Both films benefited from Hungary’s 30 percent cash rebate as well as the experience and professionalism of Hungary’s thriving film production sector.

Maria, a biopic about opera diva Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, was shot partly in Hungary and enjoys sumptuous sets and costumes with Budapest standing in for Paris in many scenes of the film. The film stock for Maria was processed at Hungary’s NFI Filmlab, which has recently invested in a major upgrade of its postproduction facilities.

The Brutalist starring Adrien Brody is a coproduction between the UK, USA and Hungary, much of it shot in Hungary. The script follows the life of a Hungarian architect who emigrated to America, László Tóth, and his wife, over 30 years.

The Brutalist, which is 215 minutes long, was shot on 70mm format on 26 reels and was also processed at Budapest’s NFI Filmlab. The film was edited by Dávid Jancsó.

Hungary has become one of Europe’s film industry hubs and the “go to” location for major productions for Hollywood as well as European blockbusters, with films like Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series also shooting there, among many others.