DEAR FILM AND CINEFEST FRIENDS!
The dream behind the creation of the festival was that CineFest would one day become the region’s leading international film festival. We have achieved this through the high standard of the films selected and the increasingly rich program of related events each year.
Once again, the competition program of the 22nd CineFest is set to rival the most prestigious film festivals in Europe: The most important films of the year will be screened here for the first time in Hungary. A good example of this is 2024, when Hungarian audiences could see Sean Baker’s Oscar-winning film Anora for the first time here. CineFest offers visitors an exceptional opportunity: the chance to see the premieres of Hungarian films that will later captivate audiences with sold-out screenings in theaters.
The festival continues to work closely with international film organizations. We are honored that FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) sends a prestigious international jury to CineFest every year. We maintain excellent relations with SIGNIS and Interfilm, which contribute to the diversity of the festival through the award of the International Ecumenical Jury. Uniquely in Hungary, the CICAE, the International Federation of Art Cinemas, presents its award here with the help of its own jury.
The CineFest Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ambassador of European Cinema Award recognize international and national excellence in film. To date, 20 people have received the Lifetime Achievement Award and 8 people have received the latter award in person at the festival.
Music is usually part of the festival, so this year there will also be concerts and open-air screenings: in collaboration with the University of Miskolc, we will fill the Csengey Garden with life as part of the Cineversity program.
More than 60 films are expected to be screened at this year’s festival, including world, domestic, and international premieres, as part of its five official competition programs.
Tibor Bíró
festival director