08/09/2010

Szabolcs Hadju’s fifth feature Bibliothèque Pascal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Szabolcs Hajdu - director
interview: Szabolcs Hajdu
film profile] has been chosen as the Hungary’s candidate in the run for Best Foreign Film nominations at the 2011 Oscars. The prizewinning ceremony will take place on February 27 following a narrowing down to five nominations on January 25.

Catapulted to international fame with his previous film, White Palms (2006 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight nominee) Hadju, who has also scripted his latest film, has chosen to explore the dark side of immigration from Eastern to Western Europe. Voted Best Film during Hungarian Film Week 2010, where it also picked up the Gene Moskowitz prize awarded by foreign critics and Best Photography, the feature made its international premiere at the Berlinale Forum. It would then go on to be selected at several festivals, among which Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sarajevo where this summer it won both the Cineuropa Prize and the CICAE Prize.

Produced by Katapult Film and Filmpartners, Bibliothèque Pascal was co-produced by German outfit Gilles Mann Filmproduktion and Hungarian outfits Sparks Kft., M&M Film and MTM-SBS Televízió ZRt. (TV2), backed by Eurimages, the Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary (MMKA), Hungarian ministry for Culture and the Nemzeti Kulturális Alap funds, among others. International sales are headed by H2O Motion Pictures.

(Translated from French)