Arūnas Matelis

Karta.EU (2024)

Screenplay

Mamutų medžioklė (2024)

Producer

Kelionės namo (2019)

Producer

Second Hand (2019)

Screenplay / Producer

Laiko tiltai (2018)

Screenplay / Producer

Trys skrybėlės (2017)

Producer

Wonderful Losers: Another Planet (2017)

Director

Radviliada (Radivilias) (2014)

Screenplay / Producer

Among the Grass (2012)

Producer

UB Lama (2011)

Producer

Confession (2008)

Producer

Žmogus - Arklys (2008)

Producer

Before Flying Back To The Earth (2005)

Director / Sound director / Producer

Sunday. Gospel according to the Lift-operator Albertas (2003)

Director

Fateful meeting (2001)

Producer

Flight over Lithuania or 510 Seconds of Silence (2000)

Director / Screenplay / Producer

Didn’t Come (1999)

Producer

Pasmerktas myriop (1999)

Producer

Peržengę ribą (1999)

Producer

Priverstinės Emigracijos Dienoraštis (1999)

Director / Screenplay / Cinematography

The first farewell to Paradise (1998)

Director / Screenplay / Producer

Flying over Blue Field (1996)

Producer

From unfinished tales of Jerusalem (1996)

Director / Sound director

Vilties Prezidentas (1996)

Cinematography

Self- Portrait (1993)

Director

Baltic Way (1990)

Director

Ten minutes before the flight of Icarus (1990)

Director / Screenplay

Giants of Pelesa (1989)

Director

Film director and producer Arūnas Matelis studied at mathematics at Vilnius University and later graduated Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.  In 1992, he established one of the first independent film production companies in “Nominum” focused in film and new interactive media production and distribution.

Arūnas Matelis is the first director from Eastern and Central Europe to receive one of the most important cinema awards - “Director’s Guild of America” award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for “Before Flying Back to the Earth”, while the film was recognized as the world best documentary of the year. “Before Flying Back to the Earth” is one of a few documentaries that received more than 10 awards within less than one year since the first screening. Among them are the most important prizes in Europe: “Silver Wolf” at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, “Golden Dove” at International Leipzig Festival and European Film Academy nomination for “European Oscar” even before the official premier of the film. This film not only was acknowledged by film critics and festivals, but it also inspired many charity events all over the world.

The first film by Arūnas “Ten Minutes Before the Flight of Icarus” (1990) received numerous awards and critics called it a film manifest of new generation of Lithuanian filmmakers. After 15 years the film was raised to a new life - The International Critics’ Week at Cannes Film Festival selected it as one of 6 most important films in East and Central Europe in the last 15 years. “Ten Minutes Before the Flight of Icarus” started its new tour at world cinema festivals.

His following documentary, “Flight over Lithuania or 510 of silence” (directed together with Audrius Stonys) became a “Platinum Film” for best results in sales of DVD and VHS in Lithuania (including mainstream European and USA production).

Films by Arūnas Matelis were awarded and screened in many world wide film festivals like:

Cannes (“Directors’ fortnight” and “Critics’ Week”), Rotterdam, Torino, San Paulo, Oberhausen, Amsterdam/ IDFA, Leipzig, Moscow and others.

And the most important documentary festivals in Europe like Amsterdam, Leipzig, Linz and many more already arranged the retrospectives of his works.

As a producer Arūnas successfully worked with the best Lithuanian film-makers, like: Henrikas Šablevicius, Audrius Stonys, Vytautas V. Lansbergis, Romas Lileikis, Oksana Buraja, Domantas Vildžiūnas and others.

Arūnas Matelis is a member of  European Film Academy , a Chairman of Documentary guild of Lithuanian Filmmakers union, the “Minister of Migration and Changes” in the “ Republic of Uzupis ” (the bohemian district of Vilnius, similar to Montmartre in Paris ). He is also awarded with some of the most honourable awards of the Republic of Lithuania : National Culture and Arts Award and The Cross of the Knight of the Order of the Grand Duke of Gediminas.

Awards:

“Director’s Guild of ” award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary in 2007;

European Film Academy nomination for the best Documentary of the year (“European Oscar”);

„Golden Dove“ at Leipzig film festival;

“Silver Wolf” at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam/IDFA;

First Prize – main award – at Documenta Madrid ;

„Big Stamp Award” main award in Zagreb DOX;

Grand Prix at Parnu international documentary festival;

Main prize at Oberhausen Films Festival;

Special prizes at Brooklyn and “Silverdocs” festivals in , Bornholme in  and many others.