Four movies at Unio Film

Things have speeded up at Unio Film: György Spiró’s Fogság (Captivity) and Attila Bartis’ Nyugalom (Tranquility) are being screened. According to our telephone conversation with the producer of both productions István Bodzsár, they hope to shoot two other movies soon, says the producer of Állítsátok meg Terézanyut!

Novelties at the National Filmweek

The 37th National Film Week held between 31 January – 7 February 2005 will be opened with István Szabó’s Rokonok (Relatives). In the category of feature films the organizers have received 28 movies on 35mm film and 9 digital works by the deadline. Apart from this there are 175 documentaries and 43 scientific as well as 123 experimental and short films competing at this year's National Film Week.

Amendment of film law in the making

14 December the representatives of NKÖM (Ministry of Culture) and MMK (Hungarian Motion Picture Public Endowment) reported to the Supervisory Board of the Parliament’s Cultural Board on the latest developments in the enactment and the amendment of the film law. The Supervisory Body pointed out the dragging problems and the observation of the deadlines, while the reports on behalf of the profession and the ministry emphasized the complexity of the system and the accomplishments.

Kertész Imre on the screen again

János Vecsernyés turned to Hungarian belles-lettres again after his movie Kvartett (Quartet). This time his new movie titled Emelet (Floor), which will open early next year, is based on Imre Kertész’s Detektívtörténet (Crime story). The main roles are going to be played by Péter and Máté Haumann, father and son, playing for the first time together on the screen. In the movie the two men of the Hoffmann family, father and son have problems with a mysterious police organization, as a result of which the control gradually slips out of the hands of the all-powerful head of the family.

Hungarian Film Encyclopedia published

As a result of eight years work of the Hungarian National Film Archives the Hungarian Film Encyclopedia has been published. In two volumes, on over 1500 pages we can read about various fields of film in Hungary, in more than 3000 entries. It was published in 1500 copies, hardcover, for 16.000 HUF.

3 superproductions in the Check Republic

Check film is the best example for the controversial nature of film industry. At a time, when ticket sales decrease as a world wide tendency, moreover filmmakers can justly be dissatisfied with state funding, the Check are preparing the production of the most expensive domestic production ever.

Andy Vajna on the Olympic Games of '56

Andy Vajna traces down the events of the Olympic Games of ’56: After the documentary Freedom’s Fury a feature film is in production about the bloody fray of the Soviet- Hungarian water polo game.

György Hintsch passed away

Director György Hintsch died at the age of 81. He made a name in Hungarian film history with his movie Sparrows Are Birds Too as well as with his films based on the works of László Németh. In the 60’s and 70’s he worked with the most outstanding actors of the time, among them László Kabos who had his two major film roles in Hintsch’s films.