Two Hungarian Oscar-winning filmmakers compete at CineFest

Two Hungarian Oscar-winning filmmakers compete at CineFest

As in previous years, the CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival will not only showcase the biggest foreign festival hits, but also the latest Hungarian and Hungarian-related films. For the first time in the festival’s 21-year history, the latest films by two Hungarian Academy Award winners have been selected for the competition program: the latest films by László Nemes Jeles and Kristóf Deák will both be screened at CineFest between September 5 and 13.

The Oscar-winning Son of Saul, directed by László Nemes Jeles, was inspired by the director’s family history. Similar to his previous film, Sunset, Orphan, which arrives at CineFest straight from Venice, is set in Budapest in the spring of 1957. Twelve-year-old Andor is being raised alone by his mother, and the boy still believes that his father, who disappeared during the war, will return. One day, a man shows up claiming to be Andor’s father. The boy refuses to see the stranger as his father. Andor is determined to save his family from the man at any cost.

Kristóf Deák, who won an Oscar for his short film Sing, previously appeared in the CineFest Open Eye program with his film Captives. Now, his latest work, With Friends Like These, has been selected for the Competition Program for the first time, and on top of that, it will be its world premiere. In this tense, twist-filled, yet profound drama, four old friends meet after a long time to unravel a secret from their past. The story, which takes place over a single stormy night (in more ways than one) and was financed entirely by private funds, stars Alexandra Bakonyi, Laura Döbrösi, Dalma Tenki, and Károly Tóth.

Bence Fliegauf‘s film Jimmy Jaguár was also funded by independent sources. Its protagonists, Marci Balfi (Krisztián Peer) and his partner Tojás (Erik Major), tie up an elderly man in a state of delirium, put him in a boat, and push him into the Tisza River. It later turns out that the victim is a Serbian war criminal. Léna (Jakab Juli), who is investigating the case, infiltrates Balfi’s sect, but is soon captivated by the man’s strange charisma. Others who become involved in the case, including two eccentric young women, Kis Laura (Kizlinger Lilla) and Róza (Alíz Sólyom), and a female detective (Eszter Balla), feel as if they are not in control of their own actions. Fliegauf has been a defining figure in Hungarian cinema for two and a half decades, and his work has won numerous awards at international festivals, including the Berlinale. His film is now being shown for the first time at CineFest, and has been selected for the Competition Program.

An old secret turns everything upside down: family ties, betrayal, and the shadow of death loom over a film shoot in director Tamás Dömötör‘s latest work, Mercy. The director, who often takes us behind the scenes of film and theater, previously appeared at the festival in 2006 with his film Premier. Kegyelem arrives at this year’s CineFest Competition Program as a world premiere with a lineup of stars, including Tamás Jordán, Kata Dobó, Attila Árpa, and Iván Kamarás in the leading roles.

The film Festival Country by Attila Csizmadia and Tamás Topolánszky Yvan has been selected for the CineDocs program. The filmmakers promise nothing less than a glimpse behind the scenes of iconic festivals such as Sziget, VOLT, Balaton Sound, Művészetek Völgye, Fishing on Orfű and Paloznaki Jazzpiknik, featuring legendary figures of Hungarian festival culture such as Károly Gerendai, Norbert Lobenwein, Zoltán Fülöp, István Márta and Péter Müller Sziámi.

The feature-length documentary Who Cares About Pál Frenák presents the extraordinary life of French-Hungarian Pál Frenák. His company, Company FrenAk, is one of the most renowned contemporary dance theater companies in Europe and Asia today. The portrait traces his journey from a traumatic childhood to his current success, highlighting how his commitment to art helped him overcome tragedy and his inner demons. The film, which was made over nearly ten years with independent funding, is directed by Glória Halász, whose film Circus Siblings was screened at CineFest two years ago, and who was a member of the international jury at last year’s festival.

László Bölöni is rightly considered one of the greatest figures in Transylvanian football history. His sporting career and life story are both exceptional, and he is revered as a national hero on both sides of the Romanian-Hungarian border. Bölöni – The Transylvanian Legend is a unique journey through space and time, in which Valentin Ceaușescu and world stars present the life of the European Cup winner, 100-time national team player, and coach who discovered Cristiano Ronaldo. The film, which is competing in the CineDocs competition, was directed by Tamás Kollarik and Attila Szabó.

More information about the festival’s program will be available in the coming weeks.

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