The committee included cinematographer György Balog, film critic György Báron and director Gábor Dettre representing the Association of Hungarian Film Artists; Tamás Hutlassa representing the Hungarian Independent Producers Association; József Cirkó the Hungarian Producers Association; János Kende the Hungarian Society of Cinematographers, and András Surányi the Hungarian Directors? Guild.
The committee could choose any film which premiered in Hungary between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006, under Academy rules.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will decide on submissions in late January, and the award will be presented with the other Academy Awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on February 25.
With the release of his third feature film, based on the experiences of his gymnast brother, Hajdu has been hailed as one of his generation?s most talented directors. At the Hungarian Film Festival in February, Hajdu was awarded Best Director for ?White Palms?. The film also won the Gene Moskowitz Foreign Critics? Award, and the Audience Award. Iván Angelusz, Péter Reich, Gábor Kovács and Ágnes Pataki won the award for Best Producer because of their work on the film, ?White Palms? cinematographer András Nagy won the award for Best Cinematographer, and the film?s editor Péter Politzer won the award for Best Editor.
The international premiere of ?White Palms? was at the Directors? Fortnight at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. World sales rights were purchased by French distributor ONOMA at the European Film Market in Berlin.
To learn more about ?White Palms? visit the film?s website at www.fehertenyer.hu.
