In news just in from The Taipei Times, organizers of the Taipei Film Festival have revealed that Budapest will be this year's "city in focus." A curated selection of 20 films will serve as orientation into Hungary’s rich cinematic heritage. A view over Budapest, Hungary Among the line-up of 20 films, four recent releases will be shown, including Semmelweis. The movie is a biopic about a pioneering Hungarian doctor who revolutionized healthcare practices in the 19th century. As a result, he drastically reduced the number of women dying in childbirth and earned the nickname, “saviour of mothers ..read more

We’re taking a look at the Hungarian-French man widely considered to be the granddaddy of the op-art movement, Victor Vasarely. Born Győző Csiszár in 1906 in the southern university town of Pécs, Victor Vasarely was at one point a medical student then graphic artist who worked for advertising agencies Havas, Draeger, and Devambez after moving to Paris in 1930. Vasarely was intrigued with perspective and the interplay between shadow and light. Among his early work from this period is the intriguingly named Girl-Power (created in 1934, well before the Spice Girls movement) and Zebra (1 ..read more

Some more very exciting news to report from Hungary’s film production scene: Origo Studios has been shortlisted for Studio of the Year in the Global Production Awards (GPA) 2024. What are the Global Production Awards? These awards shine a light on those behind the camera who work tirelessly in studios, on production sets and locations to bring outstanding entertainment to our screens. The GPAs have several categories where a shortlist is compiled of candidates that exhibit excellence in a particular field. They search the world over for the best in locations, studios, crews, ideas and executio ..read more

In this instalment of our series on castles in Hungary, we’re travelling west to the Austrian border. Eszterháza, a grand palace envisaged by Prince Miklós Eszterházy to rival Versailles, was built near the southern shore of the Neusiedler See (Fertõ in Hungary), a vast lake that straddles the Hungarian-Austrian border. Image via Wikipedia, Dániel Somogyi-Tóth. The kernel for this extensive estate had humble beginnings. Prince Miklós spent a lot of his time here in what was originally nothing more than a hunting lodge called Süttör. But the man had big dreams–and the funds–to build something ..read more

In recent years, Hungary has emerged as a sought-after destination for international film, television and commercial production. So much so that Budapest is now the number two international filming destination in Europe after London. We look at some of the reasons why it’s become so popular. The Hungarian film industry has experienced significant growth over the last few years with production volume increasing at an exponential rate. According to a recent article in Portfolio, production volume reached nearly 1 billion Euro in 2022. What’s fuelled that growth? Panoramic shot of Budapest, stra ..read more

Meet Nátán Vértes, a passionate professional ice hockey player who’s played in Hungary, Finland and the U.S.A., has just been featured on Forbes Hungary’s 30/30 List and who demands excellence of himself both on and off the ice. He’s on a mission to inspire others and spread awareness of mental health. Nátán’s love affair with hockey started at a young age. Apparent that he had a special talent, he began working with a coach (Árpad Kercsó) from the age of six. What followed was a whirlwind of teams and places, from the Budapest Stars, Zalaegerszeg and Székesfehérvár to Finland. At that point ..read more

European powerhouse Beta Film divulged the first sneak-peak this week (exclusively for Variety) of a new 10-part TV series touted as “One of the most epic European TV productions of all time.” Rise of the Raven. Picture via Imdb In the landscape of European television, where we’re increasingly seeing iterations of historical drama for our viewing pleasure, we’re about to see something a little different. Rise of the Raven, a mammoth project from Hungarian-born Canadian producer Robert Lantos (Sunshine, The Sweet Hereafter, Barney’s Version, Eastern Promises, Crimes of the Future) has conclude ..read more

Hungary is well-known as being one of the busiest filming hubs in Europe. But how has this impacted actors residing in the country? Are they benefiting from an upsurge in roles available now that Hungary is fast becoming the Hollywood of the East? Increasing numbers of international production companies are coming to the country to film commercials, films or TV series and 2024 is gearing up to be a bumper year. This is especially welcome news in the aftermath of the writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes which put a stop to many productions last year. Considering the uptake in international production ..read more

In the third instalment of our series featuring castles in Hungary, we’re taking an easy 45-minute drive from the capital on the M3 highway to visit a place that was favoured by Empress Elisabeth–affectionately known as Sisi. Royal Palace of Gödöllő. Photo from Wikipedia. We like to take you places in this blog, to shed some light on why Hungary has become such a popular filming destination for international productions and highlight different aspects of the country. This time we’re visiting a right royal destination.  Our other motivation? We’re in the middle of a Sisi-fest–there are cu ..read more

In the third instalment of our series featuring castles in Hungary, we’re taking an easy 45-minute drive from the capital on the M3 highway to visit a place that was favoured by Queen Elizabeth–The Empress Elizabeth–also known as Sisi. Royal Palace of Gödöllő. Photo from Wikipedia. We like to take you places in this blog. To shed some light on why Hungary has become such a popular filming destination for international productions, we want to show different aspect of the country. As such, we’ve arrived at another regal destination.  Our other motivation? We’re in the middle of a Sisi-fest ..read more