01-07-2008

Hungarian buyers and sellers on the way to Karlovy Vary

By Gyorgi Karpati

    Hungarian films and distributors will be out in force at this year's Karlovy Vary film festival, running July 4-12, with Magyar Filmunio, the promotion body of Hungarian film, leading the way. "We're very proud to present in Karlovy Vary a wide range of recent Hungarian films," Eva Vezer, head of Magyar Filmunio (www.filmunio.hu) told FNE. "Karlovy Vary is a very important festival to the Hungarian film industry. It is interesting to see that different generations represent Hungarian film this year in Karlovy Vary: old masters and newcomers as well," Vezer added.

    Hungarians buyers are also arriving; Film distributor Budapest Film (www.budapestfilm.hu) and the national television channel MTV (www.mtv.hu) both plan to attend the festival.

    The East of the West competition includes two Hungarian entries: Tablo and Bahrtalo! Produced by Uj Budapest Filmstudio (www.ujbudapestfilmstudio.hu), Tablo will be represented in Karlovy Vary by director Gabor Dettre and producer Laszlo Kantor, introducing the movie's international premiere following its debut in the Hungarian Film Week. Bahrtalo!, is represented internationally by the English based sales company Taskovski Films (www.taskovskifilms.hu). The movie has already been sold to several countries: British Channel 4 screened it, and TV Ontario (Canada), Yle TV (Finnland), and Dr TV (Denmark) also bought the rights, studio head Andras Muhi told FNE.

    Muhi was also line producer on The Investigator which won four prizes in the Hungarian Film Week in February and is in the Competition Section in Karlovy Vary. Karlovy Vary will be its international premiere, and the first screening will be July 10. The international sales company is Trustnordisk (www.trustnordisk.com) which was established this year after the union of the Nordisk Film International Sales and Trust Film Sales (www.trust-film.dk). Actor Zsolt Anger, actress Judit Rezes, and screenwriter-director Attila Gigor will present the movie in Karlovy Vary.

    The Man from London by Tarr Bela and represented by intertional sales company Fortissimo will be shown in the Horizons section. The film is scheduled to be released soon in the Czech Republic.

    The Cannes FIPRESCI prize winner Delta will be shown in the Open Eyes sections along with other selections from the French festival. Delta is also a finalist in the Lux Prize competition. The Coproduction Office (www.thecopro.de) handles international sales.

    Hungarian producer and head of Duna Workshop Gyorgy Durst will have two pictures in Karlovy Vary. The Lost World, a documentary about the life, demolition and reconstruction of the Kopaszi dam by Gyula Nemes, has its world premiere at the festival. The second part of The Dike of Transience, the film was produced by Nemes' own studio, Absolut Film (www.absolutfilm.hu). Both producer and the director will represent the documentary. Producer Durst's second film is A Guest of Life - Alexander Csoma De Koros by Tibor Szemzo, which will be shown in the section 2008: A Musical Odyssey. The sales company is Profilm (www.profilm.hu).

    Published in Region
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