10-09-2009

Newcomer in Hungarian distribution

By Dávid Dercsényi
    Though the market of the independent films has shrunk in Hungary, a new distribution company recently entered the market: Palace Pictures.

    Palace Pictures ( www.palacepictures.net ) is owned by the Palace Cinemas ( www.palacecinemas.hu), which has an extensive cinema network in Eastern Europe. However, Palace Pictures does not distribute only to its own venues.

    As a test, the company has begun by presenting one film per month, mostly American independent films. Palace Pictures cooperates with two big international owners of theatrical rights, Blue Sky ( www.blueskystudios.com ) and Hollywood Classics ( www.hollywoodclassics.com ). The manager of distribution Csilla Borka said that Palace Pictures has good experiences in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic, so the departure of other distributors from Hungary created a gap in the market and was the right moment for the Palace Pictures to be launched.

    The company's initial results have been promising. Accidental Husband was a big success, with more than 23,000 viewers in the first 10 days. Palace Cinema will present the sci-fi film District 9, the horror movie Sorority Row, and Baaria, the new film by Giuseppe Tornatore.