HUNKY BLUES: THE AMERICAN DREAM (2009)

3rd Hungarian Film Showcase in London

"Somewhere in the World"
22-28 June 2010

Hunky Blues: The American Dream (2009)

Director: Peter Forgacs

Peter Forgacs is a Hungarian media artist and independent film maker. Since 1978 he made more than 30 films, but he is best known for his "Private Hungary" series of award winning films often based on ordinary lives from 1920s and 80s.

Throughout his career he received several international awards. Among others: 2007 Dutch Erasmus Prize for his notable contributions to European Culture 2000 Grand Prize for The Maelstrom, "Out of the Darkness" International Film Festival, London 2000 The Golden Spire, Golden Gate award, for Angelos' Film, San Francisco International Film Festival 1997 Berlin, Prix Europa for Free Fall film His international debute came with The Bartos Family (1988).

Since 1990s his video installations have been presented at museums and art galleries throughout Europe and America. Between 2000-2002 he was artist in residence in The Getty Museum/Getty Research Institue, Los Angeles where he created The Danube Exodus: Rippling Currents of The River Installation.

His works can be found in several museums and public collections. In 2009 he represented Hungary in the Venice Biennale, exhibiting the Col Tempo- The W. Project installation.

/Source: www.forgacspeter.hu, www.hunkyblues.com/

He created Hunky Blues in 2009.

Producer: Gabor Kovacs
Editor: Peter Sass

Musicians:
Karoly Cserepes - keyboard, percussion;
Bela Agoston - saxophone;
Kalman Balog - cimbalom;
Kalman Bango - glass-cimbalom;
Zoltan Farkas - guitar;
Adam Javorka - viola;
Dodi Karpati - trumpet

"The film is a documentary, exploring the fate of thousands of Hungarians who arrived to the United States between 1890 and 1921,reveals the difficult moments of arrival, integration and assimilation, which eventually fed the happiness of the later generations and their fulfillment of the American Dream."

Forgacs tells the story with found footages, photographs and interviews.

AMERICAN TORSO (1975)

3rd Hungarian Film Showcase in London

"Somewhere in the World"
22-28 June 2010

American Torso / Amerikai anzix (1975)



Director: Gabor Body

Gabor Body is one of the most outstanding personalities from the Hungarian cinema.

He became a great source of inspiration among filmmakers and film-lovers.

By some he's called radical, and by others the most daring innovator of our time.

Body's film were made in that time when the communism dominated in Hungary and every creative art was under strict control. The regulations said that the cinema should be there for the masses to strengthen the political influence. Experimental films had no chance, film artists were under close surveillance. For that reason for the Body-type-of-filmmakers was difficult to put their ideas onto the big screen.

"He joined the "Studio Bela Balazs" in 1971 (established in 1959, named after the Hungarian scriptwriter) where behind doors experimental films were made despite of the communism outside. It was the meeting place of liberal thinking directors and writers. In 1973 Body set up the "experimental film group K3" as a platform for true experiments."

"From 1971 to 1975 he studied at the Hungarian Film Academy. His diploma work was "American Postcard" (aka American Torso) which after its completion in 1975 won the main award at the Mannheim Film festival in 1976."


American Torso takes us back in 1865. It's about two hungarians meet in the Civil War. The two men represent two different stories. One story is based on Ambrose Bierce's novel "George Thruston", the other is on the Hungarian War of Independence in 1948.
Body's talent create a beautiful of picture of a true friendship of two completely different persons in the middle of changes.

With his films that present fresh and useful discoveries of its time Body's achieved great development in the Hungarian film industry.

/Source and information: www.bodygabor.hu/

IMMIGRANTS (L.A. Dolce Vita) (2008)

3rd Hungarian Film Showcase in London

"Somewhere in the World"
22-28 June 2010

Immigrants (L.A. Dolce Vita) (2008)


The Director, Gabor Csupo is a chairman and co-founder of Klasky Csupo Inc., the entertainment industry's leading independent animation company.

He was born in Budapest, Hungary, studied music for eight years and art for four, before starting his professional training in animation in Hungary's famous Pannonia Studios in 1971. In 1975 from the communist Hungary he's escaped to Austria, then without passport and any resources he's travelled to West Germany, then to Denmark, and then to Stockholm, Sweden.

In 1978 he's met and fell in love with Arlene Klasky, and American graphic designer. He's moved to Hollywood in 1979, where they've got married.

Csupo's first job was at the legendary Hanna Barbera Studios, where he worked as an animator.

In 1981, Klasky and Csupo formed their own animation company, Klasky Csupo Inc., in a spare room of their apartment. In 1983 they've moved to their real office, expanding into motion graphics and live-action production.

Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo in 2002

In 1988 Klasky Csupo was asked by director James L. Brooks to animate a cartoon strip, "The Simpsons". For its efforts, Klasky Csupo garnered worldwide recognition and Emmy Awards two years in a row.

Continuing to break a new ground, Csupo co-developed, produced and animated the "Rugrats" series, and in 1988 he's co-produced "The Rugrats Movie" and "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie".

Csupo himself has presided designing, supervising, animating commercials, company logos, TV stations, motion picture trailers, on-air network productions and industrial films.

As and expression of his long-life passion for music Csupo founded the record labels Tone Casulties and Casual Tonalities in 1994.

The Director's latest work is "The Bridge to Terabithia".

(Source: www.klaskycsupo.com)

The Immigrants, the fifth feature-length film from Klasky Csupo was released in 2008, and is about Joska, the Hungarian, and Vladislav, the Russian, who're oping for a better life by chasing the American Dream, tons of money and loads of women. They share an apartment in Los Angeles, and get into all sorts of troubles together, and throughout their adventures they learn the true meaning of friendship.