Director Semen Horov talked about how much he earns and spends in 2026

Ukrainian director Semen Horov talked about his earnings and expenses in 2026 in an interview with Slava Dyomin. According to him, incomes in the industry remain unstable, and big fees do not happen very often. 

How much Semen Horov earns: director fees in 2026

According to Horov, in the film industry, directors usually receive payment not per day, but for the entire project. The amount includes the full cycle of work:

• preparation for filming;

• the filming process;

• editing and post-production.

The director noted that for a feature film in Ukraine one can earn about 50 thousand dollars, but such amounts are not stable.

At the same time, he emphasized the problem of the lack of royalties: after the film is released, directors do not receive ongoing payments as in other countries.

«If you made a great film, it would be nice to receive income for many years, but we don’t have that», — he explained.

Earnings of directors in Ukraine: how much they pay for clips and expenses

Horov also talked about his earnings in music video production. According to him:

• the budget for a music video used to be about 50 thousand dollars;

• the director received about 20% of this amount;

• the maximum fee was about 10 thousand dollars.

Regarding personal expenses, the director estimates basic monthly needs at about 55–60 thousand hryvnias. This includes expenses for the child's education, groceries, fuel, and utilities.

He admits that recently he has not always had the opportunity to reinvest earnings, and financial stability is partially ensured by his wife’s job.

The director emphasizes that in the Ukrainian industry, both actors and directors often earn insufficiently if they are fully focused only on creativity.

Earlier we reported how much the legendary pianist Yevhen Khmara earns.