European Tourism Forum
IT IS BECOMING EASIER TO SPOT TOURISTS while walking down the streets of many European capitals. Young people with giant bags strapped to their backs stroll the downtowns, and mammoth tour buses make their ways along thin roads to castles, tourist attractions and monuments. The proliferation of tour books alone is making today’s tourist braver and more eager to tread every corner of their host country. This is where the European Tourism Forum comes in. Hungary is hosting the third annual gathering, which will see several hundred participants converge at the Hotel Hilton to tackle the challenges and changes facing the tourism industry. Europe’s tourist industry was already the largest in the world, and with the addition of new member countries to the European Union this year, it will get larger. The forum will feature speakers for three major workshops: how the internal market for services can coalesce and take advantage of less administrative red tape in the EU; employment and training in the tourism industry; and new industry trends and the changing demographic of the tourist.

INFORMATION
The European Tourism Forum 2004
DATE: Oct. 15-16
VENUE: Hotel Budapest Hilton
ADDRESS: Hess András tér 1-3
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.327.0607
www.etf2004budapest.hu

Hatching eggs
GERMANY’S MULTI-DISCIPLINARY and contemporary performance group, Nico and the Navigators – led by young Berlin director Nicola Hümpel – will present “Eggs on Earth.” Creating what critics say is a new form of improvisation theater, Hümpel’s minimalist performance will be filled with clever surprises and slow, “photo-like” scenes. Focusing on human behavior and every day situations, the company, founded in 1998 at the Bauhaus Dessau, spices the performance with audience winning elements of humor, irony and absurdity. Hümpel aims at opening eyes to the fact that peoples’ lives have shifted from enjoying and living to organizing and working. The performance raises and discusses questions such as, how work has affected and changed our personalities, lives and relationships.

INFORMATION
Nico and the Navigators
DATE: Oct. 21 - 22, 2004
VENUE: Trafó House of Contemporary Art
ADDRESS: Liliom u. 41
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.456.2040
www.trafo.hu

Films and more
A COMPILATION OF GOODIES FROM EXHIBITIONS, conferences and other cultural events will be presented at the third annual International Film Festival of Fine Arts in Szolnok (100 km southeast of Budapest) Sept. 16-21. The film festival is one of Hungary’s most prestigious film industry events, and Szolnok, located on Hungary’s Great Plain, boasts close to 40 years of film tradition. This year’s festival is accompanied by the Transeuropa Express meeting, a conference and debate attended by young directors, producers, and college and university students. Also on hand will be an international fine art biennale entitled ARTICUM, in addition to the traditional International film market. The festival provides room for broader education and communication within the film industry and aims to maintain its role as a professional forum in the region. This year’s program will feature 160 films from some 25 countries in five categories, mostly at the festival’s main venue, Szolnok’s City Community and Music Center.

INFORMATION
Szolnok International Film Festival
DATE: Sept. 16-21
ADDRESS: Various venues in Szolnok
CITY, COUNTRY: Szolnok, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 56.511.270
www.tiszamozi.hu

Creating new out of old
REPRODUCING AND STAGING ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S adaptation of “Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantome de L’Opera” with age-old history, is no small feat. The Madách Theater – named after one of the most talented Hungarian writers of the 19th century – has to not only win the right to stage the first ever independent version of the musical, but also to produce a new interpretation of the work. The classic and endearing love novel deals with hideous Erik Phantom’s amorous crotchet with Christine, his young and naive protégé, in an extremely realistic way. With well-known and gifted actors Sándor Sasvári, Zoltán Miller, Attila Csengeri as the Phatom, Barbara Fonyó, Eszter Biró and Linda

INFORMATION
The Phantom of the Opera
DATE: see website
VENUE: Madách Theater
ADDRESS: VII, Erzsébet krt. 31-33.
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.478.2041
www.azoperahazfantomja.hu

Revisit the disco
THE NIGHT-FLIGHT TO VENUS is making a pit stop in Budapest when Boney M brings its show to town. Those who were into the 1970s disco scene will certainly remember Boney M, with hits such as “Brown Girl In The Ring” and “Rasputin.” Others, familiar with the 1990s house music scene may also remember slightly reworked versions of those hits, along with several medleys and mixes popular on the dance charts. Boney M’s music may be easy to dance to, but keeping track of the band’s line-up can be a challenge. The group was the brainchild of German producer Frank Farian, who, in 1976, created a four-person line-up, which included singer Liz Mitchell. The year 1978 was Boney M’s biggest as the album, “Nightflight To Venus” was released. It produced hits for the band in the UK and recognition in the USA. During the 1980s the band’s successes stayed mainly in Europe. Band members were constantly changing and there was even a split in the mid-80s, although a reunion followed shortly after. The question of Boney M’s identity became even more confusing in the 1990s, when Farian and Mitchell both had groups claiming to be the original. Mitchell’s Boney M will be the group hustling into Budapest.

INFORMATION
Boney M
DATES: Sept. 26
VENUE: Budapest Congress Center
ADDRESS: Jagello ut 1-3
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.372.5700
www.bcc.hu

The Viennale
WITH FILM FESTIVALS LIKE CANNES featuring more and more Hollywood films, many young directors are looking elsewhere for new festival hot spots. The Vienna International Film Festival, known as the Viennale, is one of them. Started in 1960, the Viennale is Austria’s biggest film festival and is especially popular among German-speakers. The event typically boasts hundreds of features, shorts and documentaries from around the world, and attracts more than 70,000 visitors. This year’s festival brings together films from Germany, Israel, the US and other countries, complimenting a selection of works from local talent. The event will also feature special programs and retrospectives. One such program centers on Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda. Koreeda’s most recent film, ”Daremo Shiranai (Nobody Know).” The film’s 14-year-old star, Yuuya Yagira, won the “Best Actor” award at this year’s Cannes festival. A retrospectives program will highlight the French filmmaking team of Jean Marie Straub and Danielle Huillet, and Oscar-winning American filmmaker John Ford. In the features category, Lee Kang-Sheng and Mark Milgard are among those showing films. Renowned French director Jean-Luc Goddard will screen his feature, ”Notre Music.” Viennale will also pay tribute to “Cinema 16” film club founder Amos Vogel and legendary screen actress Lauren Bacall.

INFORMATION
Viennale Vienna International Film Festival
DATES: Oct. 15-27
CITY, COUNTRY: Vienna, Austria
TELEPHONE: [43] 1.526.5947
www.viennale.at

Sarah’s songs
THE NAME SOUNDS FAMILIAR … but you might not be able to place the face. The voice, however, is easily recognizable. Born outside of London, Sarah Brightman has managed to tread many musical genres over her 30-year career, making her voice well-known across Europe. She began studying ballet at an early age, which led her to perform on the popular British television show, “Top Of The Pops.” She joined Pan’s People, the show’s dance group, and later moved on to dance with Hot Gossip. It was with this troupe that Brightman scored her first disco hit, “I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper” in 1978. Brightman used her dancing to enter musical theater and wound up in a version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats.” Not only did Brightman amaze theater fans with her dancing and singing, she amazed Webber, and the two married. Webber created the role of Christine in his version of “Phantom of the Opera” for his wife and muse. She debuted it in London and took the role to Broadway soon after. Brightman’s marriage with Webber didn’t last, however, and her stint in theater was cut short. She later began a solo career and won the hearts of adult contemporary pop fans everywhere. Brightman has sold over 15 million records worldwide and is touring Europe with her latest release, the Arabian inspired “Harem.”

INFORMATION
Sarah Brightman
DATES: Sept. 8
VENUE: Budapest Sportarena
ADDRESS: Stefánia út 2
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.422.2682
www.ticketpro.hu,
www.sarah-brightman.com

Crossing contemporary lines
AS PART OF THIS YEAR’S BUDAPEST AUTUMN FESTIVAL, one of the most curious interdisciplinary contemporary performances will take place in an unusual location. János Térey, Kornél Mundruczó and the Krétakör Theatre – names that stand out among Hungarian contemporary creativity – will bring their expertise to a joint performance of “Niebelung Housing Estate,” to be held inside an out-of-use cave hospital on the hillside of the Buda Castle. Térey, a young Hungarian poet with a harsh and distinct voice was born in 1970 in Debrecen and is considered one of the most important young poets of recent years. The production will be his first drama adapted for stage. The Wagner-type myth is placed in the context of today’s world and is a harsh critique of modern society. Hagen, the anti-hero, attacks friends, relatives and business partners in his quest for power and money. But the plan backfires. Director Kornél Mundruczó is one of the most well known young Hungarian film directors and will work side by side the independent theater group, Krétakör Theater. The latter is a group of young actors known for their outrageous and extravagant performances since their inception in 2001. With a poignant-drama at hand, and three respected names, the show is sure to sell out. The performance aims to disband fear of the word "contemporary" and initiate communication between artist and audience. Be prepared for chaos.

INFORMATION
DATES: Oct. 22-23
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36]1.486.3300
www.festivalcity.hu/bof2004