Green Eurocine symposium in Budapest

This year’s Eurocine, the European industry event for film professionals such as producers, cinematographers, directors, stage managers, editors, gaffers, art department professionals, and stylists will take place in Budapest for the first time. The two-day event puts a focus on sustainability by offering several seminars on the implementation of circular economy in film production, energy-efficient possibilities as well as green procurement.

 

Green Film Shooting will be hosting four panel sessions at the symposium. A key topic is energy demand and energy supply for film and TV productions. There are different types of mobile energy storage solutions on the market, which can replace the use of a diesel generator. The demand of these solutions depends on accessibility, availability, pricing, handling, security, and transportation.

 

For example, a new ‘robot’ battery is made available by Ionova Energy in Budapest. Korda Locations offers film productions a unit base, which provides electricity from the grid, water access as well as a sewage connection. The speakers of the panel discussion Eco-friendly energy supply include Julia Tordai, Founder of Green Eyes Productions, Gergo Balika, film executive at Mid Atlantic Films, Energy Engineer Tamas Pal (pic.), Co-Founder of Ionova Energy, and Location Manager Bátki Zsóka (pic.) from Korda Locations.

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The second panel discussion will focus on Procurement & Supply Chains. Going green means much more than calculating and reducing the carbon footprint of a film production. The ecological impact of a product or service on the environment also needs to be taken into consideration. When it comes to the procurement of items, a deeper look into the supply chain is necessary. Various products and services such as electrical energy, wood, material for costumes and set construction are often presented as sustainable but they don’t live up to their marketing promises. Green claims and obscure labels can be even misleading. For suppliers, film productions, and consultants it is a huge challenge to get the real deal.

 

As an engineering-trained R&D professional specializing in material systems, modular design, and supply chain optimization, Akos Horvath from the Budapest-based company Dark Tactical will share his experiences. Green Consultant Zsofia Szemeredy, Founder of Leverage Point Entertainment, will give an insight into the manufacturing of locally produced reflectors from Natural Bounce Solutions. Working in UK as well as in Hungary are Alex Cheesman and Maya Wallis Echeverri (pic) from the consulting company Picture Zero that provides sustainability support to the film, TV and creative industries.

 

Since green production has become more known in the industry, there are some narratives which are misleading such as ‘the climate-neutral digital office’, which doesn’t take into consideration the energy and water consumption of data centers. Another example is the buzz word ‘reycling’ which if often misunderstood. The panel discussion Going Green without Greenwashing will give a quick deep dive to raise awareness that sustainability is much more than carbon offsetting and planting trees. Speakers include Judit Romwalter, Managing Director at Budapest-based Sparks Camera and Lighting, Akos Horvath (pic), R& D Expert at Dark Tactical, and Laila Lala, Founder of Berlin-based consulting company Greenigma.

 

The lifespan of costumes, props, and set decorations usually ends as soon as production wraps. The materials need to be disposed of quickly. Since there is little or no time to find any takers, these precious resources wind up going to waste. In an ideal world, costume and set designers would already consider the continuing life cycle of products at the procurement stage. In the real world, the eco-friendly approach to reuse assets requires practicability, accessibility, and affordability. Producers, art directors, and suppliers for film productions will discuss their experiences.

 

The implementation of circular economy in film production is a topic at the panel discussion Restore, Redesign, Reuse. The lifespan of costumes, props, and set decorations usually ends as soon as production wraps. The materials need to be disposed of quickly. Since there is little or no time to find any takers, these precious resources wind up going to waste. In an ideal world, costume and set designers would already consider the continuing life cycle of products at the procurement stage.

 

In the real world, the eco-friendly approach to reuse assets requires practicability, accessibility, and affordability. Hanna Angelus, Sustainability Supervisor at Mid Atlantic Films, Production Designer Zsuzsanna Borvendég (pic) will discuss their experiences with the suppliers Javier Toledo from Peris Costumes Hungary, and Akos Horvath, whose Dark Worx materials have been used in big international productions in Hungary such as Dune, Black Widow, and John Wick.

 

The panels session will be moderated by Birgit Heidsiek, Founder of Green Film Shooting. The sessions are taking place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Hungexpo Budapest Congress and Exhibition Centre, which is located at 1101 Budapest, Albertirsai út 10. 1441 Budapest, Pf. 44  Eurocine is free to attend. Pre-registration is available online.

 

Photo: © Eurocine