“Independent Hungarian film-makers have been turning out a huge volume of high quality television content in recent years and the Media Council has been providing financial support to these projects since 2011,” said President of the Media Council Monika Karas in her opening address at the media industry event organised by the Council in Budapest on Thursday. “The Media Council and the artists both would like to see these high quality films, as the messengers and records of Hungarian culture, to be presented where they belong, that is on the television screen, where they can reach their intended audience,” the President emphasized.

An event organised to encourage cooperation between decision-makers of the television networks and the creators of films and radio plays sponsored by the Media Council’s Hungarian Media Patronage Programme, the Quota Forum informed close to 160 artists and professionals from the film and television industries about the legal background of the quota regulation and the details of the films sponsored under the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme, which can be also used to fulfil the required programme quotas.

Member of the Media Council Ágnes Vass provided an overview of the European and Hungarian legal background to the quota obligations. Under an EU directive, media service providers are required to devote more than 50 percent of their broadcasting time to European content. Ms. Vass explained that currently 332 national, regional and local television and radio stations in Hungary have to meet this quota obligation.

Media Council member Tamás Kollarik summarised the achievements of the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme in two main areas. One is that close to 570 films, sponsored with over HUF 5 billion in film tenders, have been made since 2011. The second is that within the context of tenders announced for media service providers, over 1400 decisions have been made to fund the overhead costs, programmes or technical development projects of radio and television stations from a budget of another HUF 5 billion. Mr. Kollarik stressed that these films have been also successful at festivals: 47 works presented at 154 Hungarian and international festivals have won close to 50 awards.

Participants at the round-table discussion included Programme Director of RTL Klub Péter Kolosi, representative of TV2 Zsolt Simon, CEO of AMC Networks Central Europe Kft. Levente Málnay B., CEO of Duna Televízió Menyhért Dobos, President of the National Association of Local Television Stations Tamás Széles, nature film director and cameraman Szabolcs Mosonyi and animated film director Ferenc Rofusz. Attendees discussed how Hungarian television stations can fulfil their quota obligations to present content produced in Hungary in a certain percentage of their broadcasting time, and what role contemporary and public service films can play within that segment.

Sampling from over 500 sponsored works, the Quota Forum presented 51 films and 3 radio plays sponsored under the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme to draw the attention of the representatives of the media service providers and to create an opportunity for these works to be included in their programme streams. After listening to short oral presentations and viewing a selection of film trailers, forum participants were able to conduct informal discussions and negotiations.

Award presentation gala to recognise the best works

The President of the Media Council used this event to announce that on 18 May the Media Council will hold an award presentation gala at Uránia National Film Theatre to recognise the creators of the best works selected by an independent panel of judges from the 121 films sponsored by the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme and presented at the Hungarian Film Week last autumn. The Media Council will award first, second and third prizes (HUF 1.5 million, HUF 1 million and HUF 500,000, respectively) in five categories (documentaries, popular science films, animated films, television shows, experimental films and short films), and three special awards for outstanding professional performance worth HUF 500,000 each will be also handed out at the gala. The independent panel of judges is chaired by cameraman and President of the Hungarian Film Academy Emil Novák, and its members include Director of the Jameson Cinefest Festival Tibor Bíró, Director of the Szolnok Film Festival István Demeter, photographer and member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts László Haris, Assistant Professor at Pázmány Péter Catholic University and film industry columnist of Magyar Nemzet György Kárpáti, editor-in-chief of the film industry magazine Filmvilág Gusztáv Schubert, and Assistant Professor of the Department of Film Studies of ELTE University Balázs Varga.