| Zoltán Kamondi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 April 1960 Budapest, Hungary |
| Occupation | Film director Actor |
| Years active | 1987 – present |
Zoltán Kamondi (born 6 April 1960) is a Hungarian film director, actor screenwriter and producer. He was born in 1960 in Budapest, Hungary. After finishing his studies at the Faculty of Art, he went on to get a degree in film directing at the Academy of Drama and Film, where he graduated in 1988. He has won many awards with his short films at festivals. Between 1986 and 1988 he was a member of the directors’ board of Balázs Béla Film Studio.
In 1989 he worked as a war-correspondent for Japanese and French television and Radio Free Europe during the Romanian revolution. At the same time he worked together with Károly Makk as script writer and co-director. His film Paths of Death and Angels was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.[1]
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In 1990 he made his first film PATHS OF DEATH AND ANGELS which was screened in Cannes, Sélection Officielle “Un Certain Regard" , and was invited to a number of important festivals (Moscow, Chicago, Tokyo, Ghent, Paris, Orleans). It won the Best Film Music Award in San Remo.
In 1999 his feature film THE ALCHEMIST AND THE VIRGIN was released. The film won the Best Independent Feature Award at the Manchester International Film Festival in the US. In Berlin at Prix Europe it was placed fourth. It won the Critics’ Award for the Best Cinematography and for the Best Leading Actress. It was invited to film festivals in Alexandria, Boston, Calcutta, Madrid, Dhaka, Vancouver and Porto.
In 2001 he made a 25-hour documentary about the life and work of the Hungarian poet György Petri, IN MEMORIAM PETRI GYÖRGY . The very personal interview was led just before the poet’s death.
In 2002 he made his third feature film TEMPTATIONS . At the 33rd Hungarian Film Week it won the Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Leading Male Actor Awards. It was a Golden Bear Nominee at the Berlin International Film Festival. It has won many national and international awards at important festivals. This same year he started teaching at the Hungarian Film Academy. In 2003 he was awarded the Balázs Béla Prize .
In 2007 he completed his fourth feature film DOLINA based on the novel ‘The Archbishop’s Visit’ by Ádám Bodor on which he has been working ever since 2000. It was presented at the 38th Hungarian Film Week where it was awarded the Best Artistic Contribution Award The film has been officially selected in Competition at the 42nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and won several international awards, three in USA among them.
In 2009 he produced the film “1” directed by Pater Sparrow which was released at the 40th Hungarian Film Week where it was awarded the Best Cinematography, Best Artistic Contribution, Best Editor and by the Student’s Jury the Best First Film. In 16.Granada IFF it won the Audience Prize, in Fantasporto, Director’s Week the Best Director and Best Actor awards.
AWARDS : Cannes Film Festival, “Un certain regard". San Remo Film Festival :Best Music Award.
AWARDS :European Film Academy :Officially selected to compete for the Best European Film. 52nd Berlin International Film Festival : Golden Bear Nominee. 33rd Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest : Best Director, Best Cinematographer,Best Actor. ‘Love is Folly’ Bulgarian International Film Festival – Varna Jury’s Special Prize for its excellent cinematic value. 23rd International Camera Festival Manuki Brothers – Macedonia :Bronze Camera.The 8th Pyongyang International Film Festival – North Korea : Best Cinematography. Hungarian Film Critics’ Choice 2003 : Best Script Award.
AWARDS : 38th Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest :Best Artistic Contribution to the Director, DOP, Set Designer and Costume Designers. 42nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival : Crystal Globe Nominee. 28th International Cinematographer's Film Festival "Manaki Brothers": Special diploma to DOLINA by the Cinematographer GABOR MEDVIGY "for creating its own unique world through the originality of its visual compositions, especially using the production design and original locations to compliment the fantasy of the director". Hungarian Film Critics' Choice 2008 : Best cinematographer Gábor Medvigy for Dolina and Fragment. Moziháló 2008 (Hungary):Best Film Website of the Year. Fantasporto International Film Festival 2008 (Portugal):Best cinematographer Gábor Medvigy for Dolina. Tiburon International Film Festival 2008 (USA): Golden Reel Award Best Director Zoltán Kamondi. International Film Festival Syracuse, New York, 2008 (USA) Best cinematographer Gábor Medvigy. JURY’S PRIZE for outstanding production design, art direction & costums.
AWARDS : 40th Hungarian Film :Best Cinematography, Best Artistic Contribution, Best Editor. Student’s Jury : the Best First Film. In 16.Granada IFF it won the Audience Prize Fantasporto, Director’s Week the Best Director and Best Actor awards.
In 1992 he started to work in theatre. In the following year he was a founding member of the Pécs Experimental Workshop. The performance, CRIMES OF THE HEART he directed there won four prizes (the Main Prize for the best performance among them) at the Hungarian Theatre Festival.
In 1994 he started to work in the Miskolc Theatre where he directed SALOME which also won the Best Leading Actress Award at the Hungarian Theatre Festival and was considered by critics one of the best performances of the year.
In 1996 he founded his own experimental theatre company called 'Rolling Cult Motel' in Miskolc. The performance series TOUCHING EACH OTHER he started has been playing for four years and was very well received both by the profession and the audience. One performance of the series won the Main Prizes of the Alternative Theatre Festival in 1999.
In 1996 his video film GOLDEN DECK-CHAIR was released and it won the Best Director Award in short film category at the 27th Hungarian Film Week, in the following year it also received the Critics’ Award for “its innovative dimensions and forms".
In 1998 he studied theatre life in London with the support of the British Council. At the invitation of the Dutch Theatre Institute he participated in the Theatre Festival in Amsterdam. In the same year, with his own theatre company Rolling Cult Model has directed CANDIDE in the Thália Theatre which received the Critics’ Award for “the best musical performance of the season."
In 2010 he went back to work in theatre and put on stage with huge success Almodóvar-Adamson All about my mother play in Víg Theatre, Budapest.
AWARDS :National Theatre Festival 1994, Hungary :Best Performance Award, Best Leading Actress Award, Best Set Design Award, Best Costumes Award
AWARDS :National Theatre Festival 1995, Hungary : Best Leading Actress Award
AWARDS : Hungarian Theatrical Critics’ Choice ’98 :Award for “the best musical performance of the season"
In 1997 he began shooting THE HUNGARIAN SPECKLED VARIETY , a documentary series, parts of which have been completed. Critics considered the series one of the most important documentaries of the years after the political changes. One episode won the Main Prize in the Documentary Category in the MEDIAWAWE International Short Film Festival in 1995.
AWARDS :West Berlin Short Film Festival, Germany :Best Director Award. American Film Academy, Los Angeles Nomination for “Student" Oscar.
AWARDS : MEDIAWAVE International Short Film Festival :Main Prize in the Documentary Category