Iszka utazása is a |2007 Hungarian film directed by Csaba Bollók and stars newcomer Mária Varga. The film is the result of director Bollók's accidental meeting with a 14-year-old street child, Maria Varga, living in a coal mining town of the Southern Carpathians.

Synopsis

The story follows her journey from her small town to the Black Sea, where she becomes a victim of ’human trafficking’. Street children play amongst themselves in this story, which is full of their vitality and eagerness to escape their fate.

Distribution and response

The film was first screened in February 2007 at the Hungarian Film Festival, where it ended up as the surprise winner of the Grand Prize. After its international premier at the Berlinale in 2007, Iska's Journey was received on the international festival circuit as a huge success. More than 50 European, Asian, and American film festivals have presented Bollók’s feature to date. Following its North American premier in Seattle last year, Iska's Journey was presented in Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto, Palm Springs and Vancouver.

It was commercially released in Hungary on November 22, 2007. The film was chosen as Hungary's official submission to the 81st Academy Awards

81st Academy Awards

The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...

 for Best Foreign Language Film

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

.