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- Coppola
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- Introduction to the Festival by Reka Pigniczky and prof. Steven Kovacs
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- Introduction to the Festival
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- Screening “Station”
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- Audience
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- Reka Pigniczky
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- Audience
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- Introduction to “The Border”
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- Intorduction to “The Border” by Reka Pigniczky
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- “The Border” Q and A with Lajos Ersek sound designer and editor Eszter Bodoky by prof. Steven Kovacs
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- “The Border” Q and A with Lajos Ersek sound designer and editor Eszter Bodoky
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- Introduction to No Man’s Island by Reka Pigniczky
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- Intorduction to Hot Men Cold Dictatorship
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- Interview with Takacs Maria by Reka Pigniczky
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- Screening “Drifter”
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- Skype interview with Marcell Ivanyi producer “Drifter”
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- Screening “Afterlife”
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- Prof . Steven Kovacs festival director and audience members
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- Lajos Ersek ( sound designer – The Border ) and Reka Pigniczky festival organizer
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- Prof Steven Kovacs with Eva E. Voisin, the Honorary Consul General of Hungary for Northern California
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- Festival organizers Reka Pigniczky, prof Steven Kovacs, Eva Homor and Eva E. Voisin, the Honorary Consul General of Hungary for Northern California
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- Reception
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- Reception with Imre Somogyi
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- Reception
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- Reception
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- Reception
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- Reception
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- Ritu and George Tilesch, Katalin Voros
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- Eva Homor festival organizer and Alison Baumann
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- Festival interview with audience member by Reka Pigniczky
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- Eva Homor happy festival organizer
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- audience
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- HFFSF TEAM ( Reka Pigniczky, prof. Steven Kovacs, Eva Homor )
Hungarian Film in San Francisco (HFSF) is part of Central European California Cultural Institute (CECI) dedicated to presenting a selection of contemporary Hungarian feature films, live action shorts, documentaries, and animation. In the past HFSF has worked with the Hungarian Film Festival taking place in Los Angeles. It is part of the curriculum of the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University, and as such it offers a unique combination of public access and higher education.
CECI, a San Francisco-based NGO, organizes cultural exchange between the two regions, having originated with a film festival and aimed to develop into a wide array of cultural events. The mission of CECI, founded and run by three Hungarian-Americans, is to promote Hungarian and other Central European film, theater and music events in California. The film festival is one of the main current cultural activities of CECI. The founders intend the organization to branch into the other arts in the near future.
Both the festival and the cultural institute are the creation of three Hungarian-Americans, professor Steven Kovacs, documentary filmmaker Réka Pigniczky and producer Éva Karafiáth-Homor.
In 2012, we hosted our first guest. Director Benedek Fliegauf accompanied his “Just the Wind” (the official Hungarian entry to the Academy Awards) to screen at SFSU in front of an audience of some 150 students and general public.
In 2013 we received private funding for the appearance of director Andras Vagvolgyi to present his feature “Kolorado Kid.” HFSF founder Reka Pigniczky volunteered to show and discuss her latest film “Heritage”. The Q & A that followed the two directors’ appearance were the highlights of the festival. Evening screenings were attended by 130 viewers.
In 2014 CECI received an “Art and Culture” grant approved by The Hungary Initiatives Foundation to support the 3rd Annual Hungarian Film Festival in San Francisco.
In 2015, at the 4th Hungarian Film Festival we made the first audience award to “Afterlife / Utóélet” by Virág Zomborácz.
In 2018 the 5th Hungarian Film Festival will take place on November 2-3 at our usual venue, the August Coppola Theatre, SFSU. In recognition of our pioneering quality programs, this year we received a grant from The Hungary Initiatives Foundation. With their support we have invited Academy Award winner director Kristóf Deák, award-winning director Attila Szász, and Zsuzsanna Gellér-Varga documentary filmmaker to present and discuss their work. We welcome guests to enjoy the movies and the Q&A afterwards. All screenings are free and open to the public.
Central European California Cultural Institute, The Hungary Initiatives Foundation, San Francisco State University, Hungarian National Film Fund, 56Films, The Heritage Foundation.
“I received an email from a Hungarian club in San Francisco inviting me to this festival, and I thought I should really come – I haven’t seen a Hungarian film in 10 years.” (Viktor Perkala, San Francisco)
“I used to work in the film business in Hungary and now I live here. So for me this is a great continuation of Hungarian film culture, since I can’t be at home now to watch films.” (Sövény Tímea, San Francisco)
Mission
To promote Hungarian and other Central Eastern European films in the SF Bay Area. We are cultural pioneers for films in general, and Hungarian and other regional films especially.
Future
Cultural programs and events initially throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, eventually in the entire state of California. Such programs and events may include art exhibits, musical presentations, theatrical and dance performances, and conferences that showcase the diverse traditions of Central Europe. Lectures and classes focused on educating the public about the rich and diverse culture and arts of Central Europe.Youth activities promoting charitable and educational purposes. Publication of educational information on a website.
Steve Kovacs
Film Director, SFSU Cinema Department
Happy Thanksgiving from Hungarian Film in San Francisco — we celebrate with a little clip from this year’s festival:
Boldog Hálaadást kíván a San Francisco-i Magyar Film Fesztivál!
IV. Hungarian Film Festival of San Francisco from Réka Pigniczky on Vimeo.
Congratulations! The 4th Hungarian Film Festival in San Francisco Audience Award 2015 winner is “Afterlife / Utóélet” by Virág Zomborácz.
For more informations
Interview with the director, Virág Zomborácz
4th Hungarian Film Festival of San Francisco
November 13-14, 2015
August Coppola Theater
San Francisco State University
Friday, November 13 (4pm – 10pm)
4:00-4:30 — Introduction to Contemporary Hungarian Cinema
4:30 – 6:30 — Ricsi and Drifter Q&A via Skype with director Gábor Hörcher
Ricsi (15 min.) 2014
dir. Gábor Hörcher
The protagonist in the documentary “Drifter” gets a chance to act in a fiction film. Ricsi’s friends have organized a farewell party the night before he leaves. But it is his mother who is packing for the trip, not Ricsi.
Best Hungarian Short Fiction Film Prize – Mediawave Film Festival 2015, Best Performance – Budapest Short Film Festival 2015, Visegrad Fund Special Prize – Budapest Short Film Festival 2015
Drifter (72 min.) Documentary feature 2014
dir. Gábor Hörcher
Ricsi, the young rebel, lives his life on the edge. ‘Trouble’ is his middle name. He is unruly, restlessly scaring up problem after problem. Driving cars without a license, stealing and escaping from the cops are all part of his daily routine, much to his parents’ despair. Ricsi won’t stand for routines nor the expectations of his deadbeat father. After all, where was he when Ricsi needed him the most?
IDFA Award for the Best First Appearance Documentary 2014, Best Documentary Award – Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2015, Special Mention of the Jury – goEast Film Festival 2015, Special Mention of the Jury – Docs Against Gravity Film Festival 2015
DOCU Rough Cut Boutique Postproduction Award 2013 – Sarajevo Film Festival, DOK.Incubator Sound Postproduction Prize 2014 – DOK Leipzig
6:30-7:30 Break and Reception
7:30—10:00 – The Border /Határ (24 min.) and Afterlife / Utóélet (93min.)
The Border / Határ (24 min.) Short, 2014
dir. Mátyás Szabó
A prisoner by the name of Maydan has a chance to escape from his guard. He has no way of knowing who is friend and foe, or whether the girl he meets will help him evade the law.
Afterlife / Utóélet (93 min.) Feature, 2014
dir. Virág Zomborácz
This is the story of the dysfunctional Tulipan family. The father is a pastor who rules the life of his family with an iron fist. But when he meets his untimely demise, the family breaks down. They search for a new life and maybe a ghost can help them. Is it a ghost story? Yes, but it is also a unique, black comedy set in a small village, just after the collapse of Communism.
First Prize – Bergamo Film Meeting 2015,
Audience Award – Timisoara Ceau Cinema! European film festival 2015, Best Actor: Márton Kristóf – Vilnius International Film Festival 2015, Best Feature Film (Meeting Point) – Valladolid International Film Festival 2014
Saturday, November 14 (9AM – 10PM)
9:00-9:30–Introduction
9:30 – 11:00–Free Entry (70 min.) Feature, 2015
dir. Yvonne Kerékgyártó
Betty is a young girl whose father still taxis her back and forth in his car, asking her why she has done her hair in such a strange way and what she’s up to with her friends. V is her best friend, with few inhibitions and worries in her life, sporting a more outlandish hairstyle, and with no responsible adults around her. Betty and V are getting ready to set off on an adventure together: gate-crashing the biggest music festival they have ever been to and experiencing everything it can offer–sex, drugs, excitement, danger…After all, what is being an adult all about?
Gamechanger Award – Austin SXSW Film Festival 2015, Cineuropa Prize – Novi Sad Cinema City – 2014
11:15 – 11:30 Station / Az Állomás (12 min.) Short, 2014
dir. Csaba Vékes
After finishing her stint on this planet, Aunt Terry would like to get somewhere else. But that’s impossible without the necessary documents.
11:30 – 12:45 Wild Hungary / Vad Magyarország
(51 min.) Nature Documentary, 2011
dir. Zoltán Török
A country like no other in Europe, Hungary is influenced by the rhythms of its rivers. White-tailed eagles, otters and enormous catfish share the wetlands with many other species living close to the local people, often unnoticed. This is their story presenting quite a few never-before-filmed animal behavior. Narrated by János Kulka.
Kollányi Ágoston Prize – Hungarian Film Week – 2011
12:45– 2:00 Break
2:15 – 4:30–No Man’s Island / Senki Szigete (93 min.) Feature, 2014,
dir. Ferenc Török
Vera is a cab driver who has been saving up for years to buy a house and settle on No Man’s Island in the Pacific to escape from the world in which she lives. Zoli has what it takes to become a professional basketball player, but beats a cowardly retreat from his own talent. These two youngsters, each on the run, are joined by Mia, the runaway bride. Their three lives clash and intermingle as they journey towards an unexpected solution. It is a modern fairy tale about young people in search of true happiness who, through Mia’s ethereal purity, come to accept themselves and find a way to realize their dreams.
4:30 – 4:45 Discussion and Summary
5:00 – 5:30 Reception
5:30 – 7:30 Hot Men/Cold Dictatorships / Meleg Férfiak, Hideg Diktatúrák, (90 min.) Documentary feature 2015,
dir. Mária Takács
Q and A and a recorded interview in Hungary with director Maria Takacs
A documentary dealing with the personal dramas of gay men living in communist Hungary. Has the situation of gay men improved since the fall of communism or is homophobia even worse today? This is the first documentary produced in our region that deals with the generations of older and younger gay men.
7:30-7:45 Break/reception continued
7:45-10:00 Mirage/Délibáb (110 min.) Feature, 2014
dir. Szabolcs Hajdú
Mirage tells the story of an African football player in a small Hungarian town, who commits a crime and has to flee. He finds refuge on a farm deep in the Hungarian plains. Soon he realizes that the farm is a modern slave camp where he is forced to fight for his freedom and ultimately his life.
For more information please check out our website
The Festival is organized by CECI
Sponsored by:
San Francisco State University
56Films
Magyar Filmunió
Hungarian National Film Fund
November is about great films from Central Europe at SFSU! This year our Hungarian Film Festival will be complemented by a Romanian Film Festival the weekend before. Moderated in part by our very own Steven Kovacs. Romanian films at San Francisco State Univ., Coppola Theater, Fine Arts building room 101, Friday, November 6, 4:00pm to 10:30pm and Saturday, November 7th, 9am to 8pm. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, free event. Presented by Professor Steve Kovacs and Florentina Mocanu-Schendel.
— Friday, November 6, 2015 —
4:00-4:30–Introduction
4:30–6:30 — ALIYAH DADA by Oana Giurgiu, documentary, Romania, 2015
6:30-7:00–Welcome by Dana Beidlman, Honorary Consul of Romania, and Q&A with director Oana Giurgiu
7:00-7:45–Dinner/Reception
7:45-9:30–Q.E.D. by Andrei Gruzsniczki, drama, Romania, 2013
9:30-10:00–Q&A with director Andrei Gruzsniczki
— Saturday, November 7, 2015 —
9:00 – 11:15 — CHILD’S POSE by Calin Peter Netzer, drama, Romania, 2013
11:30-1:15–CRULIC–THE PATH TO BEYOND by Anca Damian, documentary, Romania and Poland, 2011
1:15–2:15–Lunch
2:15–3:45–WAITING FOR AUGUST by Teodora Ana Mihai, documentary, Belgium, 2014
3:45–4:30 — Q&A with director Teodora Ana Mihai
4:30–5:00–Discussion and Summary
5:00 – 7:00–THE Happiest Girl in the World by Radu Jude, comedy, Romania and Netherlands, 2009
Films
Q.E.D. by Andrei Gruzsniczki
drama, Romania, 2013, 107′
with Sorin Leoveanu, Ofelia Popii, Florin Piersic Jr., Virgil Ogăşanu, Tora Vasilescu, Marc Titieni, screenplay Andrei Gruzsniczki, cinematography Vivi Dragan Vasile, producer Velvet Moraru
In 1984, a brilliant mathematician, his best friend’s wife, and the secret police agent who’s tracking them both are drawn together in this tense story of paranoia and betrayal. The palette is black and white, but the issues explored are anything but. (trailer)
Special Prize, Rome Film Festival, 2013
A New Directors/New Films 2014 selection
CHILD’S POSE by Calin Peter Netzer
drama, Romania, 2013, 112′
with Luminita Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Ilinca Goia, Natasa Raab, Vlad Ivanov, screenplay Calin Peter Netzer & Răzvan Rădulescu, cinematography Andrei Butica, producer Calin Peter Netzer, Ada Solomon
Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for this sardonic tale about a wealthy, aging Bucharest matriarch who greases more palms than she can shake as she tries to buy her son’s way out of a hit-and-run conviction. (trailer)
Golden Bear, Berlinale, Berlin International Film Festival, 2013
Telia Film Award, Stockholm International Film Festival, 2013
Official submission of Romania to the Oscars 2014, Best Foreign Language Film category.
THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD by Radu Jude
comedy, Romania, Netherlands, 2009, 100′
with Andreaa Bosneag, Vasile Muraru, Serban Pavlu, Adi Vasluianu, screenplay Radu Jude & Augustina Stanciu, cinematograpy Marius Panduru, producer Ada Solomon
Delia, a teenage girl, comes to Bucharest with her parents to claim the prize she has won in a soft drink contest – a brand new car – and to shoot a commercial. Everything seems fine until it becomes clear that Delia and her parents have different views on what they should do with the car. (trailer)
WAITING FOR AUGUST by Teodora Ana Mihai
documentary, Belgium, 2014, 88′
screenplay Teodora Ana Mihai, cinematographers Mihnea Popescu & Joachim Philippe, producers Hanne Phlypo & Antoine Vermeesch
Seven children are living alone in a social house in Bacău. Their mother, who left to work in Italy, is only digitally present by phone or Skype, while the children are looking forward for her return in August. Until then, Georgiana, the older sister, has to be the head of the household at only 15 years old. Torn between adolescent life and teenage issues and caring for her siblings, the film depicts Georgiana’s struggles and the fragility of the family balance. (trailer)
Best International Feature Documentary, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, 2014
Best Long Documentary Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 2014
ALIYAH DADA by Oana Giurgiu
documentary, Romania, 2015, 123′
screenplay Oana Giurgiu, cinematography Mihai Tanase, producer Tudor Giurgiu
Following the 130 years of history of the Romanian Jewry’s emigration to the Holy Land, the film reassembles moments from Eastern European and Israeli history through stories and playful collages that celebrate the art of Tristan Tzara, the famous Jewish-Romanian French avant-garde artist, born in the same town from where first Jews emigrated to Palestine in 1882… (trailer)
CRULIC – THE PATH TO BEYOND by Anca Damian
documentary, Romania, Poland, 2011, 73′
screenplay Anca Damian, animation Dan Panaitescu, Raluca Popa, Dragos Stefan, Roxana Bentu, Tuliu Oltean, producer Anca Damian
The animated feature-length “Crulic – The Path to Beyond” tells the story of the life of Crulic, the 33 years old Romanian who died in a Polish prison while making hunger strike. Romanian actor Vlad Ivanov provides the first-person voice-over narration from the point of view of the victim. (trailer)
Best Feature, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, 2012
Special Prize of the Jury, Istanbul International Film Festival
Map: http://www.sfsu.edu/~sfsumap/southeast.htm
Bio
Professor Steven Kovacs, the formerly Chair of SFSU Cinema Department, began as a film historian, writing the book From Enchantment to Rage: The Story of Surrealist Cinema. He started teaching at Stanford, where he co-produced the documentary Arthur and Lillie, for which he received an Academy Award Nomination. He worked as head of production for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures (1977-79). He has produced, written and directed a number of features, including The Lady in Red, On the Line, ’68, and Angel Blue.
He was invited to chair the SFSU Cinema Department in 1990 and has taught there ever since. He has written criticism on art, film, and politics, poetry and fiction. He has taught a wide range of courses, including screenwriting, directing and national cinemas, particularly European and Latin American. He was a Fulbright Fellow at the Hungarian Academy of Theater, Film and Television in 2002-2003.
From 2013 he is a co-Founder, Chairman of the Board and President of Central European California Cultural Institute, a San Francisco-based NGO which organizes cultural exchange between the two regions. The mission of CECI is to promote Central European film, theater events in California.
Steven earned a B.A. in History from Yale and a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Harvard.
Filmography
“Angel Blue” (Producer, Director, Writer), 1998
“’68″ (Director, Writer), 1988
“On the Line,” (Producer), 1985
“Einstein: The Man Behind the Genius” (Producer, Director), 1982
“The Lady in Red” (Producer) 1979
“Arthur and Lillie” Documentary (Producer) 1975
4th Hungarian Film Festival of San Francisco
November 13-14, 2015
August Coppola Theater
San Francisco State University
Friday, November 13 (4pm – 10pm)
4:00-4:30 — Introduction to Contemporary Hungarian Cinema
4:30 – 6:30 — Ricsi and Drifter Q&A via Skype with director Gábor Hörcher
Ricsi (15 min.) 2014
dir. Gábor Hörcher
The protagonist in the documentary “Drifter” gets a chance to act in a fiction film. Ricsi’s friends have organized a farewell party the night before he leaves. But it is his mother who is packing for the trip, not Ricsi.
Best Hungarian Short Fiction Film Prize – Mediawave Film Festival 2015, Best Performance – Budapest Short Film Festival 2015, Visegrad Fund Special Prize – Budapest Short Film Festival 2015
Drifter (72 min.) Documentary feature 2014
dir. Gábor Hörcher
Ricsi, the young rebel, lives his life on the edge. ‘Trouble’ is his middle name. He is unruly, restlessly scaring up problem after problem. Driving cars without a license, stealing and escaping from the cops are all part of his daily routine, much to his parents’ despair. Ricsi won’t stand for routines nor the expectations of his deadbeat father. After all, where was he when Ricsi needed him the most?
IDFA Award for the Best First Appearance Documentary 2014, Best Documentary Award – Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2015, Special Mention of the Jury – goEast Film Festival 2015, Special Mention of the Jury – Docs Against Gravity Film Festival 2015
DOCU Rough Cut Boutique Postproduction Award 2013 – Sarajevo Film Festival, DOK.Incubator Sound Postproduction Prize 2014 – DOK Leipzig
6:30-7:30 Break and Reception
7:30—10:00 – The Border /Határ (24 min.) and Afterlife / Utóélet (93min.)
The Border / Határ (24 min.) Short, 2014
dir. Mátyás Szabó
A prisoner by the name of Maydan has a chance to escape from his guard. He has no way of knowing who is friend and foe, or whether the girl he meets will help him evade the law.
Afterlife / Utóélet (93 min.) Feature, 2014
dir. Virág Zomborácz
This is the story of the dysfunctional Tulipan family. The father is a pastor who rules the life of his family with an iron fist. But when he meets his untimely demise, the family breaks down. They search for a new life and maybe a ghost can help them. Is it a ghost story? Yes, but it is also a unique, black comedy set in a small village, just after the collapse of Communism.
First Prize – Bergamo Film Meeting 2015,
Audience Award – Timisoara Ceau Cinema! European film festival 2015, Best Actor: Márton Kristóf – Vilnius International Film Festival 2015, Best Feature Film (Meeting Point) – Valladolid International Film Festival 2014
Saturday, November 14 (9AM – 10PM)
9:00-9:30–Introduction
9:30 – 11:00–Free Entry (70 min.) Feature, 2015
dir. Yvonne Kerékgyártó
Betty is a young girl whose father still taxis her back and forth in his car, asking her why she has done her hair in such a strange way and what she’s up to with her friends. V is her best friend, with few inhibitions and worries in her life, sporting a more outlandish hairstyle, and with no responsible adults around her. Betty and V are getting ready to set off on an adventure together: gate-crashing the biggest music festival they have ever been to and experiencing everything it can offer–sex, drugs, excitement, danger…After all, what is being an adult all about?
Gamechanger Award – Austin SXSW Film Festival 2015, Cineuropa Prize – Novi Sad Cinema City – 2014
11:15 – 11:30 Station / Az Állomás (12 min.) Short, 2014
dir. Csaba Vékes
After finishing her stint on this planet, Aunt Terry would like to get somewhere else. But that’s impossible without the necessary documents.
11:30 – 12:45 Wild Hungary / Vad Magyarország
(51 min.) Nature Documentary, 2011
dir. Zoltán Török
A country like no other in Europe, Hungary is influenced by the rhythms of its rivers. White-tailed eagles, otters and enormous catfish share the wetlands with many other species living close to the local people, often unnoticed. This is their story presenting quite a few never-before-filmed animal behavior. Narrated by János Kulka.
Kollányi Ágoston Prize – Hungarian Film Week – 2011
12:45– 2:00 Break
2:15 – 4:30–No Man’s Island / Senki Szigete (93 min.) Feature, 2014,
dir. Ferenc Török
Vera is a cab driver who has been saving up for years to buy a house and settle on No Man’s Island in the Pacific to escape from the world in which she lives. Zoli has what it takes to become a professional basketball player, but beats a cowardly retreat from his own talent. These two youngsters, each on the run, are joined by Mia, the runaway bride. Their three lives clash and intermingle as they journey towards an unexpected solution. It is a modern fairy tale about young people in search of true happiness who, through Mia’s ethereal purity, come to accept themselves and find a way to realize their dreams.
4:30 – 4:45 Discussion and Summary
5:00 – 5:30 Reception
5:30 – 7:30 Hot Men/Cold Dictatorships / Meleg Férfiak, Hideg Diktatúrák, (90 min.) Documentary feature 2015,
dir. Mária Takács
Q and A and a recorded interview in Hungary with director Maria Takacs
A documentary dealing with the personal dramas of gay men living in communist Hungary. Has the situation of gay men improved since the fall of communism or is homophobia even worse today? This is the first documentary produced in our region that deals with the generations of older and younger gay men.
7:30-7:45 Break/reception continued
7:45-10:00 Mirage/Délibáb (110 min.) Feature, 2014
dir. Szabolcs Hajdú
Mirage tells the story of an African football player in a small Hungarian town, who commits a crime and has to flee. He finds refuge on a farm deep in the Hungarian plains. Soon he realizes that the farm is a modern slave camp where he is forced to fight for his freedom and ultimately his life.
For more information please check out our website
The Festival is organized by CECI
Sponsored by:
San Francisco State University
56Films
Magyar Filmunió
Hungarian National Film Fund
Bio
Eva began her film career after high school and graduated from university with a bachelor’s degree in communications and film in Budapest, Hungary. She worked as a Producer Assistant, Unit/ Production Manager for ten years in Hungarian and International feature films and commercials and achieved the title of Line Producer in international commercials. She has a screenwriter and electrician skills. Her university project short film “Aqua” (directed by David Spah) won the “best screenplay” award at the 2006 San Francisco International Short Film Festival. She organized Moveast International Filmfestival for 4 years in Hungary, Pécs. From 2013 she is also a co-Founder and Board of Director of Central European California Cultural Institute, a San Francisco-Budapest based NGO which organizes cultural exchange between the two regions. The mission of CECI is to promote Central European film, theater and cultural events in California. Together with her husband as members of the American – Hungarian community she is volunteering as an organizer in the Neumann Society. Her aim is to help to spread Hungarian culture in the US and connect Hungarians with the diaspora in the US.
Filmography
Producer:
2010 Eletrichix (short – co-producer)
2006 Aqua (short – producer)
Production manager:
2010 Whatever Floats Your Boat (short – production manager)
2009 Prank (feature – unit manager)
2005 The real Santa (feature – unit manager)
Screenwriter:
2010 Electrichix ( short – co-screenwriter)
2006 Aqua (short – co-screenwriter)
Art department:
2008 John Adams (TV Mini-Series – art department coordinator – 2 episodes)
– Reunion (2008) … (art department coordinator: Hungary)
– Don’t Tread on Me (2008) … (art department coordinator: Hungary)
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director:
2008 Nyugalom (feature – second assistant director)
2006 Ballada (short – assistant director)
Miscellaneous Crew:
2006 Fekete fehér (TV Movie – production assistant)
2005 The Porcelain Doll (TV Movie – production assistant)
Actress:
2008 Nyugalom ( feature – Theatre director’s assistant)
4th Hungarian Film Festival of San Francisco
November 13-14, 2015
August Coppola Theater
San Francisco State University
Friday, November 13 (4pm – 10pm)
4:00-4:30 — Introduction to Contemporary Hungarian Cinema
4:30 – 6:30 — Ricsi and Drifter
Q&A via Skype with director Gábor Hörcher
Ricsi (15 min.) 2014
dir. Gábor Hörcher
The protagonist in the documentary “Drifter” gets a chance to act in a fiction film. Ricsi’s friends have organized a farewell party the night before he leaves. But it is his mother who is packing for the trip, not Ricsi.
Best Hungarian Short Fiction Film Prize – Mediawave Film Festival 2015, Best Performance – Budapest Short Film Festival 2015, Visegrad Fund Special Prize – Budapest Short Film Festival 2015
Trailer
Drifter (72 min.) Documentary feature 2014
dir. Gábor Hörcher
Ricsi, the young rebel, lives his life on the edge. ‘Trouble’ is his middle name. He is unruly, restlessly scaring up problem after problem. Driving cars without a license, stealing and escaping from the cops are all part of his daily routine, much to his parents’ despair. Ricsi won’t stand for routines nor the expectations of his deadbeat father. After all, where was he when Ricsi needed him the most?
IDFA Award for the Best First Appearance Documentary 2014, Best Documentary Award – Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2015, Special Mention of the Jury – goEast Film Festival 2015, Special Mention of the Jury – Docs Against Gravity Film Festival 2015
DOCU Rough Cut Boutique Postproduction Award 2013 – Sarajevo Film Festival, DOK.Incubator Sound Postproduction Prize 2014 – DOK Leipzig
Trailer
6:30-7:30 Break and Reception
7:30—10:00 – The Border /Határ (24 min.) and Afterlife / Utóélet (93min.)
The Border / Határ (24 min.) Short, 2014
dir. Mátyás Szabó
A prisoner by the name of Maydan has a chance to escape from his guard. He has no way of knowing who is friend and foe, or whether the girl he meets will help him evade the law.
Afterlife / Utóélet (93 min.) Feature, 2014
dir. Virág Zomborácz
This is the story of the dysfunctional Tulipan family. The father is a pastor who rules the life of his family with an iron fist. But when he meets his untimely demise, the family breaks down. They search for a new life and maybe a ghost can help them. Is it a ghost story? Yes, but it is also a unique, black comedy set in a small village, just after the collapse of Communism.
First Prize – Bergamo Film Meeting 2015,
Audience Award – Timisoara Ceau Cinema! European film festival 2015, Best Actor: Márton Kristóf – Vilnius International Film Festival 2015, Best Feature Film (Meeting Point) – Valladolid International Film Festival 2014
Trailer
Saturday, November 14 (9AM – 10PM)
9:00-9:30–Introduction
9:30 – 11:00–Free Entry (70 min.) Feature, 2015
dir. Yvonne Kerékgyártó
Betty is a young girl whose father still taxis her back and forth in his car, asking her why she has done her hair in such a strange way and what she’s up to with her friends. V is her best friend, with few inhibitions and worries in her life, sporting a more outlandish hairstyle, and with no responsible adults around her. Betty and V are getting ready to set off on an adventure together: gate-crashing the biggest music festival they have ever been to and experiencing everything it can offer–sex, drugs, excitement, danger…After all, what is being an adult all about?
Gamechanger Award – Austin SXSW Film Festival 2015, Cineuropa Prize – Novi Sad Cinema City – 2014
Trailer
11:15 – 11:30 Station / Az Állomás (12 min.) Short, 2014
dir. Csaba Vékes
After finishing her stint on this planet, Aunt Terry would like to get somewhere else. But that’s impossible without the necessary documents.
11:30 – 12:45 Wild Hungary / Vad Magyarország (51 min.) Nature Documentary, 2011
dir. Zoltán Török
A country like no other in Europe, Hungary is influenced by the rhythms of its rivers. White-tailed eagles, otters and enormous catfish share the wetlands with many other species living close to the local people, often unnoticed. This is their story presenting quite a few never-before-filmed animal behavior. Narrated by János Kulka.
Kollányi Ágoston Prize – Hungarian Film Week – 2011
Trailer
12:45– 2:00 Break
2:15 – 4:30–No Man’s Island / Senki Szigete (93 min.) Feature, 2014,
dir. Ferenc Török
Vera is a cab driver who has been saving up for years to buy a house and settle on No Man’s Island in the Pacific to escape from the world in which she lives. Zoli has what it takes to become a professional basketball player, but beats a cowardly retreat from his own talent. These two youngsters, each on the run, are joined by Mia, the runaway bride. Their three lives clash and intermingle as they journey towards an unexpected solution. It is a modern fairy tale about young people in search of true happiness who, through Mia’s ethereal purity, come to accept themselves and find a way to realize their dreams.
Trailer
4:30 – 4:45 Discussion and Summary
5:00 – 5:30 Reception
5:30 – 7:30 Hot Men/Cold Dictatorships / Meleg Férfiak, Hideg Diktatúrák, (90 min.) Documentary feature 2015,
dir. Mária Takács
Q and A and a recorded interview in Hungary with director Maria Takacs
A documentary dealing with the personal dramas of gay men living in communist Hungary. Has the situation of gay men improved since the fall of communism or is homophobia even worse today? This is the first documentary produced in our region that deals with the generations of older and younger gay men.
Trailer
7:30-7:45 Break/reception continued
7:45-10:00 Mirage/Délibáb (110 min.) Feature, 2014
dir. Szabolcs Hajdú
Mirage tells the story of an African football player in a small Hungarian town, who commits a crime and has to flee. He finds refuge on a farm deep in the Hungarian plains. Soon he realizes that the farm is a modern slave camp where he is forced to fight for his freedom and ultimately his life.
Trailer
Bio
Réka Pigniczky is a television journalist, producer and independent documentary filmmaker. She’s worked for the Associated Press Television News for over 10 years, both in New York and Budapest, Hungary. She completed her first feature-length documentary, Journey Home: a story from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, at the end of 2006. It won awards in Hungary and was invited to screen at a number of international film festivals. She completed her second feature-length documentary, Inkubátor, in 2010, which saw a wide audience in Hungary through a national theatrical release as well as television broadcast, and it enjoyed wide critical acclaim after the Hungarian Film Festival. The film was also voted one of the 25 best films released in Hungary in 2010.
56 Films is actively involved in Hungary’s documentary community, and Réka has taken part in a number of festival juries and international documentary projects. She is also a member of the European Documentary Network (EDN) and the International Documentary Association (IDA).
Réka has an MA in journalism and international relations from Columbia University in New York, and she also has an MA in political science from the Central European University in Budapest. She has a BA in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.
Réka was born and raised in the U.S. by Hungarian refugee parents and lived in Hungary for 14 years after the Iron Curtain fell, spending the early 1990’s working as a political consultant and volunteer organizer for women’s NGO’s in Hungary. She serves on the board of Blood Mountain Foundation, an international artist residency program based in Budapest. Since 2002, she lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area, working as a filmmaker, journalist, cross-cultural events director and proud mother of three bicultural children.
From 2013 she is also the co-Founder and Board Member of the Central European California Cultural Institute, a San Francisco-based NGO which organizes cultural exchange between the two regions. The mission of CECI is to promote Central European film, theater events in California.
Filmography
Kodály on the Cuyahoga (Kodály a Cuyahogán)
2014, Television Documentary (Duna World), 52 min; Lang: Hungarian
Heritage (Megmaradni)
2013, USA/Hungary; Documentary, 63 min.; Lang: English/Hungarian
The Man who Built Shanghai (Hudec László Élete)
2011, USA/Hungary, Documentary Short, 26 min. Lang: English/Hungarian/Mandarin
Inkubátor (Inkubátor)
2009/2010, USA/Hungary; Creative Documentary, 88 min.; Lang: English/Hungarian
Kazár: from the Cradle to the Grave (Kazár: A Bölcsőtöl a Sírig)
2008, Hungary; Ethnographic Documentary, 45 min; Lang: Hungarian
Journey Home: A Story from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (Hazatérés)
2006, USA/Hungary; Creative Documentary, 88 min.; Lang: English/Hungarian
Mirage tells the story of an African football player in a small Hungarian town, who commits a crime and has to flee. He finds refuge on a farm deep in the Hungarian plains. Soon he realizes that the farm is a modern slave camp where he is forced to fight for his freedom and ultimately his life.
Screening: Saturday, November 14. 7:45pm-10:00pm
With English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
A documentary dealing with the personal dramas of gay men living in communist Hungary. Has the situation of gay men improved since the fall of communism or is homophobia even worse today? This is the first documentary produced in our region that deals with the generations of older and younger gay men.
Hot Men, Cold Dictatorships is one of the first documentaries about the gay community in Central and Eastern Europe. The film investigates how Hungarian society and the state have been treating gays and how gays’ personal experiences of social and political oppression have changed since Communism until today.
Screening: Saturday, November 14. 5:30pm – 7:30pm, Q & A and a recorded interview in Hungary with the director
With English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
Vera is a cab driver who has been saving up for years to buy a house and settle on No Man’s Island in the Pacific to escape from the world in which she lives. Zoli has what it takes to become a professional basketball player, but beats a cowardly retreat from his own talent. These two youngsters, each on the run, are joined by Mia, the runaway bride. Their three lives clash and intermingle as they journey towards an unexpected solution. It is a modern fairy tale about young people in search of true happiness who, through Mia’s ethereal purity, come to accept themselves and find a way to realize their dreams.
Screening: Saturday, November 14. 2:15pm – 4:30pm
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
A country like no other in Europe, Hungary is influenced by the rhythms of its rivers. White-tailed eagles, otters and enormous catfish share the wetlands with many other species living close to the local people, often unnoticed. This is their story presenting quite a few never-before-filmed animal behavior. Narrated by János Kulka.
Screening: Saturday, November 14. 11:30am – 12:45pm
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
After finishing her stint on this planet, Aunt Terry would like to get somewhere else. But that’s impossible without the necessary documents.
Screening: Saturday, November 14. 11:15am – 11:30am
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
actual template
Betty is a young girl whose father still taxis her back and forth in his car, asking her why she has done her hair in such a strange way and what she’s up to with her friends. V is her best friend, with few inhibitions and worries in her life, sporting a more outlandish hairstyle, and with no responsible adults around her. Betty and V are getting ready to set off on an adventure together: gate-crashing the biggest music festival they have ever been to and experiencing everything it can offer–sex, drugs, excitement, danger…After all, what is being an adult all about?
Screening: Saturday, November 14. 9:30am – 11:00am
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
This is the story of the dysfunctional Tulipan family. The father is a pastor who rules the life of his family with an iron fist. But when he meets his untimely demise, the family breaks down. They search for a new life and maybe a ghost can help them. Is it a ghost story? Yes, but it is also a unique, black comedy set in a small village, just after the collapse of Communism.
Screening: Saturday, November 13. 8pm – 10pm
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
A prisoner by the name of Maydan has a chance to escape from his guard. He has no way of knowing who is friend and foe, or whether the girl he meets will help him evade the law.
Screening: Saturday, November 13. 7:30pm – 7:55pm
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
don’t edit this
Ricsi, the young rebel, lives his life on the edge. ‘Trouble’ is his middle name. He is unruly, restlessly scaring up problem after problem. Driving cars without a license, stealing and escaping from the cops are all part of his daily routine, much to his parents’ despair. Ricsi won’t stand for routines nor the expectations of his deadbeat father. After all, where was he when Ricsi needed him the most?
Screening: Friday, November 13. 4:45pm – 6:30pm — Q&A via Skype with director Gábor Hörcher
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
The protagonist in the documentary “Drifter” gets a chance to act in a fiction film. Ricsi’s friends have organized a farewell party the night before he leaves. But it is his mother who is packing for the trip, not Ricsi.
Screening: Friday, November 13. 4:30pm – 4:45pm — Q&A via Skype with director Gábor Hörcher
with English subtitles / Admission is free / Seating is limited
