Hungarian festival Revamped and Moved to Lake Balaton
In collaboration with the organizers of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 – European Capital of Culture programme, the National Film Institute has refashioned the top event of Hungarian cinema this year: the domestic celebration previously held in Budapest under the name of Hungarian Film Week gets combined with a summer feeling and is planned to advance to the top meeting point for the industry and audiences in the Veszprém-Balaton region. The first Hungarian Motion Picture Festival begins on 23 July.
“Hungarian cinema is now 120 years old! – We are extremely glad to launch a brand new event in the jubilee year, worthy to honour Hungarian films and filmmakers. We are continuing the traditions of the earlier Film Weeks and TV conventions with the innovation that we celebrate all formats at one single event where filmmakers and talents also take part”
89 films are to be screened in 4 categories over 4 days in 3 cities at a total of 8 venues.
The aim of the new Hungarian Motion Picture Festival is to show the production of the past year at special venues to the wide audiences; at the same time, organizers are creating a new meeting point for the industry, and are also planning to open it up to the international film community in the upcoming years.
All this holds the promise of unforgettable experiences in the cool of the evening at lakeside open-air screenings. Veszprém, Balatonfüred and Balatonalmádi contribute a pleasant atmosphere and spectacular locations to a genuine festival feeling for viewers of all ages.
Veszprém is to hold the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) title jointly with the region in 2023; this is a great opportunity for them to show up local cultural treasures on the international scene. The broadest possible range of creative industry activities is to be highlighted under the European Capital of Culture programme, with film industry holding a position of eminence.
Photo: Miklós Szabó
“Our long-term goal is to become a new cultural-creative industry region of Europe, and we look upon film as one of the most dynamically developing fields within this branch, so we are quite explicit about wanting to make it a meeting place for the profession.”
Several new films are set to premiere at the 1st Hungarian Motion Picture Festival, well before their national cinematic or television release. Premieres include Berlinale Silver Bear Best Director winner Natural Light, Gábor Herendi’s new movie Toxikoma, first features Ravine by Balázs Krasznahorkai and Garbage Theory by Ákos Badits along with Ferenc Tolvaly’s pilgrimage docu-feature Camino Ignaciano.
The Hungarian Motion Picture Festival will be opened with the world premiere of Péter Varsics’s romantic comedy Perfect As You Are on 23rd June at an open-air screening in picturesque Veszprém Castle.
The Hungarian Motion Picture Festival will pay homage to internationally renowned Hungarian artists like Mari Törőcsik, Marcell Jankovics, and Miklós Jancsó, who would have turned 100 this year. In addition, the Hungarian Film Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Awards will be handed over to European Film Award winner writer/director Géza Bereményi , actress Mariann Moór, actor Károly Mécs and actress Teri Tordai.
On 26th June the closing event of the Hungarian Motion Picture Festival will be the gala of the Hungarian Motion Picture Awards held at Balatonfüred’s legendary Anna Grand Hotel. The jury of the Hungarian Film Academy will give out the Hungarian Motion Picture Awards in 21 categories to this year’s bests, and the most popular movie of the festival will receive the audience award.
