Hungarian film production is the second most profitable in Europe

The revenue of the Hungarian film industry set a record this year, exceeding the previous year by 20 percent. The profit was more than HUF 250 billion (EUR 622,121,250). This means that Hungarian film production is the second most profitable in Europe, with only the UK movie industry topping it. 

The revenue of the Hungarian film industry set a record

The revenue of the Hungarian film industry has recently set a record. The total registered expenditure exceeds HUF 250 billion (EUR 622,121,250), which is a 20 percent increase compared to last year, writes vg.hu. Government Commissioner for Film Affairs Csaba Káel said that most of the income was generated in foreign currency, which meant that Hungarian films also performed well abroad. “Recently, Budapest has become the largest film production base in Europe after London. Many top-notch producers come here to shoot with the biggest stars of Hollywood and international cinema. The professionals who have worked with us, for example, Ridley Scott, are also open to partake in Hungarian productions,” Csaba Káel told Origo.

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The Hungarian government supports domestic film production

In the framework of their economic protection action plan, the government supports the renovation, modernisation and expansion of NFI’s film production base in Fót with four new studios. This means a huge boost for the Hungarian film industry. There are already several state-of-art film studio complexes with impressive backlots that are ideal for shooting period movies set in different eras. For instance, a promising historical movie, Most vagy soha! (Now or Never!), was completed in the autumn, which portrays the events of Hungary’s 15 March revolution, reports hirado.hu.

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Upcoming productions

According to Csaba Káel, the Hungarian film industry is currently focusing on historical movies. He mentioned the creators of the 2021 film Blokád, who prepared excellent raw material and boldly portrayed the first serious conflict of the nascent democracy at the time. He believes this film perfectly presented the challenges of the new, post-regime era. According to Káel, there are still many hidden treasures yet to be brought to the big scene from this historical period, either in the form of a documentary or a feature film.

A regional film fair is on the cards

The government commissioner for film affairs also revealed that they were planning a regional film fair, which would include the presentation of Hungarian films to distributors before their actual premiere. In addition, they want to create a platform for filmmakers where numerous co-productions could be born. “We are planning the location of this professional forum in Budapest, while Veszprém and the neighbouring region would remain the place for the presentation of Hungarian films,” said Csaba Káel.

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Source: origo.hu, hirado.hu, vg.hu