The Master
The Master
A mester
short film
Director: Máté S. Papp
DoP: Máté Barna
Producer: Botond Lelkes
Runtime: 17min 20sec
Language: Hungarian
Completion date: 2025 april
BALÁZS (20), an aspiring yet unsuccessful writer, takes on a side job assisting his elderly MASTER (80) with daily tasks. The Master, a highly respected, Kossuth Prize-winning writer, is struggling with early-stage dementia. His relationship with Balázs is cold and distant—he relentlessly criticizes the young man's manuscripts, crushing his apprentice's confidence.
One day, while resting in the kitchen, Balázs stumbles upon a scrap of paper. The Master had written what could be the most brilliant four-line poem of his life the night before—perhaps even the most cathartic four lines in all of literature.
With the utmost reverence for his literary idol, Balázs urges the Master to publish the poem. However, the Master firmly denies having written anything in the past fifteen years—he has forgotten that he created his magnum opus.
Balázs now faces a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: by publishing the poem as his own, he could finally secure his place among the literary greats.
festivals:
Cinefest Miskolc International Film Festival 2025 Hungary
Malter Vándor Filmfesztivál 2025 - Student Jury 1st place
24th International Student Film and Video Festival Beijing 2025
Alexandre Trauner ART/Film Festival 2025
Cinemira Budapest International Children's and Youth Film Festival 2025
6th International Erzincan Short Film Festival
X. Ceglédi Filmfesztivál 2026 - 1st place
XIII. Savaria Filmszemle 2026 - 1st place
XXI. Göcsej Filmszemle - 1st place
XXIV. Lakiteleki Filmszemle 2025 - 2nd place
XXI. Pannonfíling Mozgóképes Találkozó 2025 - 3rd place
learn more:
cast & crew:
Cast: András Hencz, Tamás Fodor, Zseraldin Pintér, Pál Göttinger, Enikő Záhonyi
Co-producers: Richárd Romwalter, Zoltán Sumonyi, Péter Csohány
Production manager: Evelyn Balogh
Production assistants: Barni Zsila, Marcell Kirchknopf
1st AC: Árpád Puruczki
2nd AC: Dávid Horváth, Dániel Megyeri, Zoltán Tóth
1st AD: Blanka Herbály
2nd AD: Rachel Ben Yosef
Script consultant: Eszter Zrinyifalvi
Sound recordist: Samu Bozskó
Boom operators: Dóra Vîrvaş, Péter Lajtos
Editor: Dániel Kőváry
Sound post-production: Dávid Kovács
Original music by: Viola Móricz
Production designer: Zita Sötét
Swing: Barni Zsila, Levente Petrányi
Costume designer: Amanda Markó
Costume assistant: Dorottya Gréta Májai
Make-up artists: Laura Milovecz, Eszter Sorosi
Hair stylist: Gabriella Szász
Gaffer: Balázs Ganzer
Best boy: Andor Valentiny
Lighting technicians: Dávid Besenyi, Krisztián Reischl, Ádám Ladányi, Ábel Pokorni, Levente Kovács
Director's assistant: Eszter Palkovits
Still photography: Csengele Horn-Barta
Catering: Petra Barna-Homoki, Gabriella Barnáné Udvardi, Erzsébet Nagy
Special thanks: Cinemira Pitch Forum, PropClub, Sparks Camera & Lighting, Első Pesti Teaház, Club-Mate
