Hungary’s Reporters Europe Cup 2008 opened its doors yesterday afternoon in Nyíregyháza to start its 4-day-long international contest of short films. The competition, which runs between 24-27 April, will have over 120 news reporters gathered together from all over the world.

Lying on the border of four different countries and the Schengen zone, the city is the perfect place to welcome visitors from all around the world. This is the 4th time that the event happens in Nyíregyháza. All together, however, it is already the 7th time that the event takes place. Previously, it was rather a professional competition. This year, however, organizers wanted to completely transform the event, adding a festival-like touch to it by showing some of the award-winning shorts of past years’ contest throughout the four days. Also, important historic reports from the European television broadcasters’ archives will be screened.

Festival director, Attila Bolyáki says that the aim of the festival is to raise awareness of the works of news reporters and to pay tribute to those professionals who sacrificed their lives for the news. Teams of news journalists from 19 different countries, 25 public TV channels arrived to the country in a quest to find out which professional can produce the best report on the spot, under certain conditions. Participation is completely free and each team may have up to 3 members. Accommodation --as well as all shooting and editing facilities-- is provided for the participants by the organizer Foundations for Regions but --to ensure equal opportunities-- topics are only issued on the spot, through a draw.

The final products will go through a secret evaluation process based on the codes each team is assigned the first day. The 10-member, international jury includes professionals like Jonathan Stoneman, head of development at BBC World Service, Alan Williams, managing editor of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, and Zhang Changming, VP of CCTC, among others. In order to enable the broadcasting of the works by as many public television channels as possible following the competition, teams must give up their copyrights. The shorts must be in English, within a 2-minute timeframe.

Over the years, the festival has gone through some changes. For the first time, the main award received a name: the Heavy Microphone Award. The name is to refer not only to its physical qualities and the material it is made of -brass-, but to the fact that one who speaks into this microphone has a serious responsibility: make the truth be known. Another of this year’s novelty is the presence of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union /ABU/ and that of the China Central Television /CCTV/ along with the Chinese team to compete for the final award.

Bolyáki claims that the most difficult task they must face as organizers is to keep the contest fair for everyone. Organizers add that the Reporters Europe Cup is both a workshop and a celebration of the reporters’ vocation which is often very dangerous. So, keeping to the motto of the event – “Never underestimate the power of the press!”

by Brigitta Bokor

PICTURED
From left to right:
Attila Bolyáki fest organizer, Zhang Changming VP of CCTV, Csabai Lászlóné major of Nyíregyháza, Gábor Bódis from a Hungarian TV Channel (Duna TV), Catherine Bomeisl head of CIRCOM Regional, and Alan Williams Managing Editor of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).


Attila Bolyáki with the Heavy Microphone Award