Jiří Havelka

(17 June 1980, Jihlava) Theatre director, playwright, actor and TV moderator, one of the initiators of the TV Óčko [Dad TV]. He is one of the organizers of the International Festival of Documentary Films in Jihlava. He also launched the tradition of Cute Drama, held every year on 17 November in Studio Ypsilon.

He graduated in Directing alternative and puppet theatre at the Theatre Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU). As member of group Vosto5 – a creative organism reputed for their original theatre invasions in public space called Second City – he staged The Fellowship of Homeowners, which inspired the movie Owners directed by him.

In 2007 he got the Alfréd Radok Award as Talent of the Year.

Havelka always explores the possibilities of theatre time and space and creation of theatre illusions, and he emphasizes the uniqueness of theatre as a tool of direct communication.

In the field of puppet theatre, he won his way with the nonverbal illusionist trailblazing Georges Méliès’ Last Trick (2016 – Theatre Newspaper Award in puppet theatre, Erik Award for the best puppet production) and other awards from international festivals