Andrew G. Vajna
| Andrew G. Vajna | |
|---|---|
| Born |
András György Vajna August 1, 1944 Budapest, Hungary |
Andrew G. Vajna (born András György Vajna; August 1, 1944) is a Hungarian-American film producer.
Early life and first business successes
Andrew G. Vajna was born in Budapest in 1944. In 1956 at the age of 12, he fled from Hungary and with the support of Red Cross he made his way alone to Canada. He arrived having no friends and speaking no English. Later on he reunited with his parents in Los Angeles who fled Hungary separately. He studied cinematography at University of California (UCLA) and then joined the University’s Educational Motion Picture Department where he worked on different projects.
Preferring being independent Andy Vajna left UCLA to set up his own photo studio, but that venture soon came to end when he broke his leg in a ski accident and business could not operate for 9 months. After his recovery he became a hairdresser and teamed up with a boyhood friend, Gábor Koltai - who was a well-known wig stylist in Hollywood at that time - to produce high quality wigs Vajna moved to Hong Kong where he established his own wig manufacturing company, called Gilda Fashion Finally Vajna sold the firm in 1973. By that time the company employed more than 3000 people.
Entering the film industry - The Carolco times
Vajna launched his career in the entertainment industry with his purchase of motion picture theatres in the Far East. He founded Panasia Films Limited in Hong Kong, a highly profitable venture in the distribution, acquisition and representation of films. After Vajna negotiated the sales of Panasia to Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest Company in 1976, and met Kassar at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, he and the film producer and industry executive formed Carolco, specializing in sales, financing and distribution of films worldwide. Vajna and Kassar had rented a small office in Melrose Avenue where their desks faced each other in the office and Vajna’s wife and Kassar’s girlfriend were their secretaries. In less than four years, Carolco became one of the top three foreign sales organizations in motion pictures industry.
In 1982, Vajna was a founder and then president of the American Film Marketing Association. During that same year, Vajna and Kassar made their film production debut with Rambo: First Blood, starring Sylvester Stallone. The First Blood became a phenomenal success, grossing $120 million internationally. It also rocketed Carolco into the forefront of independent production companies. Rambo: First Blood Part II was released in 1985, generating more than $300 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable films in the history of moviemaking.
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