Colourful Films

The viewership numbers of domestic films may exceed 1.5 million until the next Film Week. Hungarian films have performed well already: viewership numbers reached 700,000 in October, while several new local productions that are likely to become hits have just opened in cinemas. Our series will map the domestic distribution market, where a number of small and large companies are appearing.

Growing distribution market, battles with multinational rivals – Budapest Film

The viewership numbers of Hungarian films have reached 700,000 since the last Film Week, said Ferenc Port, director of Budapest Film. Last year, only 540,000 tickets were sold in the year as a whole, so this current mid-October figure can be considered outstanding. According to Port, this is primarily the result of the fact that high-standard new films are made, including the successful Magyar Vándor, Kontroll and Apám beájulna. (These films were all distributed by Budapest Film.)

Based on the data, distributors expect viewership numbers to double compared to last year, and 2004 will be an outstanding year in this respect. According to Port, rising viewership numbers are the result of better marketing and the improved normative and „audience film” subsidy system of the Hungarian Motion Picture Fund.

A number of smaller and larger distributors appeared on the market recently, and according to Port, competition is beneficial: there are already between 12 and 15 distributors supplying local cinemas. In his view, it is a positive tendency that not only the market of films meant mass audiences is expanding, but that of „artistic” and independent films as well. 

The main profile of Budapest Film is cinema operation. The company is the only Hungarian-owned venture on the market 90% of which is dominated by multiplex cinemas. It has to find resources for maintaining the art cinema network, while many of its annual 40-45 films generate losses. And while recently the attendance numbers of multiplexes slightly decreased and that of art cinemas increased, a tough battle is expected for survival.

The decline of culture, relative success – Mokép

Mokép distributes few Hungarian films but selects those few very consciously, György Horváth, general manager of Mokép told filmhu. That is how the company became the distributor of Zsuzsa Böszörményi’s Mélyen őrzött titkok as well as Benedek Fliegauf’s Dealer, which Mokép considers an important opening. In December, the distributor will launch Jiddis Blues, a previously unscreened musical documentary about the Klezmer Band.

According to Horváth, Hungarian fims also have to fight for acceptance by the public. As for the 700,000 viewers, Horváth said that figure is the result of the succes of two or three popular films, while Hukkle, for example, which was released by Mokép and attracted 35,000 viewers two years ago would not be that popular today.

According to Horváth, there are serious problems in the background. He says that the majority of distributors are afraid of Hungarian films. For example, he considers Szezon a good movie meant for young audiences by young filmmakers, and it is a big question why is it unable to achieve a breakthrough. Kornél Mundruczó and Benedek Fliegauf, who travel a lot and have international success meet a vacuum in Hungarian cinemas.

Mokép’s success in distributing foreign films was Fahrenheit 9/11, which performed above expectations with its 43,000 viewers nationwide. The 11 copies of the Moore-movie are currently only screened in art cinemas. The film will likely attract between 46,000 and 47,000 viewers.

Mokép released important films on DVD as well: five Tarkovsky-movies with extra subtitles, in a special quality previously unseen by the local viewers of the Russian master’s works.

Hungarian Films for the Market: HungariCom

Since HungariCom is a new venture, it had to make do with Hungarian films that have not signed up yet with other distributors, said managing director Pál Prukner. Meanwhile, Perlasca and Bolondok éneke were shot earlier but were not released by other distributors.

HungariCom is interested in both artistic and popular films, but quality is a fundamental criterion in both cases. That is reflected in their upcoming releases screened at the next Film Week: Diana Groó’s Csoda Krakkóban will open on Dec. 2, Nyócker on Dec. 9, Világszám! on Dec. 23, Elemér Ragályi’s first direction, Csudafilm at the end of January, Le a fejjel! by Péter Tímár at the end of February and József Pacskovszky’s latest film, Négy évszak az űrben in the spring.

HungariCom also has an an eye on short films: they screen László Csáki’s Fluxus-hajfény before before Tamara, while Csoda Krakkóban will be accompanied by Szabolcs Hajdu’s 3 to 5 minute short film currently in the making.

According to Prukner, the 700,000-strong viewership is in line with the European tendency: the successful films of the national film industry appear along with 10 to 15 American blockbusters.

As for HungariCom’s market position, Prukner said: „We do not want to get rich, only to make a living out of the distribution of Hungarian films.” Of course, there’s more at stake than that: HungariCom aims to establish a balance in this field so that Hungarian film may finally achieve the position it deserves.

„Rough” movies, outdoor cinema in the winter – Szimplafilm

Szimpla Film is not a profit-oriented venture. As Tamás Liszka, the director of the company put it, they import  a handful of „rough” films that feature no major stars. As a result, the viewership numbers of their films do not rival those of the popular hits of large disributors. The company intends to experiment: they will import 4-5 films next year as well, and will increase that number to 8-10 by 2006.

At the same time, Szimpla is also interested in the distribution of Hungarian films abroad. Nyócker, which is disributed by HungariCom in Hungarian cinemas, will be introduced in cinemas and festivals abroad by Liszka and his team. We won’t have to wait for Szimpla’s outdoor cinema until next summer: it will soon be transformed into a winter outdoor cinema, and from December it will start operating again in the courtyard of the ruined building in Kazinczy street, although with slightly less seats.

The first Szimpla release next year will take place in February the earliest. They are also planning to distribute a Hungarian film ( in Hungary as well). This will be a movie that  – if it wasn’t for Szimpla – would not make it to cinemas.

Solid position – SPI

In addition to the international supply, SPI intends to distribute a few Hungarian films meant for wider audiences in the future as well, Gábor Vörös, managing director of SPI told us. They also plan to release quality art films and several popular movies. 

SPI has altogether 28 films on its 2004 list. According to the director, on the whole, the viewership numbers of their films will exceed 1 million.

Of the releases in the near future, Around the World in 80 Days, the spectacular and funny family film starring Jackie Chan is likely to turn into a hit. However, SPI is really excited about the reception of Állítsátok meg Terézanyut! by Péter Bergendy, an adaptation of the book by Zsuzsa Rácz, which the distributor expects to be the biggest Hungarian success of the year. SPI’s new releases in the first quarter of 2005 will include two films that will probably be popular: Kaptár 2- the Apocalypse and another Hungarian film, Pesti Harlem by Ákos Takács.

Vörös said he was happy that the viewership numbers of Hungarian films improved significantly. The company contributed to the likely rise of attendance figures above 1 million in 2004 with several hundreds of thousand viewers with successful releases like MIX, Argo and Állítsátok meg Terézanyut!, which will be released in December. At the same time, Vörös said that this outstanding achievement was due to the success of two or three films, while several other much-anticipated movies performed feebly.

Vörös is satisfied with the market performance of SPI: so far, the company managed to realize its goals and became a key independent distributor in Hungary during the past two and a half years. In spite of the increasing competition, SPI managed to strenghten its position on the market. In addition to cinema distribution, the development of the video/DVD business launched in 2002 is a key goal. With its stable market share around 4%, SPI is one of the largest independent distributors.