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Andrew G. “Andy” Vajna

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Andrew G. “Andy” Vajna

Birth
Budapest, Belváros-Lipótváros, Budapest, Hungary
Death
20 Jan 2019 (aged 74)
Budapest, Belváros-Lipótváros, Budapest, Hungary
Burial
Kerepesdűlő, Józsefváros, Budapest, Hungary GPS-Latitude: 47.4952778, Longitude: 19.0896296
Plot
19
Memorial ID
View Source
Hungarian National Film Fund and the Hungarian-American film producer behind various blockbuster.

Vajna was born in Budapest in 1944. He produced 59 films in all, including the Evita starring Madonna and Sylvester Stallone’s first three Rambo films.

He worked with directors like Oliver Stone and James Cameron and actors Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone and Scarlett Johansson, and many more.

He co-owned Hungarian film production company Korda Studios in Etyek, commercial television TV2, commercial radio station Radio 1 and the Casino Las Vegas.

With partner Mario Kassar, Vajna founded the indie powerhouse Carolco, which produced blockbusters including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” the first three “Rambo” films and “Basic Instinct.” Carolco was one of the most successful companies in the foreign pre-sales business, and a mainstay at the world’s film markets. He was a founder and president of the American Film Marketing Assn., which launched the American Film Market.

Vajna served as producer or executive producer on films including “Evita,” starring Madonna, Oliver Stone’s “Nixon,” “Judge Dredd,” “Die Hard With a Vengeance” and “Angel Heart.”

He left Carolco in 1989 to form Cinergi Productions and InterCom, the exclusive Hungarian distributor of theatrical releases from Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures.

Vajna, who returned to Hungary after a career producing American films, served as government commissioner in charge of the Hungarian film industry since 2011. The Hungarian National Film Fund has granted production funding to more than 70 projects, including 20 international co-productions.

he government announced that it would honor the film commissioner by covering all funeral expenses. Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Head of Cabinet of the Prime Minister Antal Rogán spoke at the service, which was not open to the public or the press.

Vajna was put to rest in plot 19 of the Fiume Road Cemetery, close to the central arcade and the Batthyány mausoleum. He is buried near Sándor Demján and Viktor Madarász. According to various news outlets, several Hungarian politicians attended the funeral, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Antal Rogán, Miklós Kásler and Szilárd Németh. Filmmakers, artists and celebrities also said farewell to the government commissioner. Director István Szabó, Kata Dobó, Iván Fenyő, Péter Geszti, András Kern, Norbert Schobert and Réka Rubint were in attendance, along with CEO Dirk Gerkens and news director of TV2, Vivien Kökény-Szalai.

Head of Cabinet of the Prime Minister Antal Rogán gave a speech at the ceremony, sharing that no one ever understood how Vajna never seemed to get tired.

Arnold Schwarzenegger—who became close with Vajna during the shooting of Total Recall in 1990—praised the producer’s filmmaking and talked about how he managed to obtain a permit to shoot in Moscow when they filmed Red Heat and recalled that Vajna had referred him to a real Russian police officer, adding that "he'd do anything for a friend."

At the end of the ceremony, mourners placed flowers at Vajna’s urn. The wake was held at Hotel Kempinski after the funeral.
Hungarian National Film Fund and the Hungarian-American film producer behind various blockbuster.

Vajna was born in Budapest in 1944. He produced 59 films in all, including the Evita starring Madonna and Sylvester Stallone’s first three Rambo films.

He worked with directors like Oliver Stone and James Cameron and actors Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone and Scarlett Johansson, and many more.

He co-owned Hungarian film production company Korda Studios in Etyek, commercial television TV2, commercial radio station Radio 1 and the Casino Las Vegas.

With partner Mario Kassar, Vajna founded the indie powerhouse Carolco, which produced blockbusters including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” the first three “Rambo” films and “Basic Instinct.” Carolco was one of the most successful companies in the foreign pre-sales business, and a mainstay at the world’s film markets. He was a founder and president of the American Film Marketing Assn., which launched the American Film Market.

Vajna served as producer or executive producer on films including “Evita,” starring Madonna, Oliver Stone’s “Nixon,” “Judge Dredd,” “Die Hard With a Vengeance” and “Angel Heart.”

He left Carolco in 1989 to form Cinergi Productions and InterCom, the exclusive Hungarian distributor of theatrical releases from Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures.

Vajna, who returned to Hungary after a career producing American films, served as government commissioner in charge of the Hungarian film industry since 2011. The Hungarian National Film Fund has granted production funding to more than 70 projects, including 20 international co-productions.

he government announced that it would honor the film commissioner by covering all funeral expenses. Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Head of Cabinet of the Prime Minister Antal Rogán spoke at the service, which was not open to the public or the press.

Vajna was put to rest in plot 19 of the Fiume Road Cemetery, close to the central arcade and the Batthyány mausoleum. He is buried near Sándor Demján and Viktor Madarász. According to various news outlets, several Hungarian politicians attended the funeral, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Antal Rogán, Miklós Kásler and Szilárd Németh. Filmmakers, artists and celebrities also said farewell to the government commissioner. Director István Szabó, Kata Dobó, Iván Fenyő, Péter Geszti, András Kern, Norbert Schobert and Réka Rubint were in attendance, along with CEO Dirk Gerkens and news director of TV2, Vivien Kökény-Szalai.

Head of Cabinet of the Prime Minister Antal Rogán gave a speech at the ceremony, sharing that no one ever understood how Vajna never seemed to get tired.

Arnold Schwarzenegger—who became close with Vajna during the shooting of Total Recall in 1990—praised the producer’s filmmaking and talked about how he managed to obtain a permit to shoot in Moscow when they filmed Red Heat and recalled that Vajna had referred him to a real Russian police officer, adding that "he'd do anything for a friend."

At the end of the ceremony, mourners placed flowers at Vajna’s urn. The wake was held at Hotel Kempinski after the funeral.

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  • Created by: Grave Sleuth
  • Added: Feb 2, 2019
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196550488/andrew_g-vajna: accessed ), memorial page for Andrew G. “Andy” Vajna (1 Aug 1944–20 Jan 2019), Find a Grave Memorial ID 196550488, citing National Graveyard in Fiumei Street, Kerepesdűlő, Józsefváros, Budapest, Hungary; Maintained by Grave Sleuth (contributor 47932791).