10-07-2009

FNE at KVIFF: Hungarian Director Palfi with Three New Projects in the Pipeline

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    KARLOVY VARY: Prolific Hungarian director Gyorgy Palfi has three new projects in the pipeline together with producer Gabor Varadi helmer at Budapest based Eurofilm Studio (www.eurofilm.hu).

    Palfi was in KVIFF together with a team of twelve actors and other professionals from the film for the international premier of his latest film You Are Not My Friend a coproduction with Eurofilm Studio and Filmax.

    "It's my first time at Karlovy Vary," said Palfi, "It's great and since it's so close I brought the whole team. Maybe we'll all go to try out some of the spas together while we are here."

    Varadi who also worked with Palfi on his internationally successful Taxidermi said he already had three more projects in various stages of development.

    The Blood Hurricaine which is due to start shooting in 2010 is the next film on Palfi's production schedule. The script also by Palfi is based on a novel by Hungarian adventure writer Jeno Rejto who wrote under the name of P. Howard between the two world wars. It will be Palfi's first film to be shot in English and it will be a European coproduction with well known English or American actors in the leading roles according to Varadi which will shoot in the UK, France and North Africa. While no contracts have been inked yet Varadi said interest from foreign partners was high in the 8 m Euro project and Scarlett Johannson was one of the actresses they were hoping to attract to the project.

    Next up will be another literary based film, Toldi, based on the work of Hungarian poet Janos Arany. One of Hungary's most famous poets who worked 200 years ago this will be a wholly Hungarian project.

    Third but possibly starting production soon is a wholly montage based film with the working title "Man and Woman" which will be made up from clips of famous films from the past. Varadi described the film as highly experimental.

    Speaking about the team's visit to Karlovy Vary Varadi said: "For us Europeans KVIFF is more important than Cannes. Having your international premier here you can get attention, in Cannes it's too big and you can get lost in the crowd."