media and Film. The following year, Yuri was fortunate enough to be accepted into the AFI Conservatory to pursue a Master's degree in the Editing discipline. Now, as he prepares to begin the final chapter of his AFI career, Yuri looks forward to putting of his education into practice.