Pavel Vladimirovich Klushantsev (Russian: Па́вел Влади́мирович Клуша́нцев; 25 February 1910 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire – 17 April 1999 in Saint Petersburg, Russia) was a Russian film director, producer, screenwriter and author who worked during the Soviet Era. A self-taught special effects engineer, far ahead of his time, Klushantsev devised many effects and techniques used by major motion pictures for decades to come.

Biography

Klushantsev graduated from the Leningrad Fototechnikum in 1930 and worked four years for Belgoskino (National Belarus Cinema) as a cinematographer. In 1934, he began working at Lenfilm / Lennauchfilm (4 Melnichnaya Street, St. Petersburg), where he became a director and producer, primarily making science educational films including his visionary film – Road to the Stars. Prior to this film, Klushantsev's films were strictly factual, but here, the film builds on fact and extends it. The film becomes a hybrid documentary blending science with fiction edging firmly into science fiction. This film's special effects – the scientific accuracy of depicting weightlessness, construction in earth orbit, a rotating space station, and rocket travel to the moon – were the cutting edge visual effects of their time.

Planet of the Storms (Planeta Bur), Klushantsev's only feature film, was released in 1962. For this film, Klushantsev is especially noted for his meticulous design and creation of "John the Robot" – with over 42 points of articulation on its major body joints – one of the most technically complex robot costumes of its time. The film was subsequently expanded and re-edited by Roger Corman for American distribution – as Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965) by Curtis Harrington and as Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968) by Peter Bogdanovich. In both these versions, the original scenes drew acclaim.

Subsequent to Planet of the Storms, Klushantsev fell into disfavor in Soviet Russia and returned to making more science-based film shorts. He also authored popular books related to space, including K Drugim Planetam! [To Other Planets] (1959), Stantsiia "Luna" [Station "Moon"] (1965), and All About the Telescope (1980).

Klushantsev's works are featured among Russian Fantastika.

An English language documentary on Klushantsev's life and achievements, The Star Dreamer, was released in 2002 by Danish Vesterholt Film and TV.