Academic Life
Along his filmmaking, Mr Magyar increasingly devoted himself to mentoring young filmmakers, initially, as a Filmmaker in Residence at the American Film Institute, (AFI).
This resulted in 1989 with Mr Magyar being appointed Director and Creative Leader of the American Film Institute’s Conservatory, considered one of the best film schools in the world, the school that nurtured filmmakers the likes of David Lynch, Terence Malik, Darin Aronofski. Todd Field.
Until his retirement in 2015, Mr Magyar had been the leader and primary mentor of film schools (American Film Institute, Canadian Film Center, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and in that capacity he has mentored many of the important young filmmakers of America (among others Todd Field, Carl Franklin, Andrea Arnold, Steven Shainberg, Barbara Schock, Shayna Cohen, Calee So).
This resulted in 1989 with Mr Magyar being appointed Director and Creative Leader of the American Film Institute’s Conservatory, considered one of the best film schools in the world, the school that nurtured filmmakers the likes of David Lynch, Terence Malik, Darin Aronofski. Todd Field.
Until his retirement in 2015, Mr Magyar had been the leader and primary mentor of film schools (American Film Institute, Canadian Film Center, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and in that capacity he has mentored many of the important young filmmakers of America (among others Todd Field, Carl Franklin, Andrea Arnold, Steven Shainberg, Barbara Schock, Shayna Cohen, Calee So).
“Dezso is a believer – a true lover of cinema” says Todd Field, the Director of “In the Bedroom,” and Tar.” “Thank you, Dezso. Studying with you was such a seminal moment for me and one I fondly recall whenever I’m working.”
Todd Field
Todd Field is thanking Dezso
“Dezso my friend. I'm so proud of your work! It seems that under your artistic leadership the Canadian Film Center is pushing for excellence like never before. Congratulations! You give us hope. Yours, Norman.”
Norman Jewison
“Dezso, I used to hang on every word you said at AFI. You taught me to trust myself, thank you.”
says the Oscar winner director Andrea Arnold
“What Dezso said, I’ll never forget…you are very facile” said Donald Petrie, the Director “Mystic Pizza” and “Grumpy Old Men . “I was good at all the technical aspects but Dezso said, “Now you have to find your passion…He pushed me to go after a story that carried weight, that meant something. Most first-time directors will do anything, but Dezso said, ‘If it’s not going to be the story that you have passion for, that you must tell, and that’s going to make a difference, then why do it. That led me to my first film Mystic Pizza.”
Donald Petrie
“The key thing is nobody’s better than Dezso at listening to a premise, asking probing questions, forcing them to go deeper and deeper to really bring something unique to the screen,” says Dean Bob Bassett, of Chapman University. “He compares Magyar with legendary film mentors like Haig Manoogian of NYU and Frank Daniel who taught at Columbia and USC.”
Bob Bassett
“I can sometimes hear his voice,” says Steven Shainberg, the director of “Secretary” and “Fur.” “I can hear him saying “Shainey, my friend, why in the world would you waste your time with such an empty piece of crap? You know as well as I do that there is absolutely nothing here that you are personally connected to…his words remain the guiding principle for life.”
Stephen Shainberg
“He knows what each student is capable of and he pushes the right buttons,” says Gillian Munro. He knew how desperate I was to realize well my film. I needed to do it right, to show the amount of talent and passion I have. He recognized this and guided me all the way.”
Gillian Monro
“Dezso is so vital. He is so sophisticated. He’s an artist with the ability to lead, says Barbara Schock, who won an Oscar in 2000 for a short film made under Magyar’s tutelage. “He even bent the rules to get my film made. He understands that some of the people who don’t follow the rules exactly are the ones to watch. I wouldn’t have my Oscar without him.”
Barbara Schock
In a survey of the Hollywood Reporter, Mr Magyar has been voted one of the top ten most influential film mentors/educators of America.
While in retirement, he is frequently invited to be speaker at Seminars (CILECT Congress, Barcelona) and conducting Master Workshops. EICAR Paris, France).