06/03/2020 - The director, who rose to fame with Loop, is in Budapest toiling away on his second feature, a FocusFox Studio production toplined by Péter Bárnai, Vivien Rujder and János Kulka

Actress Vivien Rujder and director Isti Madarász on the set of Half Way Home

Since 20 February, Isti Madarász has been shooting Half Way Home [+see also:
trailer
film profile], his second feature, following the promising science-fiction flick Loop [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2017), which took part in the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and Fantasporto, among other gatherings. Toplining the movie, which would appear to be a modern revisiting of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, are Péter Bárnai (the young prosecutor from Strangled [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Vivien Rujder (glimpsed in On Body and Soul [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ildiko Enyedi
interview: Ildiko Enyedi
interview: Réka Tenki
film profile]) and János Kulka (Best Supporting Actor at the 2016 Hungarian Film Week for Demimonde [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and also popular in The Exam [+see also:
film review
film profile], Just Drop Dead [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Budapest Noir [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Réka Tenki
film profile]), who are flanked by Elizabeth Kútvölgyi, Miklós Galla, Attila Árpa and Kata Dobó.

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In the story, written by Attila Veres, protagonist Krisztián, in his twenties, faces many challenges in his life. He has barely got to know Ági when destiny tears them apart. All the while, he is working as a night security guard at a mortuary, which transforms into a meeting point and a channel to the afterlife for dead souls. However, they can only leave once they have tied up the loose ends of their earthly affairs. Without Krisztian's help, they would end up damned to Hell at the hands of Diener at the mortuary. Everything is made all the more difficult when he sees Ági again at the morgue. He decides to risk it all and bring his love back to life.

Produced by András Muhi and Gábor Ferenczy for FocusFox Studio, Half Way Home has secured support from the Hungarian National Film Institute. The 36-day shoot will take place in Budapest until 9 April, with Gábor Garai in charge of the cinematography. The Hungarian theatrical distribution will be handled by Intercom in 2021.

As a reminder, FocusFox Studio has Blossom Valley [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: László Csuja
film profile] by László Csuja, X - The eXploited [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Karoly Ujj Meszaros and Genesis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Árpád Bogdán, Andrea Taschler
film profile] by Árpád Bogdán under its belt, among other titles.

(Translated from French)