Dance has always been an exciting topic of films. It is The Dance, a film made by Gyula Pekár in 1901 that marks the beginning of Hungarian film making. As Gábor Gelencsér writes in his essay composed at the request of the organisers of the special programme in Trieste, the film presents 27 dances.

In the special programme called „Hungarian Dance” four contemporary Hungarian films will be screened at the 15th AlpeAdriaCinema film festival which begins on January 15th in Trieste. The first event of the programme which will be held on Saturday, January 17th, is a dance evening in the Mielo Theater in Trieste with the personal participation of Andrea Ladányi. It will be followed by a gala performance of Dancing Figure, a film made by Ferenc Grunwalksy with Andrea Ladányi, which was awarded the Prize for Visual Expression to Ferenc Grunwalsky and a Special Prize for Best Performance to Andrea Ladányi at the 34th Hungarian Film Week.
On the second day of the special programme another outstanding dancer, Yvette Bozsik will be introduced to the audience by Attila Janisch’s portrait film. The film which was made in 2001 won the prize for Best Direction at the Budapest Film Week and a Special Prize awarded by Duna Television.
Vagabond directed by György Szomjas, a film that gives an insight into the situation of the „dance house movement” at the turn of the millennia has been invited to several important festivals of the world with Berlinale among them.
While Vagabond is sat in the capital city of Budapest, Ballroom Dancing, a documentary film directed by Lívia Gyarmathy in 2003 tells the story of a dancing instructor and his students in the cultural centre of a small village. Ballroom Dancing, which won the Silver Dragon and the Students Jury's Prize in Krakow, Best Director Prize at the goEast Festival of Wiesbaden and Special Mention of the jury at the New Media New Cinema Festival in Montreal, was released in the cinemas at the end of last year.

Down by Love directed by Tamás Sas represents Hungary in the competition of the Italian festival chaired by Annamaria Percavassi. In October the film was awarded a Prize for Best Artistic Contribution in Cairo. The 12 films in competition of the Trieste festival come from 11 countries. The members of the jury are Luciana Castellina (Italy), Fabrizio Grosoli (Italy), Martin Schweghofer (Austria), Michel Demopoulos (Greece) and Petr Zelenka (Czech Republic). Joan of Arc on the Night Bus by Kornél Mundruczó, which has also been presented at Cannes, has been invited into the competition of short films.

Andrea Ladányi, Ferenc Grunwalsky and Tamás Sas will be the special guests of the festival.

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