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Along with his lifelong friend, László Kovács, the late Hungarian was a master of lenses and light, and their combined effect on cinema is impossible to overstate

The magnificent career of Hungarian-born cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond received a small and delightful capstone in 2015 when movie-crazy TV chef and longtime Zsigmond-idolator Anthony Bourdain chose him as his guide to the mysteries and splendours of Budapest, where Zsigmond had studied cinematography at the State Academy of Drama and Film in the early 1950s.

The 6ft 4in Bourdain was led around the city by this tiny and birdlike 84-year-old – armed as ever with his camera – who led him to the abandoned headquarters of the Soviet-era security services, to favourite old restaurants, and laid out his early life while sitting neck-deep and naked in one of the city’s legendary bathhouse pools. Exiled from Hungary almost 60 years earlier and domiciled thereafter in the United States,...

Rio de Janeiro’s International Film Festival opened last night (Oct 1) celebrating the life and work of local hero Chico Buarque who, at 71, remains one of Brazil’s top composers, musicians and singers.

The world premiere of documentary Chico - Artista Brasileiro packed Cine Odeon, a 90-year-old movie theatre that will host public screenings of the most important festival sections, including Premiere Brasil.

As Rio celebrated its 450th anniversary in March, it proved appropriate to open the city’s film festival with a documentary that reflected its spirit and culture.

Directed by Miguel Faria Jr., the film attempts to uncover the man behind the artist simply known as “Chico” in Brazil, with testimonials from the musician and those closest to him.

Chico - Artista Brasileiro centres on the list of the artist who wrote Bossa Nova songs in the 1960s and faced censorship in the 1970s, for attacking the Brazilian military dictatorship in his lyrics.

Chico is also...

Rio de Janeiro’s International Film Festival opened last night (Oct 1) celebrating the life and work of local hero Chico Buarque who, at 71, remains one of Brazil’s top composers, musicians and singers.

The world premiere of documentary Chico - Artista Brasileiro packed Cine Odeon, a 90-year-old movie theatre that will host public screenings of the most important festival sections, including Premiere Brasil.

As Rio celebrated its 450th anniversary in March, it proved appropriate to open the city’s film festival with a documentary that reflected its spirit and culture.

Directed by Miguel Faria Jr., the film attempts to uncover the man behind the artist simply known as “Chico” in Brazil, with testimonials from the musician and those closest to him.

Chico - Artista Brasileiro centres on the list of the artist who wrote Bossa Nova songs in the 1960s and faced censorship in the 1970s, for attacking the Brazilian military dictatorship in his lyrics.

Chico is also...

"I finally got to print one of these!" exclaimed Amy Lemisch from the California Film Commission, waving a printed handout detailing the state's new incentives.

For years, Lemisch watched other states and countries pass out small pamphlets and one-sheets at the Afci Locations Trade Show as regions from around the world jumped on the incentive bandwagon, and all Lemisch could to was watch productions run away. This year, California and its many regional commissions were, in Lemisch's words, "very, very busy" and a strong presence at the show, whose 24th edition was held in Santa Monica from Thursday-Saturday.

The trade show proved that incentives continue to be big business, with the newly created Cayman Islands Film Commission taking the occasion to announce a new 30% rebate while Texas unveiled a new scheme that offers as much as 17.5%, up from its previous 5%.

Canada as usual took a unified approach, though that didn't...

Moscow -- The Hungarian film industry expects an increase in providing services to foreign film crews shooting in the country, and a stable situation with co-productions this year, despite the global economic downturn. The situation with local film production, however, which depends heavily on state funding, remains uncertain.

"I'm quite positive that we are going to have a better year than last in terms of providing services," National Film Office director Miklos Taba said. "And the crisis could have a positive effect on the figures as (foreign) studios might want to save money, and for them it is cheaper to come here."

However, any increase would largely be due to the fact that last year was quite poor for the service sector. "In 2008, we had a big fall in the area of providing services to foreign crews," explained Taba.

"First, production was becoming more expensive due to the exchange rate.