Pater Sparrow
Pater Sparrow (born Zoltán Verebes in 1978, in Budapest) is a Hungarian filmmaker and production designer. He graduated from London Film School as a director with a production designer distinction. He is the son of Hungarian actor/director/media personality István Verebes and grandson of actor Károly Verebes.
Starting as an amateur filmmaker, Sparrow made his first two short films (Without With 1998, The Something 1999,) which were nominated both year in competition in the biggest film festival in Hungary.
Since being intertested in the boundaries of conventional filmmaking he applied to the very pragmatic London Film School. While studying in London he had made two short films Sense (2001) Limit (2002) and worked in several film projects as a production designer. He graduated as a MA director and production designer with his diploma film called T?ick (2004) and wrote 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 on 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 for a debut film in Hungary, and also collected awards abroad.
He is primarily interested in unique experimental style of mystic and surreal elements in shifted space and time with visual allegories and codes. He considers himself a fimmaker who approaches filmmaking as a visual communication in the face of storytelling.
During the years he had experienced 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 production designer (Eyes Wide Shut, Fifth Element, Dune, Slipstream, etc.)in a Cadbury commercial which was directed by Brian Buckley, or production designer of Pater Strickland's third feature film The Duke Of Burgundy (2014).
In 2015 he made the production design on several hungarian feature films such as 'My Night Is Your Day / Éjszakám a nappalod (2015), Well / Kút (2015), Troupers / Vándorszínészek (2015), Budapest Noir (2016),
He is currently developing his second feature film based on Boris Vian's Heartsnatcher, and working freelance in Hungary.
Director filmography
- Patience that Blossoms into Death - (2014)
- aurA - (2011)
- 1 – (2008)
- Recycled / Pro-Reo-Neo – (2006)
- T?ick – (2003)
- Limit – (2002)
- Sense – (2001)
- The Girls Are Angels – (2000)
- Frozen – (1999)
- The Something – (1999)
- Without With – (1998)
- I&I – (1996)
Production designer filmography
- Budapest Noir (2016) - production designer
- Troupers (2015) - production designer
- Well (2015) - production designer
- Lavazza (2015) - art director
- Milton (2014) - production designer
- Vat69 (2014) - production designer
- My night is your day (2014) - production designer
- National Opera House Budapest Id (2014) - production designer
- The Duke of Burgundy (2013) - production designer
- Cadbury Eclair / The Writer (2013) - art director
- National Opera House Budapest Id (2013) - production designer
- East of Paris (2012) - production designer
- Pinguin Construction (2012) - production designer
- Useless Stuff (2012) - production designer
- PlayStation Vita / Gravity Daze (2012) - production designer
- Moss and Lichen - production designer
- Cruse 2. (2011) – art director
- Idol (promo) - production designer
- Big Brother (promo) - production designer
- Skai Vi Danse (promo) - production designer
- aurA (2011) – production designer
- Please sir! (2010) – production designer
- Enter (2010) – production designer
- 1 (2008) – production designer
- Recycled/Pro-Reo-Neo (2006) – art director
- That's life (2005) production designer
- Aqua (2005) – production designer
- Being Julia (2004) – assistant production designer
- The sky wants more – production designer
- Amen (2004) – production designer
- This is love (2004) –production designer
- T?ick (2004) – art director
- Evergreen (2003) – production designer
- Limit (2003) – art director
- Sense (2002) – production designer
- The Girls Are Angels (2000) – art director
- Frozen (1999) – art director
- The Something (1999) – art director
- Without With (1998) – production designer
Theatre projects
- The Beauty Queen of Leenane - production designer
- Without Veil - Production Designer
- Mr. & Mrs. - Production Designer
- The Monumental Audience / alternative ensemble (1993-1997)
- Almost nothing - writer / director
- Bad habits - writer / director
- Front - writer / director
- Jacque or the submission / director
Awards
- 2016 - 22nd Chlotrudis Award / Society for Independent Film - best production design for ’The Duke of Burgundy’
- 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 – 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