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Robert McKee's "Story" seminar took place at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium to a full house. The world-famous Hollywood screenwriting instructor visited Hungary for the first time to introduce MCC students and interested people to the mysteries of screenwriting.

The three-day exclusive seminar was opened by Zoltán Szalai, Director General of MCC. In his speech, he stressed that storytelling has become one of the most essential tools of our time, as it is through stories that we learn about the world, how our ancestors lived and how we want to live in the future. As a cultural historian, I have a special relationship with history, and I find it impossible to separate the need to tell stories from the need to transmit historical knowledge," the Director-General said. Addressing Robert McKee, Zoltán Szalai concluded his speech with the well-known line from the world-famous film Casablanca: "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship". 

At the opening ceremony, Csaba Káel, CEO of MÜPA, also addressed the audience. "I am very happy that this "story" is off to a good start", the Kossuth Prize-winning film director began his speech. He emphasized that during the three days of the seminar, the participants will learn about the rules of storytelling that are worth heeding, and those that should be ignored. As Director of the National Film Institute, Csaba Káel is aware of the importance of a well-written script, as a significant number of the entries they receive are rejected because of the poor quality of the screenplay. 

In his opening speech, Robert McKee pointed out that, with decades of experience behind him, he knows what it takes to write a successful screenplay and what mistakes lead to the failure of a script. The US professional also highlighted that he had wanted to visit our country for decades and was delighted that his wish had finally come true. 

Since its launch, the STORY SEMINAR has been completed by over 100,000 people, with over 70 subsequent Academy Award, 250 Emmy and 100 WGA Award winners. Robert McKee's best-known students include Peter Jackson, screenwriter and director of The Lord of the Rings; Akiva Goldsman, screenwriter of A Beautiful Mind; Andrew Stanton, director of Wall-E; Paul Haggis, screenwriter of Million Dollar Baby and Casino Royale. In addition, several actors, such as Kirk Douglas, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Jimmy Fallon, Russell Brandt and the Monty Python mainstay John Cleese have also attended the course. He has also worked with professionals who have been actively involved in the making of Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, House of Cards, The Wolf of Wall Street and Frozen. The three-day masterclass gave MCC students and interested professionals a first-hand insight into the craft of filmmaking.