A Brazilian-Hungarian-Portugese co-production, Budapest is an adaptation of cultic Brazilian singer Chico Buarque's best-selling novel of the same title. An almost exclusively local crew is shooting the Hungarian sequences. The film is photographed by Carvalho's son, Lula Carvalho, the cinematographer of the recent Berlinale winner The Elite Squad.

The film is produced by Rita Buzzar on behalf of Brazil's Nexus Cinema é Video, Leonel Vieira of Stopline Film Ltd. in Portugal as well as Eurofilm's Peter Miskolczi and Gabor Varadi in Hungary (http://www.kftv.com/company-10475.html). About 75% of the financing was supplied by the Brazilian-Portugese co-producers and 25% by their Hungarian partner. Hungary's Motion Picture Foundation (www.mmka.hu) granted 60 million forints (€228,000) for the film.

No sales agent is on board yet because "getting the financing has been so successful in Brazil so far," Miskolczi told FNE. The production will name one soon.

Buarque, 60, has never visited Budapest. His choice of setting was inspired by a Hungarian girlfriend, as well as Hungary's participation in the 1954 World Cup. The movie is intended for an international audience with leading roles played by Brazilian actor Jose Costa, Hungarian actress Gabriella Hamori and Dutch actor Antonie Kamerling.

Carvalho, 60, is best known for his camera work in Walter Salles' award-winning Central Station.