Imagine being sent 60 years into the past… to save the U.S. President. That’s the mission of one man in The Fortunate Son, a 27-minute animated sci-fi short made entirely in Unreal Engine, crafted over four years by independent filmmaker Daniel Magyar. In the year 2035, a Convict is given one final chance at freedom, but the price is a dangerous mission: travel back 60 years and save the life of U.S. President Gerald Ford from the assassination attempts of 1975. Thrown into the chaos of experimental time travel, he doesn’t know when or where he will arrive… or if the mission can even succeed. Can he rewrite history and earn his redemption?
I’m happy to share that The Fortunate Son has been officially selected for the November 2025 season of the Indie Short Fest in Los Angeles!
The Fortunate Son has been selected for the Official Competition at the European Philip K. Dick Film Festival! It’s uplifting to know that my film will be screened in London and New York, and become part of a festival inspired by visionaries like Philip K. Dick, Jorge Luis Borges, and Franz Kafka, exploring alternate realities, identity, and the limits of perception.
The Fortunate Son has been selected for the Official Competition at the 26th Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF)! Chosen from thousands of entries, The Fortunate Son is now part of this prestigious lineup. It’s a huge honor to present my film at one of the largest U.S. festivals, right next to Hollywood, in front of hundreds of films and nearly sixty thousand viewers.
I’m a 3D and VFX Artist with 25 years of experience, including work on a BAFTA-winning production. I specialize in Unreal Engine, 3ds Max, V-Ray, and After Effects, with expertise in film post-production and 3D character and facial animation.
Equipped with my own Xsens mocap suit, Manus Quantum meta-gloves, and iPhone face capture setup, I’m ready for any project. I consistently deliver high-quality results on time and take pride in exceeding client expectations.
VFX | Hidden World 3
3D| Fantastic Fungi
UE | Realtime 3D Environment
Move.AI | Bunny 3D Promo