The Hungarian film industry did well last year

Gradually increasing production, increasing paid work capacity, just to mention the most important positive changes in film industy in Hungary last year.

The support certificates issued have reached one and a half times as great as the sum in 2006 – said András Elek, director of the National Film Office of the National Office of Cultural Heritage (KÖH).

Hungarian film industy did well in 2007: according to the facts and figures of the Film Office of KÖH 477 support certificates were issued last year to the value of 5,6 billion forints. The support certificates cover 20% of the costs of Hungarian film productions, which means the total costs of Hungarian films, coproductions, and films made with paid work this year are approximately 28 billion forints (last year’s news reported 16,5 billion, so there is an increase of 60 per cent compared to 2006). ”The cerificates issued, however, do not reflect the real situation ” – answered András Elek to the question of film.hu. ”There are films which had been made for years and were finished and reached the state of final settlement this year, so we may conlcude that there has been an increase in film industry in Hungary, though the numbers do not give an accurate picture.”

It is obvious there has been an increase in film industry: while in 2004 263 productions were registered to the value of 24 billion forints, this year 381 productions have been registered in the Film Office and according to the registry table these productions will cost 57,5 billion forints – 25 coproductions cost 18 billion, 21 paid work productions cost 17 billion, and 335 Hungarian productions (feature, short, documentary and animation films altogether) cost a bit less than 23 billion forints.

The increase – explains András Elek – can be assigned to the inpouring paid work and the coproductions first of all. ”Hellboy 2 shot in Etyek and Nutcracker shot in Pomáz spent 13 billions in Hungary, the new engine of increasing production – besides the 20 per cent tax refund guaranteed by the new film law which induced the increase earlier – is the bigger studio capacity after all” summarized the director of the Film Office. And as a matter of fact further projects are also scheduled: the mayor of Pécs Péter Tasnádi announced a new centre will be built in the county seat to meet the requirements of film production in the region. The Greenhill Film Studio hallmarked by Tamás Sas – which will cost approximately 2 billion forints – will be built in the place of the former Mecsek coal-mines. According to the plans the complex will be opened in 2009. The already existing studios, however, keep on working: as it was announced at the end of November at the press conference of Korda Studio, the film studio in Etyek is negotiating about four new productions this year.    
 
The planning of future productions is not very simple at the moment as the European Union’s Hungarian film support program terminated on 31st December 2007. A new two year long program and any film support funds first must be agreed by the EU. The European Commission examines the Hungarian film law and the enforcement laws whether they comply with the basic principles of the European Union – according to the viewpoints of the European Commission tax refund should depend on the cultural content of the works. As far as András Elek is informed the competent cultural ministry may reach an agreement with the Anti-Monopoly Policy Directorate General of the European Commission by June – so up to that time the Film Office can’t issue any certificates, only in case of those films which were registered before 1st January 2008.