Maksym Surkov is a Ukrainian documentary filmmaker and musician. He was born in the city of Prypiat in 1975. He studied in the documentary workshop of Oleksandr Koval and graduated in 2000. He directed a number of independent short films. Surkov was particularly interested in social issues, which remained a recurring theme in his work. He collaborated with producer Svitlana Zinovieva. In 2005, he directed the documentary DIFFERENT, which tells the story of a boy with autism undergoing dolphin therapy. The film received a diploma and the prize for “Best Short Film” at the Ukrainian International Documentary Film Festival Kontakt. The director passed away in 2008.