15/05/2012 - The Hungarian film sector has György Pálfi’s surprising film in the Cannes Classics programme, and is back in Cannes with new ambitions

After three years on the brink of economic collapse, despite successes such as a recent award in Berlin for Just The Wind [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bence Fliegauf
film profile] by Bence Fliegauf, the Hungarian film sector is to make a comeback at the 65th Cannes Film Festival, to start tomorrow, with new ambitions born of its re-organisation by the Hungarian National Film Fund.

The Hungarian delegation in Cannes can be proud of a title selected by Thierry Frémaux in the Cannes Classics programme, no doubt to avoid controversy over copyright issues, as Final Cut by Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi (photo - article) is entirely made up of clips from famous films.

At the Film Market, the Hungarian National Film Fund will be hedging its bets on animation film The District ! 3D by Áron Gauder (co-produced with Germany and Iceland) and on The Exam by Peter Bergendy (read more), while also continuing with pre-sales for two titles currently in production: the English-language thriller Barrel of a Gun by Dora Szucs and the comedy Couch Surf by Zsombor Dyga.

Also worth noting are several films in post-production or just about to start shooting that might just attract the attention of distributors looking for pre-acquisitions. At the top of the list is The Notebook by János Szász, an adaptation of the famous novel by Agota Kristóf, for which shooting has just wrapped, with Piroska Molnár, Ulrich Thomsen, Ulrich Matthes, Péter Andorai, and Orsi Tóth in the cast (produced by the Hungarians from Hunnia Filmstudio and the Germans from Intuit Pictures, in co-production with the Austrians from Amour Fou and the French from Dolce Vita Films).

Hier, Bálint Kenyeres’s first feature, is also worth noting. The film is to start shooting this autumn and to feature performances by Maurice Benichou, Jesper Christensen, Vlad Ivanov, Nastassja Kinski, and Stellan Skarsgård. Selected for the Atelier de la Cinéfondation at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, the project is produced by Cameo Film with the French from Films de L'Après-midi and the Swedish from Bob Film.

Finally, the future is also looking good for the dark comedy inspired by Japanese ghost stories Liza, the Fox Fairy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Karoly Ujj Mészáros
film profile] by Károly Ujj Mészáros, to start shooting this summer, a project discovered at the 2010 Atelier de la Cinéfondation and produced by Filmteam with Flying Moon (Germany) and Det Danske Filmstudie (Denmark). Another title to follow will be Zero, a second feature to start filming this summer by Gyula Nemes (at the Critics’ Week in Venice in 2006 with My One and Onlies), produced by Playtime with Endorfilm and 42film (Germany).

(Translated from French)