Supported in 2016
'The Whisky Robber''
by Hungarian National Film Fund 2016 was another record-breaking year for the Hungarian National Film Fund: a total of 25.7 million euros’ worth of production grants was given to 19 projects (see following page for the complete chart of winning projects). This is slightly greater than the amount in 2015 (25.6 million euros) and significantly more so than that of 2014 (14.5 million euros). This year’s chart includes the 5 low-budget debut features of the Incubator Programme (for year two of the Incubator Programme see pages 18-21). Project development grants were also awarded to 8 projects, of which 6 have already been moved into production. The two that are still in the pre-production stage are ‘Helka’, an adaptation of the children’s novel of the same title, to be directed by Csaba Fazekas, and ‘A Kind of America 3’, Gábor Herendi’s longawaited second sequel to the blockbuster comedy. Script development grants were presented to a total of 49 projects. Writers and directors to have received this support include prolific helmers such as István Szabó and György Szomjas, as well as debutants like Béla Bagota, Cristina Grosan, Krisztina Esztergályos and Ákos Badits.
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HUNGARIAN FILM MAGAZINE
Ildikó Enyedi is already working on a new film, which is an adaptation of Milán Füst’s classic novel ‘The Story of My Wife’ and has been a dream project of hers. Also worth mentioning are Bence Fliegauf, Péter Bergendy, Dénes Nagy and Virág Zomborácz – all of whom are also writing their latest – as well as Áron Gauder, who is developing his new feature animation entitled ‘Old Man Coyote’. Documentaries are also often awarded script development funds. The director of ‘Drifter’, Gábor Hörcher, is now prepping his new project ‘Girlfriend Experience’, while Eszter Hajdu (‘Judgment in Hungary’) is developing her new feature-length docu about the legendary guitarist Tamás Barta. A number of other grants were also given to a wide range of projects. Film festivals like Mediawave, Budapest International Documentary Festival, Jameson Cinefest and Transylvania’s Filmtettfeszt all received support from the HNFF, as did the Oscar campaign for ‘Son of Saul’. As a matter of course, the three biggest film schools (the University of Theatre and Film Arts of Budapest, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design and Eötvös Lóránd University) received support for their students’ graduation movies.