first name: Zoltán surname: Verebes creator name: Pater Sparrow

date of birth: 17.01.1978. place of birth: Budapest / Hungary

education: graduate from London Film School

language skills: English (fluent) Latin (beginner)

years active: since 1996

genre: feature & short films, commercials, music videos, tv-series, documentaries, web projects, theatre projects,

Starting as an amateur filmmaker, Sparrow made his 1st two short films (Without With 1998, The Something 1999) which were nominated both years in competition in the biggest film festival in Hungary.

Since being interested in the boundaries of conventional filmmaking he applied and was accepted to the very pragmatic London Film School in which the chairman is Oscar-nominated Mike Leigh O.B.E. He graduated as a MA Director with a Production Designer distinction with his diploma film called T?ick (2004) and wrote a dissertation in the topic of non-narrative film theories.

After living and studying in the United Kingdom, he returned to his hometown, Budapest where he started developing his first feature film based on a Stanislaw Lem essay, with the help of his former mentor Zoltan Kamondi's company Honeymood Films. Meanwhile, he was making several experimental films and visual projects like RECYCLEd Pro/Reo/Neo (2006) which also attracted attention to him.

His first feature film 1 (2009) reached a big success as a debut film in Hungary and also collected awards abroad.

He is primarily interested in the unique experimental style of mystic and surreal elements placed into shifted space and time with visual allegories and codes. He considers himself a filmmaker who approaches filmmaking as a visual communication in the face of storytelling.

Since 2009 he works simultaneously in various art department roles but mainly as a production designer for Hungarian and foreign feature films, shorts, and commercials.

During the years he had experience working in different fields of professional film and television crews, such as assistant for director Zoltán Kamondi in The Alchemist And The Virgin (1999), assistant production designer for Academy Award winner Luciana Arigghi in Being Julia (2004), art director for Kevin Phipps (2013 ) production designer (Eyes Wide Shut, Fifth Element, Dune).

He worked as a production designer on Peter Strickland's third feature film The Duke Of Burgundy (2014) and with other directors including Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Brian Buckley, Daniela Amavia., Renny Maslow, Dave Laden, The Giger Brothers, Sam Hibbard, and Karina Taira.

Since 2013 he was head of the art department in DDK Productions where he managed together the best talents such as newcomer production designers and art directors, concept artists, draftsmen, storyboard artists, and graphic designers, to become one of the leading art department sources for the Hungarian industry.

Since 2016 he is freelance.

AWARDS

2024 - Hungarian Film Week - best production design ‘Semmelweis’

2023 - European Cinematography Awards - best production design for ‘Wintergarden’

2022 - 1st Vera Venczel Award - best production design

2016 – 22nd Chlotrudis Award – best production design for ’The Duke of Burgundy’

2011 - Montevideo Fantastico - special mention for ‘1’

2010 – 20th FanCine International Filmfestival Malaga – best director for ’1’

2010 – 5th CineFantasy Brazil – best sci-fi feature award for ’1’

2010 – 7th Fresh Film Fest Praha – audience award for ’1’

2010 – 30th Fantasporto International Filmfestival – best director for ’1

2010 - Fantasia Film Festival Montreal - best international film - ‘1’’

2010 – Hungarian Film Critics Awards – best visual design for ’1’

2009 – XVI. Granada International Film Festival – audience award for ’1’

2009 – 40th Hungarian Film Week – best visual design for ’1’

2009 – 40th Hungarian Film Week / student jury – best debut feature for ’1’

2009 – 10th Golden Blade Creative Festival – Silver Heart Award for a social advertisement

2006 – 37th Hungarian Film Week – special mention for Recycled/Pro-Reo-Neo

1998 – 30th Budapest Independent Film Festival – 3rd prize for Without With

NOMINATIONS

2021 - Hungarian Film Week - best production design ‘Toxikoma’

2020 - Guldbagge - best production design ‘Swoon’

2019 - Hungarian Film Week - best production design ‘The Troups’

2017 - Hungarian Theatre Critics Award - best production design ‘Ivan The Terrible’

2017 - Hungarian Film Week - best production design ‘Well’

2015 - International Online Cinema Awards - best production design ‘The Duke Of Burgundy’’

2010 - London Sci-Fi Film Festival - best film - ‘1’

2010 - Sitges International Film Festival - new vision award - ‘1’

2010 - Göteborg Film Festival - international debut award - ‘1’

2010 - Liege Policier Festival - best film - ‘1’

2010 - Athen International Sci-fi & Fantasy Festival - best film - ‘1’

2010 - Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film - best science fiction film - ‘1’

2009 - Trieste Science+Fiction Festival - best film ‘1’

2004 - Hungarian Film Week - best experimental film - ‘T?ick’

1999 - Hungarian Film Week - best short film ‘The Something’

1998 - Hungarian Film Week - best short film ‘Without With’