Today is NATPE Budapest’s last day. The four-day market began on the afternoon of Monday, June 27. There wasn’t any real excitement for the business at hand, but participants were happy to be back, and the number of exhibitors did increase to 117 (from just 100 in 2019), of which 30 have suites on the InterContinental Hotel’s second floor.
Meeting tables, viewing stations, and market stands are on the first floor.
Of the U.S. studios, Paramount and NBCUni screened off site (at the traditional Puskin Cinema), while Warner Bros., Sony, MGM, Lionsgate, and A+E just exhibited. (Lionsgate and A+E also screened, but at the InterContinental.)
The U.S. studio screenings are always a source of frustration for the indie sellers, since they take buyers — 97 in the case of Paramount — away from the hotel venue for most of the day (this time around, on Tuesday).
“During the studio screenings, I go about town, since I don’t have any meetings,” was the typical exhibitor comment. On the other hand, retorted a NATPE Budapest organizer, the U.S. studios attract more buyers to the market, and those buyers also often meet with the indies.
In fact, buyers made a good number of appointments with sellers (with the number drastically reduced during the U.S. studio screenings), and some of those meetings even took place during the setup time on Monday, before the market’s official opening at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Much of this activity was technically said to be more of a “shopping around” rather than any actual buying or indications of commitments, as, according to one Polish buyer, acquisition executives from Poland “are all here, but from mid-level management.” Officially, the number of buyers stands at 345.
Some sellers reported that some Russian buyers were not aware that they weren’t welcome, and even though they couldn’t register, they still held meetings outside the InterContinental Hotel venue.
Above, views from the floor. From top left: A+E’s Maria Sorescu at the A+E Studio screenings; at the Paramount screenings (l. to r.) Julie Aletti de Gely, Rosario Cosentino, Iwona Pilgrim, and Agata Liebig; Calinos’ Asli Serim Guliyev; MISTCO’s Aysegul Tuzun; NATPE CEO JP Bommel welcomes the press and buyer Jacek Samojlolowicz from Poland at the Buyers’ Reception; FilmRise’s Melissa Wohl and Emilia Nuccio; ATV’s Müge Akar and Gozde Dinc Ozcan; the Ukraine Pavilion.
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