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Officials at Hungary's MAFILM
(www.mafilm.hu) are negotiating new arrangements with productions at
its Fot Studios which were disrupted by a fire that broke out on June
6, destroying nearly half of the complex.
The Huszarik soundstage was burned out, along with about 2,000 square
meters of the total 5,000 square meters of interior studio space. The
financial loss is estimated in the billions of forints (tens of
millions of euros), although the facility was reportedly insured.
MAFILM Chief Executive Tamas Tolmar said in a statement that four
Fot-based productions were affected by the fire, including HBO's John
Adams mini-series starring Paul Giamatti, Danny Huston and
Sarah Polley. Its production manager, Edit Nagy, said the crew will
relocate in the neighbouring Varkonyi sound stage.
Other films said to be affected are Painkiller Jane
and the BBC's Robin Hood mini-series. Negotiations
are continuing on possible restructuring and rescheduling of film
productions that were shooting at Fot.
About 100 firefighters battled the five-alarm blaze before it was
declared under control at dawn. The roof caved in, but the building
structure is still standing. Authorities say a preliminary
investigation reveals no evidence of arson, but the cause has not yet
been determined.
The fire coincides with a new era of film production in Hungary, in
which competition has intensified due to a significant rise in studio
space. In addition to the Fot Studios, the newly opened Korda Studios
(www.kordafilmstudio.hu) and the Stern Film Studios (www.sternfilm.com)
are also serving international productions in Hungary |
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