1/18/2017

Headline January 19, 2017/ ''' BUDAPEST *FILM-FACTORY* BEAUTIFUL '''


''' BUDAPEST *FILM-FACTORY* 

BEAUTIFUL '''




THIS YEAR LOOKS TO BE  -another bleak one for the world all around -but thank God, there's always the cinema.

A constant refuge in times of  doubt and uncertainty, celluloid dreamers will undoubtedly look to the silver screen both as a means of escape and as a way to process our communal reality.

And there's plenty to look forward to on both counts. So, with that in mind lets zoom to Film factory Budapest. The Hungarian capital is now one of the top European hubs for foreign film productions, where Hollywood dreams are made:  

Spotting hunky Hollywood  actors is no big deal anymore in Budapest, now one of Europe's top hubs for- foreign film productions, thanks to attractive tax breaks  and cutting edge facilities.

Some of the biggest US blockbusters in recent years were filmed here, including 2015 action comedy  Spy  with Jude Law, and  2016 mystery thriller Inferno, featuring  Tom Hanks.

The 60-year old star of the sequel to Dan Brown's  Da Vinci Code  spent several weeks in the  Hungarian capital during the shooting.

''It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world'' Hanks gushed following his stay.

Budapest was back in the headlines when heartthrob Ryan Gosling was in town for five months to film the follow-up to the 1982 sci-fi classic  Blade Runner earlier this year.

This month's cover story of glossy US men's magazine GQ  showed Gosling posing in stylish photographs captured at the city's most beautiful spots. A marketing triumph for the  Hungarian government, except for for a minor jotting note.

In one of the photos, Gosling unaware of subtle political rivalries, is seen lazing around in bed with a copy of the Magyar Nemzet newspaper, owned by the nemesis  of right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The PR glitch was swiftly fixed by the pro-government broadcaster TV2, which showed the image but blurred the paper's name.
The owner of TV2 is close Orban ally Andy Vajna, also state film commissioner since 2011.

Often referred to as  ''Mr. Cinema'' , the magnate spent most of his career working in Hollywood and produced numerous hits including  Rambo  and Terminator  movies.

Vajna is one of the masterminds credited with boosting Budapest's reputation as a  world-class film capital, notably to co-financing the state-of-the-art  Korda Studios.

Opened nearly a decade ago, the huge complex is set amidst sprawling vineyards some 20 kilometers from the capital.
During the Cold-war the site was a military base for the country's communist forces.

Now the only conflicts played out there are fake ones, produced as one of Europe's largest sound stages.

For box-office sensation  The Martian  with Matt Damon, the studio brought in no less than  4,000  tonnes  of red earth to turn it into Mars.

In fact, even Budapest itself featured in the movie, albeit disguised as Beijing. The versatile city has previously also  'played'  Paris, Vienna and Moscow in other films.

Such hi-tech facilities, fiscal incentives and cheap skilled labour have made  Budapest  ''the second major film platform in Europe after London,'' said Danial Kresmery who runs  Korda's production  and development department.     

''And we've only reached  75%   of our capacity,'' he added with a very growing grin.

Back in 2004, Hungary introduced a  tax law  enabling filmmakers to recover up to 25% of their costs.

The selective scheme paid off. This year, both foreign and national production, injected over Euro 270 million into Hungary compared with Euro105 million in 2011, according to the government.

''The sector makes up 0.15% of Hungary's gross domestic product, the highest ratio anywhere in Europe,'' Agnes Havas, the director of the National Film Fund, told AFP.

Around 100 companies now work in the Hungarian movie industry, employing around 4,000 people.

But the dream factory not only generates  big US productions,  but also homegrown talents like director Laszlo Nemes whose chilling Holocaust drama  *Son of  Saul*   won the  2016 Oscar in the best foreign film category.

Meanwhile, fellow countryman  Kornel Mundruczo received a jury prize at the 2014 Cannes Festival for his film,  *White God*.

''The services provided by the industry are really at the top of their games,'' said the independent filmmaker, adding that he was  ''proud''  of his city where he recently finished shooting his latest movie.

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.  See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and.... Twitter-!E-WOW!   -the Ecosystem 2011:


''' Calm & Strength '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Grace A Comment!