Magyar Filmunió suspends its activities

by Fabien Lemercier

29/06/2011 - Magyar Filmunió, the agency that promotes Hungarian cinema abroad, is set to suspend its activities from July 1, due to a lack of funding. This decision, described as temporary by Éva Vezér (who will head the agency until July 31), is another jolt to the ongoing restructuring of Hungary’s film industry (see news).

In theory, the brand new Hungarian National Film Fund should be in charge of promoting Hungarian cinema internationally, but the organisation (officially launched at the start of June) is concentrating for the moment on getting local production back on track after it was shaken by the financial difficulties of the MMKA (which has closed).

Headed for the time being by producer Agnes Havas, who at the end of 2011 will hand over the reins to Andrew G. Vajna (who couldn’t combine the post with his current role as government commissioner), the National Film Fund has a €6m budget for its first year of activity.

If the name of Magyar Filmunió looks set to disappear, let’s hope that its recognised skills in international promotion do not suffer the same fate.

(Translated from French)