George Lanthimos is a Greek film director born in Athens. He studied directing at the Hellenic Cinema and Television School in Athens. Throughout the 1990s, he directed videos for Greek dance companies. Since 1995, he has directed many TV commercials as well as music videos, short films, and plays. He was also part of the creative team that designed the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Some of his notable films include Dogtooth (2009) which won several awards including Best Director at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards, and The Lobster (2015) which won the Jury Prize at Cannes.