He was born in Budapest (Hungary) in 1953.
After graduating from high school he studied photography. He worked in the Hungarian Film Laboratory, then at MAFILM Hungarian Film Studios.
From 1975 he was Károly Makk's student in the Hungarian Academy of Drama, Film and TV.
After finishing academy he became a member of the Béla Balázs Studio management, then part of the Dialóg Film Studio, and later part of Objektív Film Studio art board. He is a member of the Feature Film Director's Guild and one of the founders of the Young Hungarian Filmmaker's Society. He is also co-founder of the Filmharmonics Assotiation of Filmmakers.
He has played roles in films directed by Gyula Gazdag, Miklós Jancsó and István Szabó. He co-directed the film "Another Way" with Károly Makk.
Xantus has directed feature lenght films, short features, documentaries and experimental films, many television programs and commercials. He was awarded the "Balázs Béla Prize" in 1988.
In the last ten years he has put seven plays on stage.
He has been teaching filmdirecting at the University of Drama, Film and Television since 1992. Charged with the international relations of the Department of Film and Television, he is the director of the biannual Budapest Cinematography Masterclass since 1999. He has worked for the selection committee of the First East European Scriptwriters Workshop Supported by the Sundance Institute. He is a member of the Art Committee of the Hungarian Scholarship Board since 2004.
FEATURE LENGHT FILMS:
TILOS IS PROHIBITED
2001 - Mxprod./56 min, documentary BETA-SP, colour
Festivals:
Mediawave
REMEMBER ME
1998 - MXbt / 56 min, experimental BETA-SP, colour
FILMVILÁG - XLII/4
Xantus’s idea of shooting a film on the stage results in a curious marriage between film and theater: the two media integrate in a challenging manner wich calls for new interpretations, offers possibilities for deeper comprehension and - due to the visual gags - inpires the audience to laughter.
Tamás Halász
CRUEL ESTATE
1990 - Objektív Film Studio / 90 min, feature 35 mm, (1:1.66), colour
Prize:
Hungarian Filmcritic's Prize for the best actress; Anikó Für - Budapest, 1991
Festivals:
Bergamo Film Meeting, IFP - New York, Festival of Fantastic Cinema - Bruxelles
TV-sales:
Australia, Brazil, Israel, Italy
VARIETY, June 27, 1991
"Pic builds gradually and develops a Polanski-like atmosphere, with the wife going bananas and the old woman taking on a satanic edge. Chunks of Verdi on the soundtrack underline the operatic tone, and the bloody finale has an attractively surreal quality. Thesping is on the button, especially Polish vet Rysiowna in the double role of the twin sisters. Technically pic is fine, with crisp lensing by Tibor Klopfler and tight direction by young Janos Xantus."
THE ROCK CONVERT
1988 - Társulás Studió / 104 min, documentary/feature 35 mm, colour
TV-sales: MTV
Video-distribution by MOKÉP
DĆDALUS - 1990
"The movie's power lies in it's sensous capturing of the vertigo of violence and it's unstoppable escalation through tilted frames and jerking camera movements. The mobility of the video camera establishes a new proximity to the dizziness and acceleration of modern life."
Yvette Biró
IDIOTS MAY APPLY
1985 - Dialóg Studio / 86 min, feature 35 mm, (1:1.66), colour
POSITIF - November 1986
"In the film »Idiots May Apply, János Xantus praises the nonconformism of an attorney who brutally breaks away from the basic social standards of behavior. It seams Xantus has searched the original cinematography style much more than others of his filmmaking generation."
Michel Taubman
ESKIMO WOMAN IS COLD
1983 - Dialóg Studio / 115 min, feature 35 mm, (1:1.85), colour
Prizes:
For the Best First Feature- Budapest, 1984 / Diploma of the International Jury and the International Filmcritics' Prize - Figuera da Foz, 1984 / Grand Prix of the Jury and Grand Prix of the Audience - Belfort, 1984 / For the Best Actor; Andor Lukáts - Laval, 1985 More festivals:
Quinzaine... - Cannes, Bergamo Film Meeting, The World Film Festival - Montreal
Movie-sale: France
TV-sales: ZDF, Duna Television, TV2
Video-distribution by MOKÉP.
LIBÉRATION - November 18, 1986
"...Eskimo Woman Is Cold is a rare deep meaning film from which one can bring to surface all kinds of political parables. One thing is for sure: the director, János Xantus belongs to an original, extravagant species (if we can say that) in the Eastern Cinematography field. His film vibrates from it's daring manner."
Olivier Seguret
SHORT FILMS:
Baiting
2008. - Cameofilm / 28 min., fiction BETA-SP, colour
Festival: Hungarian Film Week
Who Was Éva Schmidt?
2005 - Mxprod. / 54 min, documentary BETA-SP, colour
TV-sales: m2
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2003 - Mxprod. / 25 min, documentary BETA-SP, colour
ANACHRONISMES
(les documentaires)
2002 – Rivage Temps / 27 min, documentary-series hard disc, colour
ANACHRONISMES
(les fictions)
2002 – Rivage Temps / 40 min, experimental fictions hard disc, B&W
GOT ME
The First Accidental Movie
2001 - Mxprod./22-25 min, experimental CD-ROM, colour
Festival:
Hungarian Film Week
TV-sales: TV2
THE 'LUKÁCS'
2000 - Welcome-TV2 / 26 min, documentary BETA-SP, colour
TRANSPLANTATION
1999 - Magic Media-Art Vision-MTV / 30 min, feature BETA-SP, colour
I KNOW, PARIS...
1999 - Magic Media-Art Vision-MTV / 28 min, feature BETA-SP, colour
Festival:
Hungarian Film Week
WHY SHOOT IN HUNGARY?
1999 - Vidicop / 9 min, BETA-SP, colour
THE MOREL BOY
1999 - MTV-SFF-Felhôc / 32 min, feature 35 mm, (1:1.66), colour
Festivals:
Hungarian Film Week
TV-sales: Duna Television
Video-distribution by FELHÔC
ON THE ROAD
1998 - EBU-MTV / 15 min, documentary BETA-SP, colour
TV-sales:
DR, RTR, RTVBH, SABC2, SK-STV, SVT, TVE, TRT, UKIB-S4C, YLE-FST
KRASSÓ GYÖRGY
- A POSTHUME PORTRAIT -
1997 - Unio Civilis / 30 min, documentary BETA-SP, colour
TV-sales:
Duna Television
AQUARELLES
1991 - Artimage / 15 min, 16 mm, colour
FIL BLEU
1990 - Artimage / 22 min, 16 mm, B&W and colour
THE MIRACULOUS SINGER
1982 - MTV FMS / 39 min, feature 16 mm, colour
Festivals: Veszprém TV-Meeting
IN FEMALE HANDS
1981 - Balázs Béla Studio / 24 min, feature 35 mm, (1:1.66), colour
Prize: Special Prize of the Festival Committee - Oberhausen, 1981
DIORISSIMO
1979 - Balázs Béla Studio / 29 min, experimental 16 mm, B&W and colour
Festival: Lille
AND SO... AND SO ON
1978 - Hungarian Academy of Drama, Film and TV / 21 min, feature 16 mm, B&W
Prize: Grand Prix of the Jury - Tours, 1980
Festival: New-Delhi
WERTHER AND HIS LIFE
1976 - Hungarian Academy of Drama, Film and TV - / 29 min, experimental 16 mm, B&W
Prize: Special Mention - Tours, 1977
PREPARATION
1975 - Hungarian Academy of Drama, Film and TV / ?? min, experimental 16 mm, B&W
THEATER:
THE REAL THING
Written by Tom Stoppard
2001 - Ódry Padlás
PLAN SÉQUENCE DANSE
Written by Jean-Daniel Magnin and János Xantus
1997 - Trafó, Petôfi Hall Budapest
GOOD EVENING SUMMER, GOOD EVENING LOVE!
Written by Endre Fejes, music composed by Gábor Presser
1995 - Pécsi Nemzeti Színház
ANNA KARENINA
A MUSICAL - OPERA
Composed by Tibor Kocsák, lyrics by Tibor Miklós
1994 - Rock Theater, Budapest
NÉPSZABADSÁG - January 22, 1994 (the largest Hungarian daily newspaper)
"The Rock Theater benefitted from the work of János Xantus. Already, the latest production of the theater presented at their haunt in Bethlen square, shows the co-ordinated strenghts of the company. The director disciplined the team well for a precise participation in Anna Karenina. He directs the plot in the theater with the same buoyancy as he does in films."
Péter Molnár-Gál
THE SLICE
- OR THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON -
Written by Jean-Daniel Magnin, translated by János Xantus
1993 - Repertory Theater of the National Theater in Pécs
SZÍNHÁZ - XXVII. year 3rd. ed. (THEATER, Hungarian magazine)
"János Xantus' Hungarian text precisely and perceptibly conveys the play's original idiomatic pecularities. Xantus, as a director, directs the play with empathy. He put »The Slice« on stage by uncovering all layers of the drama. »The Slice« was the first of aplanned series of unusual, irregular plays in the Repertory Theater, and - it seems - it found and gripped its targeted audience: the young people and the intellectuals of the town."
István Nánay
ASSASSINS
A MUSICAL
Written and composed by Stephen Sondheim, based on the original play of John Weidman,
translated by Tibor Miklós and János Xantus
1994 - Rock Theater, Budapest
THE WALL
Written by Roger Waters, translated by Tamás Nyirkos
staged by János Xantus
1992 - Ódry Playhouse