Judit Elek

Directing

Born: 1937-11-10
Died: 2025-10-01
From: Budapest, Hungary
Gender: Female
Popularity: 0.1

Biography

Judit Elek (10 November 1937 - 1 October 2025) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. She has directed 16 films between 1962 and 2006. Her film Mária-nap was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. She graduated in 1961 from the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest (now the University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest), and joined Mafilm as an assistant director. She is one of the founders of the Béla Balász Studio for young filmmakers. Between 1962 and 2011, she made multiple short films, documentaries and features. The renowned film Mária-nap (1984) screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. She was also one of the participants in the IFFR jubilee project 25 Encounters. Elek’s films are the subject of a focus programme at IFFR 2023, featuring titles such as Találkozás (1963), Kastélyok lakói (1966) and Istenmezején, 1972-73-ban (1974).

Awards & Nominations5 won · 0 nominated

🏆 Won

Hungarian Film Critics Awards

2018
🏆 Won

Master of Hungarian Motion Picture

2009
🏆 Won

Kossuth Prize

2008
🏆 Won

Officer's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit

2006
🏆 Won

Béla Balázs Award

1987