tamás wormser
a series of dance films that was shown in Canada and Hungary, and in 1996 he directed the documentary FACES OF THE HAND, produced by National Film Board of Canada and broadcast in over 40 countries. Nominated for Best Documentary at Hot Docs, the film won a Gold Apple Award and widespread critical acclaim: the Montreal Mirror hailed it as “a straightforward ode to the human hand… at once poetic and informative.” The Globe and Mail called it an “original, beautifully low-key documentary.”
In 1998 he produced and directed the fiction film THE RING. “A surreal jewelry… with an entirely new performance style…a costume art film that can be remotely compared to Guy Maddin,” said Hour. His 2003 documentary STEP UP! featured a dancer who, having lost a foot to an accident, went on to dance with Baryshnikov. It was recommended by Le Devoir “for all who hesitate in fulfilling their dreams,” going on to win a Freddie Award, a Communicator Award of Excellence and a Silver Award at the Worldfest Houston. Following its premiere on CBC-TV’s The Magazine, Canada’s most watched documentary program, it was broadcast on Bravo!, CBC’s Distinct Docs series, on ZDF ARTE and others.
In 2003 he produced and directed THE BALL OF THEIR LIVES, a documentary about Hungarian-Canadian galas, the biggest debutante balls in North America, and in 2006 he completed TOUCHED BY WATER (Eaux de vie), a documentary shot in 13 countries about bathing rituals around the world. CBC.ca praised it as “exquisite… both an ode to the social ritual of public bathing and a thought-provoking look at water’s spiritual significance.” It was nominated for Best Documentary at the Montreal World Film Festival and premiered on ARTV.
In 2007 Wormser produced and directed BELIEVE IN ME!, a documentary study of teenaged fathers, a group largely neglected by Canadian society. His most recent production is TRAVELLING LIGHT: artists on the move, a road-documentary on modern-day nomadic artists. Filmed in 11 countries, it explores the themes of creativity and freedom, and is due for a 2008 theatrical release. "...fascinating and profound, it may be the best depiction of the relationship between artists and their creation that I have ever seen", claimed Kevin McMahon, while Paul Cox wrote: "Using the camera like a paintbrush caressing the canvas of life, Tamás Wormser's film celebrates man's ability to be creative and keep searching for beauty..."
Wormser is presently developing several feature-length films. He lives in Montreal with his wife and two sons.
“Wormser has a way of showing us the beauty beyond what is ostensibly ordinary.“
Montreal Mirror
a BIOGRAPHY
Tamás Wormser was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. In 1986 he moved to Canada, where he continued working in theatre as a writer, actor and director. In 1991 he completed the Film Production program at Concordia University where he made the fiction films PROMETHEUS and THE HAT, and the documentaries LAMA GESHE KENRAB and HIPPO SAPIENS.
In 1989 he founded Artesian Films, through which he has directed and produced eleven films. In 1993 Wormser made THE THREE MARIAS,