SZABO FLAP FLUSTERS FIRST-NIGHTERS IN BUDAPEST AT MAGYAR FILMSZEMLE February 6, 2006 The opening night of the Hungarian film week at the Budapest Congress Centre turned out to be more of a political than a cinematic event. "Rokonok" (Relatives), the eagerly awaited new film by Hungary's leading filmmaker, Istvan Szabo -- his first Hungarian language film since 1992 -- was scheduled to open the festivities, but just a few days prior to the opening an article appeared in a prestigious literary mag...

The 16th Cottbus International Film Festival festival closed its five day run on Saturday November 18th with the distribution of the prizes and the premiere of the new German film "Herzentöter" (Heartbreaker) by Cottbus born director Bernd Heiber. This absurd slap-sticky comedy set completely in the local Spreewald area, went over well with the local audience but is not likely to travel very far from Lusatia. The main prize, 25,000 €, for Best Film went to the Serbian competition entry "Sutra...

The 16th Cottbus International Film Festival festival closed its five day run on Saturday November 18th with the distribution of the prizes and the premiere of the new German film "Herzentöter" (Heartbreaker) by Cottbus born director Bernd Heiber. This absurd slap-sticky comedy set completely in the local Spreewald area, went over well with the local audience but is not likely to travel very far from Lusatia. The main prize, 25,000 €, for Best Film went to the Serbian competition entry "Sutra...

More than 100 films from 23 countries for the Festival of East European Cinema, which is being held from November 14 to 18. 1. Feature Film and Short Film Competitions – diverse and subtle Ten films from eight countries were nominated for the Feature Film Competition, of which nine will be having their international or German premiere in Cottbus. Bulgaria and Romania are particularly strongly represented here with two films each - which can be regarded as the undisputed proof for the new depa...

New Hungarian features on view here range from the utterly ridiculous to the utterly sublime. At the ridiculous extreme is "TAXIDERMIA" by "Hukkle" director Pálfi György, while on the sublime side of the spectrum is the ethereally sensuous "The Bird Saviour, Clouds and Wind", by first time director István "Taikyo" Szaladják."Taxidermia" doesn't have much to do with the art of taxidermy (although a taxidermist does make a brief appearance toward the end), but everything to do with force feedi...

The opening night of the Hungarian film week at the Budapest Congress centre turned out to be more of a political than a cinematic event. "Rokoknok" (Relatives), the eagerly awaited new film by Hungary's leading filmmaker, Istvan Szabo -- his first Hungarian language film since 1992 -- was scheduled to open the festivities, but just a few days prior to the opening an article appeared in a prestigious literary magazine casting serious doubts upon director Szabo's past political integrity. To put ...

The 15th FilmFestival Cottbus ­- Festival of East European Cinema will open in the Cottbus Staatstheater on 8th November with Susanne Irina Zacharias' feature film debut „Hallesche Kometen" („Halle Comets”). The father-son story set in Halle/Saale was produced as part of the „Ostwind“ series, a joint programme workshop administered by RBB and ZDF/Das kleine Fernsehspiel. The winner of the Film Prize of the Saarland Prime-Minister at this year's Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarb...