Rudolf Urc

Rudolf Urc studied at Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. The recorded working language is Slovak. The field of work recorded is animated film, film screenwriting and film direction. Distinctions recorded are Cross of Pribina class I.

• Name — Rudolf Urc • Born — 12 June 1937 • Birthplace — Zvolen, Czechoslovakia • Died — 13 January 2026 • Education — Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) • Occupation — * Director • Dramaturg

Rudolf Urc was born in Zvolen on 12 June 1937. He studied dramaturgy at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague, graduating in 1960.

Urc began his professional career as a director and head dramaturg at the Newsreel Film Unit and the Short Film Studio in Bratislava. During the 1960s, Urc was a key figure in the "thaw" of Slovak documentary filmmaking. He collaborated frequently with Ján Sýkora, notably on the film Hlási sa Slobodný slovenský vysielač (The Free Slovak Broadcaster Calls, 1964), which challenged official historical narratives of the Slovak National Uprising. During the period of political normalization following the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion, Urc was barred from documentary filmmaking. He subsequently moved into the field of animation, which became the focus of his later career. As the head dramaturg of the Studio of Animated Film at Koliba, Urc mentored a generation of animators. He was instrumental in the development of the Večerníček (bedtime story) format for television, directing and overseeing series that became staples of Slovak broadcasting. In 1985, he co-founded the Biennial of Animation Bratislava (BAB).

Urc died on 13 January 2026, at the age of 88.

• The Man from Málinec (Človek z Málinca, 1959) • The Generals (Generáli, 1969) • Shots in Košúty (Výstrely v Košútoch, 1971) • Rebel Pilots (Povstaleckí letci, 1974)