06-04-2021

GRANTS: National Film Institute - Hungary Funds Two Animated Features

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    Toldi by Marcell Jankovics Toldi by Marcell Jankovics

    BUDAPEST: Two animated films received production grants from the National Film Institute – Hungary. Director Marcell Jankovics is making a film version of his Toldi series based on János Arany’s popular epic poem. Tony, Shelly and the Spirit directed by Filip Pošivač is a stop motion animation set in Christmas time and made for families.

    Toldi, produced by Kecskemétfilm, has been granted 680,000 EUR / 245 m HUF. It started as a 12-part series funded by MTVA (Media Services and Support Trust Fund) with 2.6 m EUR / 1 billion HUF, which was completed in January 2021. It depicts the heroic adventures of the valiant and extremely strong Miklós Toldi in the Middle Ages. Additional scenes are being made and they are compiling a feature film from the series. The Toldi series is set to be released in the autumn of 2021, while the film version is planned to be completed in the middle of 2022.

    Marcell Jankovics is one of the most prominent Hungarian animation directors. His short film Sisyphus was nominated for the Academy Award.

    Tony Shelly and the Spirit by Filip Pošivač, credit: FilmfabriqThe Czech/Slovak/Hungarian coproduction Tony, Shelly and the Spirit / Polli és a ház szelleme was already supported by the Czech Film Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and Eurimages. The National Film Institute - Hungary contributed 339,000 EUR / 122 m HUF to the budget.

    This is Filip Pošivač’s first long animated film, in which Tony, a peculiar, glowing boy, and his new friend Shelly, try to discover the many mysteries of their old tenement house.  

    Tony, Shelly and the Spirit is produced by Nutprodukce (Chech Republic) in coproduction with Nutprodukcia (Slovakia) and Filmfabriq (Hungary). The producers are Pavla Janoušková Kubečková, Jakub Viktorin and Gábor Osváth. They plan to finish the film by the end of 2022.