Csodakút is the only Hungarian-language international nature film festival in the Carpathian basin, said organiser Ferenc Csabai. It is the successor of a festival previously held in Pusztaszer in southern Hungary, he added.
Since the festival has grown in size, it moved to nearby Kanjiža, or Magyarkanizsa in Hungarian, a town on the banks of the River Tisza which has sufficient accommodations for festival-goers, he said.
A total of 46 films were submitted by 31 filmmakers this year, including 37 from Hungary, five from Vojvodina, three from Transylvania and one from France. Almost half of the films were made by amateurs.
Csabai said the proliferation of HD technology had enabled amateurs to create work of increasingly high quality. At the same time, the lack of funding is also noticeable among filmmakers: whereas in recent years, the focus was on certain animals or natural phenomenon, this year?s programme includes more films about regions and landscapes which have a smaller budget, he added.
Festival-goers can participate in a number of other activities on the programme, such as enjoying the local cuisine, taking a canoe trip on the Tisza or travelling by horse carriage to the nearby therapeutic spring.
The jury, headed by Ildikó Kormos, will announce the final festival results on Sunday.
The main prize includes a 1,000-euro purse from the local council of Kanjiža.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
