Panic, the directorial debut of local media celebrity Attila Till, which won the audience prize at Hungarian Film Week, was picked up for US distribution by Ariztical Entertainment at the EFM (www.berlinale.de/en/filmmarkt/efm_news/03_a_EFM_News.html).

"It is a major accomplishment for us that after Krisztina Goda's Just Sex and Nothing Else, which went to Bunyik Entertainment, we were able to place yet another Hungarian film in the North American market," Hungaricom (www.hungaricom.com) manager Zsuzsanna Kalomista told FNE.

Earlier titles, including Just Sex and Nothing Else plus SOS Love! and Konec, found homes in India. Konec, a crime film about pensioners-turned-robbers, went to Japan as well.

Hungaricom is in also in negotiations on multiple territories for Nosedive, a romantic comedy starring Zsolt Nagy, recently chosen for the European Film Promotion's Shooting Stars program.

Hungaricom does most of the market rounds for Hungary and its market-related expenses are partially subsidised by the Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation (www.mmka.hu).

"We are very glad that the foundation realised how important it is for Hungarian cinema to be accessible at these markets around the world," Kalomista said. "We launched our sales business in Cannes, and the EFM was our third participation at a market. Despite the tough competition, our efforts are starting to pay off."

HungariCom has a library of about 40 titles, consisting of both local box office successes and arthouse films such as the Locarno winner Milky Way. Founded in 2004, its Hungarian division is active in the local distribution sector. Recent releases included The Dead Girl and The Black Dahlia.

The EFM this year hosted a record number of 6,400 industry professionals with 430 companies participating from 51 countries.