miX
a Lovy Brothers film
"Sometimes you have to go far away just to find yourself."
Festival Resource Page

PRESS RELEASES:
Los Angeles -- May 18, 2004 -- miX to Mix it Up at Seattle Int'l Film Festival
Los Angeles -- May 18, 2004 -- miX to Play at CineVegas Film Festival
Los Angeles -- May, 2004 -- miX Takes a Spin at Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival

REVIEWS :

"Steven Lovy's... picture's high spirits and Weed's appealing personality make "Mix" a winner!" -- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

"Energetic and delightful... this flick definitely deserves a stateside release!" -- Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly

"Old Europe gets a new rhythm in miX… Disparate perf styles mix well…Tech credits are competent, with muscular sound mix socking across techno tunes!" -- Eddie Cockrel, Daily Variety

"Mix understands eroticism which allows it to be sexy... A well-spun coming-of-age tale!"-- Erik Childress, efilmcritic.com http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=9606&reviewer=198

"Fusing a coming-of-age story with pulsating club music and Hungarian porn, "MIX" is an energetic, visual scratch mix of an international co-production written and directed by Steven Lovy... Fresh!" -- Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter

"Energetic and delightful!" -- Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly

"Virtuoso editing… superb actors… it's great to see this kind of American-Hungarian film!" -- Daniel Villanyi, VOX Magazine

"Budapest rediscovers its youth through the Lovy Brothers new movie!" -- Attila Agfalvi, Film World Magazine

"Dynamic, fresh-minded creation… entertainment and thoughfulness are well-balanced… a genuine box-office film!" -- Pick of the Week (www.hetivalasz.hu)

"Don't miss this movie. "Mix" never stops moving, the camera never rests… something for everyone: porno, drugs, underworld and real love." -- Net (www.necc.hu)

"The music perfectly compliments the film… I wanted to dance in the theater!" -- Underground Magazine (www.underground.magain.hu)

"A great movie, exceedingly watchable. Mix will leave you elated!" -- P.J., Appalling (www.csapnivalo.hu)

"The film's images give the kinds of impressions a DJ does with his vinyl, distorting, slowing down speeding up, and still maintaining a harmonious balance with the story!" -- Debora Pecsi, cinematrix (www.cinematrix.hu)

AWARDS and SELECTION:
Hungarian Film Week
WINNER: Best Editing Special Prize
                   Steven Lovy

WINNER: Student Jury
                   Best First Film (Hungarian)

Ale Kino International Young Audience Film Festival
WINNER: Marcinek - The Audience Award

Salento International Film Festival
WINNER: Jury Special Prize

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
English film title: Mix
Country of production: U.S.A./Hungary
Year of production: 2004
Picture Format: 35mm, color, 1:1.85
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Running time: 97 minutes
Language: English
Direrctor's first film?: No

PRODUCTION INFORMATION:
Director: Steven Lovy
Screenplay: Steven Lovy
Story: Robert Lovy, Steven Lovy
Cinematographer: János Vecsernyés
Music: Timothy Kelly
Film Editor: Steven Lovy
Production designer: Robert Lovy
Art director: János Szabolcs
Costumes: Réka Pintér
Sound Recordist: Attila Madaras
Sound editor/mixer: Attila Tozsér
Cast: Alex Weed, Jeffrey Schecter , Dorka Gryllus, János Kulka, Péter Rudolf, Krisztián Kolovratnik
Production company: MixPix Productions, HCC Happy Crew Company Ltd.
Production manager: Tamás Zákonyi S.
Producers: Steven Lovy, Robert Lovy, József Cirkó
Executive producers: Robert Lovy, Steven Lovy, József Cirkó

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Hungarian Filmunio
H-1068 Budapest, Városligeti fasor 38.
Phone: (361) 351 7760, (361) 351 7761
Fax: (361) 352 6734
filmunio@filmunio.hu
www.filmunio.hu

Steven Lovy
+36(30)432-7390
stevenlovy@stevenlovy.com

Robert Lovy
+36(30)250-2067
robertlovyonline@hotmail.com

Movie website www.mixthemovie.com

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY:
Steven Lovy is a writer/director graduate of the UCLA Film and Television department in Los Angeles, California. He won the UCLA Spotlight Award given by Harve Bennet (producer of the Star Trek feature films) for his student short film entitled "Circuitry Man". The short film was soon developed into a feature film by IRS Media and Columbia Tristar, and the Lovy Brothers helmed their first feature. "Circuitry Man" gained attention at the Seattle Film Festival and went on to a succesful distribution that led Columbia Tristar to ask the Lovy Brothers to write and direct the sequel feature entitled "Plughead Rewired." "MIX," the Lovy Brothers' third feature film, premiered strongly in a city-wide release in Budapest and won the Special Award for Best Editor at 35th Hungarian Film Week, as well as the Student Jury's Best First Film Award.

STEVEN LOVY FILMOGRAPHY:
2004: Mix
1994: Circuitry Man 2 - Plughead Rewired
1989: Circuitry Man

PRESSBOOK and PUBLICITY IMAGES
(RIGHT CLICK your mouse button and "save as" to your desktop, or the folder of your choice. It will download to that folder. This may take a while depending on your connection speed).

"Mix" Publicity Images:

ENGLISH DIALOGUE LIST:
English dialogue list (Word Document)

"MIX" SYNOPSIS short version (68 words):
A fast-paced drama weaving together a story of love, family secrets and porn, miX is also accented by a deep-house/worldbeat/ambient soundtrack. Caught between a controlling father and the seductive streets of Budapest, a young American DJ grows up quickly in the face of danger, music, a dark family secret and the girl of his dreams.

For more information about miX, please visit www.mixthemovie.com.

"MIX" SYNOPSIS long version (391 words):
A fast-paced drama weaving together a story of love, family secrets and porn, miX is also accented by a deep-house/worldbeat/ambient soundtrack. Caught between a controlling father and the seductive streets of Budapest, a young American DJ grows up quickly in the face of danger, music, a dark family secret and the girl of his dreams.

High school DJ Mitch Banko aspires to stardom in the Los Angeles turntablist scene. But his strict father, whose musical tastes lean toward the classics, forces Mitch to on a piano audition that could get him into the finest music school in the country.

An untimely death draws father and son to attend the funeral of Mitch's grandfather in Budapest, Hungary.

The evening before their return flight, Mitch decides to sample some of the local color in the mean streets of Budapest. After a night of heavy partying with folk dancers and fetish models, Mitch has a rude awakening when he misses his return flight and is told by his severely-disappointed father that he's got to grow up and find his own way home -- and he better not miss the audition.

Stranded and penniless in Budapest, the exotic metropolis of his parents, Mitch races against the clock to get back to Los Angeles in time for the piano audition that could make his young career and fulfill his father's dream.

Raising the cash for a ticket back home in this newly capitalist world, where everyone hustles to make ends meet, proves tougher than Mitch ever imagined. Especially when exacerbated by the giddy distractions of fresh music, wild sex, the Hungarian porn mafia, a grandmother he never knew and the girl he always dreamed of.

Running out of time and options, Mitch stages his own dance party in Budapest, inviting the hottest young talent from the Hungarian alternative music underground. However, just when everything appears to be going according to plan, the girl takes a hike, the cops roust the place, the party shuts down, the plane ticket disappears and it looks as though Mitch may lose everything he's worked so hard for.

Mitch is about to give up on his dream when his grandmother reminds him that a dream is only worth fighting for when it's his own, and not somebody else's.

For more information about miX, please visit www.mixthemovie.com.

INTERVIEWS WITH the LOVY BROTHERS:
Excerpt from Film Culture Magazine http://www.filmkultura.hu/2004/articles/profiles/lovy.hu.html
Interview with the Lovy Brothers
By Ozsda Erika

Film Culture: There are six names in the dedication credit. Who are they?
Robert Lovy: Our parents are '56-ers (escaped Hungary during the 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union) who met and fell in love in the States. Our dad didn't see his own father for nearly 20 years, exactly like the father character in "Mix." This film is dedicated to our family, the inspiration for this story.

FC: What was the first idea for "Mix"?
Steven Lovy: About a scattered family in which the new generation heals the wounds of the previous one. The piece eventually took the shape of a coming-of-age story of an American kid lost in the mean streets of Budapest.

FC: There are 38 music credits listed at the end.
SL: There are more than 44 pieces of music in "Mix." I am utterly blown away by the amazing talents of Hungarian music producers, whose music is strongly featured in "Mix." I wanted Mitch to discover Hungarian folk and gypsy music, then mix it with hip-hop and drum-and-bass; turntablist-style. DJ's often mix two different genres of music at once, and this is exactly what Mitch, as a DJ, does in the film. The film's music composer, Tim Kelly, is a two-time Emmy winner and a great friend. He spend three weeks with me in my Budapest studio, scoring the film.

FC: Is there a movie soundtrack available?
SL: Yes, published by Warner Bros. The first delivery of CDs sold out in the first couple of weeks in Budapest, so Warner Bros. had to quickly ship more to market

FC: Are you looking for distribution outside of Hungary?
RL: Absolutely. We think "Mix" will secure international distribution. The film has cross-over appeal between the sexes, and generations. It's also an English-language movie, which helps a lot.

FC: What are your next plans?
RL: We have a fantastic screenplay that we wrote and are putting together the structure for our next movie. We're planning to shoot next summer, again in Budapest. While the story will be completely different, the film will still deal with Americans running headlong into adventures in Budapest.

Excerpt from Klubradio 95.3
Interview with Steven
Lovy by Galamb

Galamb: Why title the movie and the movie soundtrack "Mix?"
Steven Lovy: "Mix" seemed like the perfect title on many different levels. When the main character of the film, Mitch (Alex Weed), arrives in Hungary, he brings with him his own identity and culture. His American culture mixes and clashes with Hungarian culture, creating conflict and drama. For example, his American naivete and aggressiveness get him into trouble when he goes looking for Bea (Gryllus Dorka) at the Café Budapest. The film also mixes three generations of the same family: Mitch, his father, Peter (Kulka Janos) and his grandmother, Klara (Koos Olga). On yet another level, Mitch mixes the characters with which he come into contact. For instance, at the beginning of the story Bea and Csaba (Kolovratnik Krisztian) are having problems in their relationship. The introduction of Mitch into their lives eventually causes them to become much closer. Two languages, Hungarian and English, are also mixed in this film in a very unique and natural way. Finally, and I think most importantly, the film mixes two main types of music: drum and Bass (sometimes hip-hop) with Hungarian and Balkan folk music. The DJ term for putting two different records on two different turntables, and playing them at the same time is "mixing." This film is definitely a mix. Of course, the movie soundtrack had to be called "Mix" as well.

G: Who selected the music?
SL: I ultimately selected and approved all of the music, however I had considerable help from some seriously talented music producers. Before I arrived in Hungary in 2001 I knew that I wanted to mix folk with drum and bass, I just didn't know how I was going to do it. One night I went to a performance of a dance/music theater piece called "Etchno," directed by Vajdai Vilmos (there are several original Vajdai Vilmos tracks in the film which are not found on this CD). The music and dance blew my mind! Not only were they beautiful, exciting and fresh, but also they were exactly what I was looking for! I gave Vajdai Vilmos (www.szinhaz.hu/tap) the screenplay to read and he loved it. He introduced me to the "Etchno" album producers, Zach LeBeau and Sean Murphy (www.gypsyhouse.hu), who immediately agreed to let me feature their music in "Mix." These producers then introduced me to other terrific producers and artists, including Korai Orom (www.korai.hu), DJ Bootsie, Szabo Lajos (www.chi-recordings.com), Amb, MC Jammin', NEO, Balkan Fanatik (www.balkanfanatik.com), Takacs, Natalia Zagyva and Kalman Magyar, and many more who have a track on this album or in the film. Please note there are over 40 tracks featured in the film, and only 17 tracks on this album. There's lots more great music in the movie, so go check it out in the theaters on DVD!

G: Why did you choose these pieces?
SL: I knew that I wanted pieces with intoxicating rhythms that would not only make you want to dance in your seat while you watch the movie, but would drive the action of the scene forward. But I didn't want music that was pure beat. I was looking for tracks with infectious melodies as well; melodies that carried the flavors of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. This film was filmed entirely in Hungary, about Hungarian characters, with mostly Hungarian actors and an all-Hungarian crew. I wanted to stay true to the subject and themes of the story, so I decided to use only Hungarian music. There are three tracks in the film written by American songwriters (not on this CD). I felt that I needed these tracks to bring a bit of "American" flavor to the film, since it is, after all, about an American in Budapest. Timothy Kelly, a two-time Emmy Award winner, wrote some beautiful original music for "Mix" that wonderfully underscores the more dramatic scenes in the film. Tim worked closely with me for three weeks, here in Budapest, working on the musical score. He recorded live Hungarian musicians, including an amazing folk band, "Téka."

G: How much of the music did you have when you wrote the script?
SL: I wrote the first draft of the screenplay without the benefit of any musical help. However, I had the "Etchno" and Seress Rezso albums for inspiration during the rewrite of the screenplay. More importantly, I had collected most of the music and cleared the rights for them by the time we had finished filming. This was one of the best things I could have done because when a film editor begins cutting scenes, he usually puts a temporary music track under them. Then, when the film is cut, a composer will try to write something that matches the temporary music the editor used. This is usually a very disappointing process for the editor and director, because have become used to the temporary track. In my case (I also edited the film), I had the music ready and cleared so that I could use it to cut the scenes to. When the film was cut, I didn't have to replace a single track. I think this really shows in the finished film, because all of the scenes work in perfect harmony with the music, and the musical transitions from scene to scene take place seamlessly.

G: Why did you put folk music in the film and on the CD? Is this new for you?
SL: My mother and father, both Hungarian, immigrated to the U.S. in 1956. They brought with them some very strong elements of Hungarian culture, including strong family values, great food and an appreciation for Hungarian Gypsy music. I grew up listening to great gypsy music and bands, including Sandor Lakatos. Whenever my father would play his gypsy recordings, he would get a sad, far-away look in his eye and sing along. The idea of roots, and the pain of separating from your family, plays very strongly in "Mix," so I wanted folk and gypsy music to represent the roots of Hungary. I know that gypsy music and Hungarian folk music are very different, but for me gypsy music evokes far more powerful feelings of roots, pain and longing. The film also features some traditional folk music, including "Nem vagy legeny, Berci," performed by Natalia Zagyva and Kalman Magyar and "Lora, Csikos, Lora," remixed and performed by DJ Bootsie.

G: Don't you think, that since Deep Forest did this years before, this is old news?
SL: I am, of course, familiar with Deep Forest, in particular the "Boheme" album to which you are most likely referring. along with Marta Sebestyen, who has mixed Hungarian folk with popular musical styles for years. I think their music is fantastic, but I also think it is completely different from the music in "Mix." Deep Forest is very ambient while Marta Sebestyen is more folk-pop. Both styles are quite soft. Almost all of the music in "Mix" has very strong roots in drum and bass, hip-hop, break-beat and, dare I say, disco and they have a far edgier sound.

G: How do these two different styles get in to the film?
SL: I wanted Mitch to discover the homeland of his father the same way he discovers Hungarian folk music: by accident. Then, as he begins to feel more comfortable in the new culture, he begins to assimilate by making both friends and enemies. This assimilation is also represented when he begins mixing Hungarian folk with hip-hop. In a way he is also accepting the culture of his father when, during the film's climactic party scene, he mixes and scratches "Lora Csikos, Lora."

G: Why did you mix so many different styles? It's not one style, like most films are.
SL: True, most films are scored by a single composer in a single musical style. This film, however, is about a DJ. DJs make their music often by mixing two or more different styles of music to make something new. I wanted the film to reflect that mode of music making. While there are several musical styles in "Mix," I feel that the overall musical style of the film is consistent and unique on its own.

G: Is it worth it to mix all these styles? Isn't it in bad taste?
SL: I believe that there are two kinds of musicologists, in Hungary at least, who will respond to this film. On the one had is the musical scholar who desparately wants to keep Hungarian folk music pure and clean of all popular influences, wishing to reach young listeners through the honesty of tradition, while on the other hand is the musicologist who feels that music must change and evolve, hoping to attract young people by reworking the folk music in a more accessible, contemporary form. Neither is wrong. I love the music on this CD and in the film. Hearing the tradition harmonized with popular rhythms and sounds gets me very excited.