BUDAPEST — Hungary's premier cinema festival, the Magyar Film Week, opened its doors on Tuesday with a lineup of feature, documentary, and short films that fest organizers are lauding as one of the most ambitious in its 38 year history.
The fest is screening 17 features, 39 documentaries, 30 short and experimental works, and nine scientific documentary films in its competition sections between Jan. 30 and Feb. 6.
This year also marks the emergence of a more discriminating festival. Where in past years, the Film Week served as a showcase for all Hungarian films produced the previous year, this is the first year the Film Week's roster has been carefully selected.
The lineup of features contains titles by both veteran Hungarian auteurs and up and coming talent.
Highly anticipated titles include Gyula Maar's "Toredek" (Fragment), Pal Erdoss' "Budakeszi Sracok" (Lads of Budakeszi), Janos Szasz's "Opium," Tamas Sas' "S.O.S. Szerelem!" (S.O.S. Love!) and Judit Elek's "A Het Nyolcadik Napja" (The Eighth Day of the Week).
A commercial favorite in the lineup that has already been earmarked as a domestic blockbuster is Gabor Rohony's thriller "Konyec," starring Judit Schell.
In recognition of Hungary's new enthusiasm for blockbusters, the 2007 Film Week will offer two first prizes in the feature film category: best art film and best entertainment release.
Other highlights will include a tribute to legendary filmmaker, theater director and educator Zoltan Fabri, with an exhibition of 50 paintings based on the artist's work. Fabri died in 1994.
The 95 competition films and 125 additional titles will be screened at Budapest's Palace Cinemas Mammut and the Millennium Center in the capital's Buda district.
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