Members of the Hungarian delegation pictured with Chinese children

The visit, from 9-18 September, spotlighted Hungarian cinematographic art funded by the NMHH Media Council Patronage Programme and the Hungarian National Film Fund (MNF) with a view to promoting contemporary Hungarian audiovisual culture in China. Shanghai’s Long Museum hosted a Hungarian Film Day: morning screenings showcased contemporary animation and children’s films, while the afternoon schedule presented popular public education films and documentaries to Chinese audiences, including “Barca’s Untold Legends” and “The Inland Delta of the River Danube”. Screening of feature-length, MNF-backed Liza the Fox Fairy concluded this special day dedicated to Hungarian cinema.

The Hungarian delegation held talks with Shanghai Media Group (SMG) executives. The Group is a key stakeholder in Chinese audiovisual content production and distribution. The SMG offers audiovisual products, media and television entertainment solutions directly to Shanghai and two surrounding provinces, to audiences of some two hundred million strong in this market. As well as serving cinemas, the SMG also operates analogue TV channels, and delivers its products and services across 15 other platforms. Besides spotlighting the Hungarian cinema, talks also touched on Hungary’s current market-leading position in Europe as regards cinematographic services to filmmakers the world over, given its world-class film industry professionals, its industry funding system, and tax credits.

The Hungarian delegation also visited the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, where select animation films by Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) students were screened before an audience of film industry students and educators. Screenings were followed by talks with academy officials concerning possibilities for future collaboration.

In Beijing the delegation attended the Chinese-Hungarian Media Forum where Hungarian delegates delivered presentations on the protection of minors and the entertainment classification system, the Media Council Patronage Programme, the audiovisual grants system, as well as tax credits for filmmakers and other forms of film industry support.

• The 11 NMHH-MMA delegates who represented Hungary:
  On behalf of NMHH: Media Council member Dr. Tamás Kollarik; Media Council member Dr. Ágnes Vass; MMA chief Dr. Miklós Taba; International Relations Officer Dr. György Ocskó;
• On behalf of MMA: Secretary-General Dr. Tamás Kucsera; Kossuth Prize laureate graphic artist and MMA member Líviusz Gyulai; Animation film director and MMA member István Orosz; Emmy-winner animation film director Ferenc Varsányi; Head of MMA’s International and Neighbouring Countries Communications Section Zsuzsanna Répás; International Relations Officer Ágnes Komlóssy.