KARLOVY VARY: The Hungarians make up the one of the largest national contingents in Karlovy Vary in 2009 with five films, -seven including coproductions,- screening in various official programmes and dozens of Hungarian directors, producers and actors attending the festival.

SLOVAKIA: The year 2009 is already being hailed as a major watershed for Slovakia's film industry with both the conversion to the Euro and the country's long awaited new film law combining to lay down the conditions for a major revival of the country's audiovisual sector.

Fest organizers accomplished the impossible in Adana, Turkey, putting on a seamlessly well organized international event under very difficult conditions this year.

Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and the accompanying Eurasia International Film Festival and Market have set their dates for this year's edition.

(See Who's Partying At.. for awards photos)

Romanian scriptwriter Ioan Antoci was awarded the prestigious ScripTeast Krzysztof Kieslowski Prize for his script The Japanese Day at a glamourous champagne beach party during the Cannes Film Festival.

Romanian cinema's New Wave may have surfaced much earlier but ever since Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days won the Palm d'Or in Cannes two years ago it has been on the map for most people.

The winners of the main competition were announced Sunday evening as one of the most controversial Cannes line-ups in many years drew to a close. With top European auteurs on view and an overdose of violence and sadism that made even Quentin Tarantino look tame compared to the fare offered up by Lars Von Trier and Michal Haneke it was not a year for the faint hearted.

Bulgaria's Nu Boyana Film Studios (http://nuboyana.com/) continues to be one of the busiest studio facilities in Europe attracting a steady stream of 10 to 12 international productions a year that keeps its six sound stages buzzing with Hollywood names and productions like Peter Weir's The Way Back and Nu Image's Ninja.

International producers see the Sofia studio facility where the services of experienced professionals are still up to 30% less than in other neighbouring countries as good value for money-especially these days when every Euro counts.

"In the midst of the global financial crisis at the end of 2008 we were worried that there would be a decline in the number of productions that wanted to come to Bulgaria," said Nu Boyana's head of production Iliya Sotirov, "But we were very surprised to find that the beginning of 2009 was a lot stronger for us than we expected. Producers are looking for places that can give them good value for their money and we can give them exactly this."

"We believe that the quality that you get in Bulgaria can compete with any other country in the region. Bulgaria is about 10% cheaper than Romania and up to 30% cheaper than other Central and Eastern European countries."

Sotirov is in Cannes together with Nu Boyana CEO David Varod to close deals before racing back to Sofia where they will be opening two new stages of 1500 sq m each. A further stage of 1500 sq m with a water tank is planned to be ready by early next year. The studio already boasts a world class CGI and special effects facility.

Contact Iliya Sotirov or David Varod Tel + 359 878 337 083 in Cannes until 19 May

God's Little Garden by Polish director Jacek Bromski (Produced by Studio Filmowe Oko www.sfoko.com.pl) won three prizes at the 42. International Film Festival in Houston: Special Award of the Jury, Grand Prix in the category Best Foreign Film and the award for the best music (Gold Remi Award) for Henri Seroka.