Artists



Jankovics, Marcell

Biography

I was born in Budapest, in 1941. I worked at Pannóniafilm Ltd. (formerly Film Studio, later Film Company) between 1960 and 2007. I started my career as a drawer. In 1965 I was promoted to be a director. From 1996 to 2007 I was the managing director of the Ltd. I have been making my own animated movies since 1963.

I have cooperated in other's films as animator, animated film director, graphic designer and script writer. I also worked in Disney Studio, in Burbank, as a graphic designer (The Emperor's New Groove). So far I have been working in several hundred films, among which I have directed 280.

I was the first director of such animated series as Gusztáv (Gustav), Magyar Népmesék (Hungarian Folk Tales) and Mondák a magyar történelemből (Legends from Hungarian History). As for my three feature length animated movies (János vitéz - Knight János, Fehérlófia - Son of the White Horse, Ének a csodaszarvasról - Song about the Miraculous Deer), and my shorts, I have been not only the director, but script writer and designer, too. I have been working on and off with the feature length animated film version of Az ember tragédiája (The Tragedy of Man) since 1989, and I hope it will be finished soon, after 20 long years. I am proud of some forty national and international awards, and several Hungarian orders. I have represented my homeland at different international film festivals as a jury member nine times: in Zagreb, in New York, twice in Teheran (with 17 years difference), in Espinho, in Ottawa, in Oberhausen, in Krakow and in Hiroshima, where I could greet Hungarian winners seven times.

I have been teaching Animation for more than 20 years. First at the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Budapest (1971-1972), then at the College (later: University,) of Applied Arts since 1981, where I have been a DLA qualified (1997) private teacher (2000). I started teaching again in 2004, since then I have educated PhD students at the University. In 2007 I lectured in Visual Communication during a semester at the Debrecen University in 6x4 lessons. Years ago I drew comics as well, but I only adapted outstanding writers' works (e.g. Oscar Wilde, Stanislaw Lem and Jókai Mór). I also deal with posters for shorts; logo design, tale book and fiction book illustration, and I illustrate my own books, too.

I have published articles, essays and books. So far I have issued 16 books, mainly in the subjects of education and art history, and numerous short writings. I regularly lecture in conferences, at universities, colleges, high schools and public cultural centers. My main topics are animation, education history, literature, fine arts, as well as child bringing, culture politics and public life. Between 1988 and 1998 I regularly made public educational TV programs - altogether 440 of them, where I contributed as a script writer, speaker and/or director. Besides all this, I usually cooperate in different public educational TV and Radio programs. I am a founder of DUNA Television Channel. I helped to start this channel as a curator, a spokesperson, and as the director of the program board. In 1996 I applied for the position of President of DUNA TV Channel - without success.

I did theatre work, either. Earlier I directed two folk music programs on University Stage (in 1981 and 1982). Then in 1997 my play was introduced in Budapest Puppet Theatre with the title Bábiloni Bilblia (Holy Bible of Babylon). This play was written, designed and directed by me. I co-worked with the first 5 issues of Magyar Nagylexikon (Hungarian Encyclopedia) as an author (1993 - 1997). I cooperated in the designing of Budapest EXPO '96, which was finally baffled, and in the organizing of the Hungarian program of Hanover EXPO 2000. I am a member and/or office holder in more societies, organizations and associations. I am proud of being a founding curator, together with my closest friends, of March 15th Society, which has awarded the ones of merit, on the same day, since 1981. It is great honor for me that I had public speeches on 15th March several times (in Budapest in 1998 and 2000, in Sepsiszentgyörgy in 2002, in Nagytarcsa in 2004, in Balatonfüred in 2006 and in Szeged in 2008). The Hungarian Academy of Arts selected me as a member in 1995. Now I am the president of Ópusztaszer National Park KHT. FB.

Awards, prizes

Nomination for Oscar Prize for the film Sisyphus (1975)
Golden Palm Prize of Cannes for the film Küzdők (Wrestlers) (1977)
Balázs Béla Award (1974)
Kossuth Award (1978)
Award for the Youth (1982)
Artist of Merit (1984)
Best Cartoon Movie of All Times Award in Los Angeles for the film Fehérlófia (1981) (Son of the White Horse) (1984)
Life Tree Award (1988)
Order of Merit (civilian) Commander Cross of the Hungarian Republic (1998)
Freeman of 2nd District Budapest (2000)
Pátria Prize of Duna Television (2002)
Hungarian Arts Award (2005)
Árpád Memorial Award (2007)
Certificate for the 20th Anniversary of Lakitelek Meeting (2007)
Prima Primissima Award for Folk Art and Public Education (2007)
Leonardo da Vinci Award (2009)
Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary with star (2013)
Artist of the Nation Award (2014)

Main Film Awards

„Tendenciák" (Tendencies) Viennale, Granting Diploma (1970)
„Hídavatás" (Bridge Inauguration) London Film Festival, among the best movies of the year (1970) Miskolc, Festival of Shorts, C.I.D.A.L.C. Award (1970)
Thessalonica, Golden Nike (1972)
„Mélyvíz" (Deep Water) Annecy, Granting Diploma (1971)
London, among the best films of the year (1971)
„Álmok szárnyán" (On the Wings of Dream) Beirut, Golden Cedar Prize (1972)
„Mással beszélnek" (Talking at Cross Purposes) Miskolc, Festival of Shorts, Prize of the University (1972)
„Az élet vize" (Water of Life) London, among the best films of the year (1973)
„János vitéz" (Knight János) London, among the best films of the year (1974)
„Sisyphus" Animated Film Festival, Zagreb, 1st Prize (1974)
London, among the best films of the year (1974)
Teheran, Children's Film Festival, Prize of Critics, Prize of Children's Jury, Prize of the University of Teheran (1975)
Hollywood, nominated for Oscar Prize (1975)
Oberhausen, Granting Diploma (1975)
„Küzdők"(Wrestlers) Cannes, Golden Palm Prize (1977)
Teheran, Prize of the Critics (1977)Chicago, Golden Hugo (1977)
Oberhausen, Main Prize (1978)
Espinho, Main Prize (1978)
London, among the best films of the year (1978)
„Magyar Népmesék"(Hungarian Folk Tales) Prize of Film and TV Critics (1981)
MTV Award (1982)
2nd Animated Film Festival, Kecskemét, Category Prize (1988)
Prize of Csillag Albert Foundation (1995)
4th Animated Film Festival, Kecskemét, Category Prize (1996)
„Fehérlófia"(Son of the White Horse) Award of Ministry of Education (1981)
Los Angeles, among the best animated films of all times (1984)
„Tangram" Kőszeg, Individual Prize (1987)
2nd Animated Film Festival, Kecskemét Best Animator (1988)
„Add tovább..."(Hand it...) Festival of Films for Environment Protection, Lille Best Animated Movie (1989)
„A sámán..."(The Shaman) Miskolc, Category Prize (1989)
Parnu (Estonia), Special Prize (1990)
„Hármas csatorna"(Channel 3) MTV Award (1989)
„Mondák a magyar..."(Legends from Hungarian...) 3rd Animated Film Festival, Kecskemét Award of Education History (1993)
„Ének a csoda..."(Song about...) 6th Animated Film Festival, Kecskemét Main Award of the Children's Jury (2002)
„Egy jottányit sem!" (Not a bit!) 8th Animated Film Festival, Kecskemét, Special Prize (2007)

Awarded Books

„Jelképkalendárium" (Calendar of Symbols) Publishers' Prize (1989)
Beautiful Hungarian Books, 3rd Prize of Typographers' Association (Book plan: Sulyok Géza)(1992)
„A parazsat evő paripa" (The Steed that ate Cinder) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Special Prize (1995)
„A Nap könyve" (Book of the Day) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Granting Certificate (Book plan: Sulyok Zsuzsanna - Sulyok Géza) (1997)
„Jelképkalendárium" (Calendar of Symbols) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Granting Certificate (Book plan: Sulyok Zsuzsanna - Sulyok Géza) (1998)
„Mesék és mondák Mátyás..." (Tales and Legends from Matthias...) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Award of the Main Jury, Special Prize (1999)
IBBY: Children's Book of the Year (1999)
Basel, IBBY: Granting Diploma (2002)
Beautiful Hungarian Books, Certificate (Helikon Publisher) (2005)
„Lovasnemzet" (Nation on Horseback) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Certificate (2005)

„Jelképtár" (Store of Symbols) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Certificate - 2005

„Csillagok között..."(Among Stars) Beautiful Hungarian Books, Certificate - 2007

Most Important Exhibitions

Petőfi Museum of Literature - 1973
DOTE Gallery, Debrecen - 1982
Public Education Centre, Dorog - 1982
Almássy Square Leisure Time Centre, Budapest - 1983
Public Education Centre, Celldömölk - 1984
Hungarian Institute, Rome - 1994
Barcsay School, Szentendre - 1995
Youth Centre, Nyíregyháza - 1996
Budapest Puppet Theatre - 1997
Public Education Centre, Békéscsaba - 2002
Erdei Ferenc Public Education Centre, Kecskemét - 2002
Hungarian Institute, Sofia - 2002
Vincze Gallery (Szent Mihály Chapel), Budapest - 2002
Gyöngyös - 2006
Tatabánya - 2007
Forrás Gallery, Budapest - 2009
Forrás Gallery, Budapest - 2010
Forrás Gallery, Budapest - 2012
HUNGARIANS-ALANS-JAZYGIANS exhibition, M.S. Tuganov State Art Museum, Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russian Federation - 2014

Most Important Directions

János vitéz (1973) (Knight János)
Fehérlófia (1981) (Son of the White Horse)
Ének a csodaszarvasról (2002) (Song about the Miracle Deer)

Series: Gusztáv (Gustav), Magyar népmesék (Hungarian Folk Tales), Mondák a magyar történelemből (Legends from Hungarian History)

Most important writings

Csillagok között fényességes csillag (1987) (Shiny Star among Stars)
Jelképkalendárium (1988) (Calendar of Symbols)
Jelképtár (co-author, 1990) (Store of Symbols)
A fa mitológiája (1991) (Tree Mythology)
Ahol a madár se jár (1996) (Where no Bird Goes)
A Nap könyve (1996) (Book of the Sun)
Új Jelkép kalendárium (1997) (New Calendar of Symbols)
Mély a múltnak kútja (1998) (How Deep is the Well of Past)
Book of the Sun (English language version, 2000)
Ének a csodaszarvasról (Comics version, 2001) (Song about the Miracle Deer)
A Szarvas Könyve (2004) (Book of the Deer)
A lőcsei Szent Jakab templom szárnyas oltárai (2007) (The Triptych of Szent Jakab Church, Lőcse)

Functions

Member of the presidency of ASIFA (International Association of Animation Artists) - 1973-78 Member of the presidency of Film Artists' Association
Member of DUNA TV curatorial board - 1991-1992
Member of the presidency of Hungarian Directors' Guild - until 2000
Member of the Editorial Board of Magyar Nemzet - until 2000
President of the Hungarian Educational Association - since 1998
President of National Cultural Fund - 1998-2000
Curator of Hemmingway Foundation - 2002-2003
President of Dombok Association - since 2002
Member of presidency of Fidesz Hungarian Civic Union's Cultural Chapter - since 2003
Németh László Foundation - founder 2005
Szent István Foundation - President since 2006
Ópusztaszer National Park Kht. - FB-president - since 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibitions

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