Live panel discussion with the directors of the films included in the strand LIFE’S LITTLE DISAPPOINTMENTS of In Short, Europe: Happy Together on the topics explored in their films, the use of humor in their work and the role and responsibility of artists addressing complicated issues.

Participants:

Albert Meisl (Austria), Savvas Stavrou (Cyprus), Michaela Mihályi and David Štumpf (Czech Republic, Slovakia, France), Ignas Meilūnas (Lithuania), Jolanta Bańkowska (Poland) and Barnabás Toth (Hungary).

The discussion will be moderated by Danny Leigh, Chief Film Writer at the Financial Times and previously, senior curator of fiction in the BFI National Archive.

About the directors:

Albert Meisl was born in Munich. He studied scriptwriting and directing in Filmkademie Wien (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna). Besides he works as culture-journalist and assistant director His first feature documentary „Vaterfilm“ („The Father Tapes“) (A 2015) got the Special Mention of the Jury at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2015. His short films "Die Last der Erinnerung" (The Burden of Memory), Der Sieg der Barmherzigkeit (The Victory of Charity) and Die Schwingen des Geistes (Wings of the Spirit) have been been screened and awarded at numerous national and international film festivals like Telluride (USA), Clermont-Ferrand (France) or Max Ophuls-Price Saarbrücken (Germany).

Savvas Stavrou is a Cypriot film director and Sundance Lab and Berlinale Talents alumni. His short films have screened internationally at festivals and have won top awards at the BFI Sci-Fi Film Festival’s 48 Hour Film Challenge, Tirana Film Festival and Aesthetica Film Festival amongst others. As a music video director, his work was pinned by Promo News amidst the likes of Massive Attack, Florence + the Machine and Coldplay, featuring on platforms such as NOWNESS. He is currently in pre production on his BFI-funded short film BUFFER ZONE and in development with his first feature THE ONES LEFT BEHIND, which was one of 8 projects selected to participate at the Sundance Mediterranean Screenwriters Lab in 2018.

Michaela Mihályi (1991, Slovakia) is currently studying animation at FAMU in Prague, where she lives as well. She previously studied animation at VŠMU in Bratislava. She has an interest in telling stories using various techniques, from hand-drawn, cut-out to puppet animation. Besides school work, she works as a freelance animation director and illustrator. She has a dog called Ela and loves beer and coffee equally.

David Štumpf (1991, Slovakia) finished his BA studies at VŠMU in Bratislava with the film Cowboyland that has been selected for festivals in Annecy, Stuttgart or Hiroshima and it has won several awards at home and internationally. David is now living in Prague where he is finishing his MA degree at FAMU with the film SH_T HAPPENS. He also works as a freelance director and animator.

Ignas Meilūnas (b. 1985) graduated from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University with a BA in Computer Engineering in 2008. He has worked with Oskaras Koršunovas and Gintaras Varnas’ theater troupes as a sound designer and video projection operator. Since 2011, Ignas started working as a freelance 3D and stop-motion animator and director. His debut short animation/fiction film “Woods” won the Lithuanian Film Academy Award for Best Animation of 2015.

Jolanta Bańkowska (1992) is a Polish director and animator living in London. She studied Graphic Design (Specialization of Animated Film) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where she pursued further her interest in design, animation and storytelling. Her debut film, “Story” had its premiere at the 69th Berlinale, won awards in Jordan, France, Greece and Poland and is currently screening at dozens of festivals around the world. In 2019/2020 she participates in Animation Sans Frontiéres (ASF), the European Animation Development Lab.

Barnabás Tóth is a double Oscar shortlisted Hungarian writer, director, and actor. His short film "My Guide" (2013) has been viewed by over 1,5 million times on vimeo within a week making it one of the most successful short films ever made in Hungary. His latest short film "Chuchotage" (2018) has been shortlisted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 91st Oscars in 2019. His second feature "Those Who Remained" (2019) premiered at Telluride Film Festival and was shortlisted for Best International Film Category for the Oscars in 2020.

The event will take place online on Zoom.

Organised as part of the In Short, Europe: Happy Together short film festival of EUNIC London in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the UK.

More info on the festival here.