(Ed Note, I think I know what I’m doing for my vacation next year – a Film tour of Budapest.) It may surprise you to find just how much influence Hungary has had on the worldwide film industry, and what a fantastic cinema culture they have. The first film screenings were held in the capital city of Budapest in 1896 and showcased the work of the Lumière brothers, the earliest known film-makers. This article was created in In Association with Jet2.com.
Hungary’s first cinema, the Okonograph, opened later in the year showing Lumiere films but the locals at the time considered film to be boring, tacky and frivolous, and the cinema soon shut. The first film to be shot in Hungary was also in 1986, a recording of the Millenium Celebration at Buda Castle, and by 1911 there were over one hundred cinemas in the capital alone.
Some of the big boys in the American film industry came from Hungary, including Adolf Zukor, a Hungarian film mogul who founded Paramount Pictures, and William Fox, the founder of Fox Film Corporation who was born Willhelm Fried. Bela Lugosi was born in Hungary and became involved in the National Theatre of Hungary upon moving to Budapest before heading to the US to become a horror legend. By the 1940s, the Hungarian film industry was the third largest in Europe, and it’s been growing ever since.
Hungary, and specifically Budapest, has two very important elements which make it perfect for film-makers. It has long been an economically sound place to film, with many Budapest-based workers and actors who can be hired on a budget, and since the beginning of this year the public premises fees have been reduced by a third, making the city an even more appealing location for film-makers.
The combination of cheap flights to Budapest with its five-day turn around for permits and a great variety of architecture from the 17th century to present day make the city an ideal shooting spot for nearly any location. Budapest has been disguised as many cities, including Buenos Aires in Evita, Berlin in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Moscow in A Good Day to Die Hard.
Films which were shot in and feature the city include Underworld, Munich and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army which was the largest production to have been shot in Hungary. Recently it has become popular for music videos to be shot in Budapest with several big stars like Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani travelling to the city to shoot Firework and Early Winter, respectively. Korda Film Studios, formed in 2010 in Hungary, produced the historical miniseries The Borgias, and has aided in stealing production from other European cities such as Prague.
Budapest played an important role in the formation of the film industry, and continues to grow to this day. This article was created in In Association with Jet2.com.