Zsombolyai worked as a director of photography on more than thirty Hungarian films and collaborated with many directors, such as Péter Bacsó. He made his directing debut with the film
Tüzikovácsok (1974). Afterwards, he made
A kenguru (The Kangaroo, 1975),
Kihajolni veszélyes (Don’t Lean Out the Window, 1978),
Vámmentes házasság (Duty Free Marriage, 1980) and
A Halálraítélt (On Death Row, 1989).