A record 45 features produced in 2006
According to the information received by Cineuropa from the Hungarian National Film Office, Hungary produced 45 accredited features in 2006, in comparison to 26 in 2005 and 21 in 2004 (co-productions included).
However, this impressive increase is partially only a short term one, as the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution provided an occasion for the production of a number of state-funded films in 2006 as part of a special programme.
Nevertheless, even after taking this into account, growth in Hungarian film remains significant thanks to the 2004 film law, which has now reached its cruising speed thanks to the attractive fiscal advantages that it offers investors. Thus, a record 12 accredited Hungarian co-productions were made in 2006, compared to nine in 2005 and four in 2004.
With regard to funding, the 1956 effect also had a strong influence. Public funding experienced an increase, with €12.6m invested last year in production by Hungary’s main funding institute, the Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary (MMK), in comparison to €8.5m in 2005 and €7.9m in 2004.
However, funding is expected to drop in 2007 with the MMK’s overall budget down 30% to €18.58m (€24m in 2005 and €26m in 2004). The institute has signed a four-year agreement with the government, which will see its budget rise gradually in 2008 to reach €25.5m in 2010.
Television financing in film production has fallen for the third consecutive year, standing at €2.9m in 2006 (€3.2m in 2005 and €3.68m in 2004), while the average budget for Hungarian features remains unchanged at €1.1m.
In the exhibition sector, admissions rose with 10.8m filmgoers in 2006 compared to 10.5m in 2005, without affecting the market share of US (78.6%) and Hungarian films (12%).
Twenty-five of the 222 films released in 2006 were Hungarian (compared to 17 of 220 in 2005) and the most seen domestic title was Krisztina Goda’s Children of Glory [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see article) with 452,000 cinemagoers, while Ice Age: The Meltdown dominated the general classification of the season with 615,000 admissions.
(Translated from French)
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