Budapest Film’s Affair with Animation

Filmhu: You attented Cartoon Movie in 2009. What did you bring home with you then?
Gábor Csurdi: We didn’t buy any distribution rights at Cartoon Movie last year. This event is important to us because we have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with European animation projects that will be completed in the next 3-5 years. Most film ideas presented here are still being developed or in pre-production – these are very early stages. Very few completed movies are screened at Cartoon Movie. I am here to see the projects of the future.

9: sci-fi animation for grown-ups, released in April

Filmhu: Does this mean that you will return home with no new animations in your pocket?
Gábor Csurdi: I have got no specific plans – I might see something very exciting and start negotiations  about its distribution in Hungary. For us, the most interesting projects are those that have some kind of origins, like a successful television series etc.  I have seen such projects this year but for a small country like Hungary it is too early to acquire distribution rights for films in pre-production stage. It is too risky as in many cases the financing of the film is still pending and the film might not even be completed. Also, it is difficult to predict the potential of the film in the marketplace.

Filmhu: What kinds of animation films interest BUFI? Family movies only – or do animation films for grown-ups have a chance as well?
Gábor Csurdi: 90% of all animation films screened in Hungary come from big American studios – Disney, Dreamworks etc. Movies by independent filmmakers interest only a marginal audience. Screening only in cinemas might be risky, so we try to find films that can be distributed in television and on DVD. It is mainly family movies that attract large audiences. Animations for grown-ups (like Waltz with Bashir or Persepolis) are considered to be marginal art films that reach only a few thousand viewers. We are releasing 9, an animation film for grown-ups in April. (9 is a utopia produced by Tim Burton.) It has been very successful in many countries – I am very curious how the Hungarian audience will receive it.

Csurdi Gábor at the Lyon Congress Centre

Filmhu: What thematic and technical tendencies have you noticed?
Gábor Csurdi: It is difficult to pinpoint thematic tendencies, but technical changes are very obvious. Last year was a real breakthrough for 3D technology and this is clearly illustrated at Cartoon Movie as well: there are seven 3D projects in the catalogue that are already in production stage, to be completed within a couple of years. There are more and more 3D cinemas, by the end of this year there will be 10000 cinema screens capable of showing 3D movies worldwide. We will soon be able to watch films in 3D easily at home and the launch of 3D TV sets is imminent. This is a great business opportunity and it might attract new audiences to cinemas.


Filmhu: How do recent changes at BUFI influence its distribution strategy?
Gábor Csurdi: An Eastern European copyright trading company? has become Budapest Film’s  owner. This is good news, it means that we will be able to acquire more films. Last year was a very hectic period for the Hungarian cinema industry: we saw a lot of changes and many distributors left the market.  Our aim is to be the number one independent Hungarian film distributor. Releasing animation films like Macskafogó 2 or Kis Vuk is an important part of our work. Macskafogó 2, a Hungarian animation we distributed last year, attracted nearly 300.000 viewers. We have signed the contracts for a few Hungarian feature animations and we hope that many more will be produced in the next few years. We hope to add a couple of independent American or European family movies and, if we have good experiences with 9, maybe animations for grown-ups as well.

Filmhu: Can you tell us anything about the projects at Cartoon Movie that sparked your interest?
Gábor Csurdi: It is no business secret but I wouldn’t like to talk about this just yet. There are a couple of titles and I have started negotiations with the producers. I am trying to find out when these projects will be completed and what the conditions relating to the acquisition of rights are but these films are not likely to be released in Hungarian cinemas within the next 2-3 years.