BUDAPEST, Hungary, Feb 2, (Agencies): Backers of a new film based on the recent serial killings of Hungarian Roma hope to shine a light on an embattled minority group that is among the region’s poorest and least-educated. “Csak a szel” (“Just the Wind”), which depicts the life of a Roma family on the Great Hungarian Plain, ending with their murders, will be in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival starting Feb 9, the film’s producers said Wednesday. Bence Fliegauf’s film, a Hungarian, German and French co-production that cost around 150 million forints (515,000 euros, $675,000) and stars amateur Roma actors, was inspired by a series of murders that scandalized a country not always sympathetic to the Roma, or Gypsy, minority.

“I hope this film will be seen as a sign that Hungary is ready to confront these issues instead of just sweeping them under the carpet,” said Zoltan Balog, head of the State Secretariat for Social Inclusion, a government agency focused on poverty and Roma integration that provided funding for the film. Four men are on trial in Budapest accused of carrying out attacks in nine villages between July 2008 and August 2009 in which six Roma were shot to death, including a 5-year-old boy. Five sustained life-threatening injuries. Prosecutors said the accused were motivated partly by vigilantism and wanted to frighten and provoke the Roma community into acts of reprisal.

Affected
Roma, an estimated 5-8 percent of Hungary’s 10 million people, battle deep prejudice and have been deeply affected by the loss of guaranteed jobs after the end of communism over 20 years ago. Unemployment among Roma is several times the national average near 11 percent. The leading roles are played by amateur Roma actors, with professionals in the supporting cast, said producers Monika Mecs and Andras Muhi. “Bence spent six months casting the film, traveling around the country to visit Roma communities,” Muhi said. About 45 percent of the film’s budget came from Hungarian sources.

Andy Vajna, a Hungarian-born Hollywood producer who is now the government commissioner in charge of renewing Hungary’s film industry, said the National Film Fund was ready to provide financial support to similar projects. “We are interested in all sorts of proposals dealing with social problems,” Vajna said. “If they are well developed, we will support them.” Muhi said the film’s distribution was being handled by German company The Match Factory and there were expectations that “Just The Wind” would be shown in cinemas in some 40 countries after its Berlin premiere. Fliegauf was in Berlin completing post-production work on the film and was not present at Wednesday’s press conference.

Also:
LOS ANGELES: Eastman Kodak eased away from the Hollywood spotlight on Wednesday, asking to have its name removed from the theater that hosts the Oscars. The once dominant photography company has asked a US bankruptcy court to void an estimated $4 million-a-year contract and remove its name on the famous Kodak Theatre in central Hollywood as Kodak tries to preserve cash and restructure operations. Kodak said in court documents it was filing a motion to reject the contract and that the theatre should take all steps necessary to remove Kodak’s naming rights and the signage associated with it.

It was not immediately clear if Kodak’s name will appear on the building during this month’s upcoming Academy Awards on Feb 26, but a source familiar with the matter said several companies have approached building owner CIM Group about naming rights.
About 10 years ago, Kodak agreed to pay $74 million to CIM to see its name for some 20 years on the facade of the 3,400-plus seat theater.
A spokesperson for CIM was not immediately available to comment.
“Kodak is proud of its important role in the entertainment industry and our long-standing relationship with film makers,” the company said. “Our motion today reflects our commitment to ensure that we are maximizing value for our entertainment customers, creditors and other stakeholders.”
Branding experts say the value of any naming rights should rise.

“I think there’s so much media attention on Kodak and the circumstances of its bankruptcy that from a visibility point of view, the new company that puts its name there will get a lot of attention. And that has a lot of value,” said Adam Hanft, CEO of Hanft Projects.
Hanft also believes the next naming rights deal for the property will likely be shorter.
“Business changes so fast now. It’s a high risk proposition for a vendor and a company to enter into such a long-term branding deal in this marketplace,” he said. “I think the building owner will get more money over a shorter period of time.”
He noted that telecommunication companies have deep enough pockets for these kind of deals, while wealthy social media companies may view putting their name on a brick and mortar structure as too “old school.”

Kodak’s bankruptcy on Jan 19 has been rippling through Hollywood in several ways. Yet even though its role in entertainment started to fade as digital technology began diluting its century-long hold on film distribution, Kodak still has a significant impact on Hollywood.
Among Kodak’s top unsecured creditors are major studios, owed millions of dollars in film rebates, who fear they will not be repaid.
Major entertainment companies listed among Kodak’s top 50 unsecured creditors include Sony Corp, owed $16.7 million; Time Warner Inc’s Warner Brothers, due $14.2 million; Comcast Corp’s NBC Universal, short $9.3 million; Viacom Inc’s Paramount Studios, owed $6.8 million; and Walt Disney Studios, $4.2 million.