Vytautas Žalakevičius (born on April 14, 1930 in Kaunas, Lithuania; died on November 12, 1996 in Vilnius, Lithuania) was a Lithuanian film director and writer.
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Vytautas Žalakevičius studied mathematics and engineering at Kaunas University for two years. From 1951 to 1956 he studied film directing under Mikhail Chiaureli and Grigori Aleksandrov at VGIK in Moscow. He shot to fame with his 1956 film Adam wants to be a man starring Donatas Banionis and his teacher, Juozas Miltinis. His best known film, Nobody Wanted to Die, starring Lithuanian and Latvian actors, brought him international recognition. From 1974 to 1980, Žalakevičius was a staff director at Mosfilm, albeit his Moscow period was less productive, so he returned to Lithuania. Žalakevičius devoted himself to establishing independent Lithuanian film industry, and still worked with international cast of Lithuanian, Russian and Latvian actors. He also thought directing and writing and worked for television.
Vytautas Žalakevičius was Artistic Director of the Lithuanian Film Studio. He was designated People's Artist of the Lithuanian Republic (1981) and People's Artist of Russia (1980). He was co-chairman of the Lithuanian State Committee for Cinematography, member of Lithuanian Writers Union, and member of the Soviet Writers Union.