Yakov Alexandrovich Protazanov (Russian: Яков Александрович Протазанов; February 4 (O.S. January 23), 1881 – August 8, 1945) was a Russian and Soviet film director and screenwriter, and one of the founding fathers of cinema of Russia. He was an Honored Artist of the Russian SFSR (1935) and Uzbek SSR (1944).