{"id":3991,"date":"2026-08-31T21:48:33","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T21:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/?p=3991"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:20:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:20:46","slug":"budapest-film-marathon-2026-celebrates-125-years-of-hungarian-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/?p=3991","title":{"rendered":"Budapest Film Marathon Celebrates 125 Years of Hungarian Film"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 2017, the Budapest Classic Film Marathon has been celebrating restored movie favourites every year for a week in autumn. But this year marks an extra special celebration: the 125th birthday of Hungarian film.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n

With its grand boulevards, historic buildings and diverse architectural styles, Budapest understands the magic of cinema. This is one of the big reasons why international film and TV productions keep coming back to the country. But this September, instead of being a film location, the city is celebrating the art of filmmaking itself as the Budapest Classic Film Marathon<\/strong>\u00a0makes its return for a ninth edition from September 15\u201320, 2026.<\/p>\n

Hosted by the Hungarian National Film Institute (NFI), the festival will showcase approximately 100 restored films in arthouse cinemas and cultural venues throughout the capital. Beyond some classic international films, the program will also feature domestic movies depicting turbulent eras of Hungarian history\u2013of particular importance this year is the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution<\/strong>. Audiences will be able to experience films from several eras in the twentieth century (including silent films with live music), attend discussions and workshops. <\/p>\n

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Ferenc Pusk\u00e1s. Photo via Wikipedia<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Snapshot of Hungarian History <\/h3>\n

M\u00e1rton Keleti’s 1956 social and political satire\u00a0The Football Star<\/em>\u00a0(A csodacsat\u00e1r<\/em>), starring legendary Hungarian footballer,\u00a0Ferenc Pusk\u00e1s<\/strong>, will be a highlight of the program. Made during the era of Hungary\u2019s Golden Team, the film cleverly utilizes the idolotry of an unsuccessful football hero in a fictional place to surreptitiously pass comment on the state of Hungary at the time. <\/p>\n

The version being screened is also noteworthy. Several scenes of the film had been reshot with fellow Golden Team player N\u00e1ndor Hidegkuti after Pusk\u00e1s emigrated from Hungary following the events of 1956. The original restored film featuring Pusk\u00e1s will be the one screened, allowing audiences to see the film as it was intended. <\/p>\n

S\u00e1ndor S\u00e1ra’s\u00a080 Hussars<\/em>\u00a0(1978) is also on the program\u2013another historical drama but this time based on events that happened during the Hungarian War of Independence 1848\u201349. It\u2019s a further reminder that Hungarian filmmakers have often mined the ups and downs of Hungarian history to examine themes of a nation\u2019s struggles to assert freedom and identity. <\/p>\n

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Thelma & Louise<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Iconic International Cinema <\/h3>\n

The international program invites audiences to revisit past great films such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s charming\u00a0Am\u00e9lie<\/em>. Besides this nostalgic trip down cinematic memory lane, audiences will also be able to choose edgier but equally unforgettable routes back to the past, like Ridley Scott’s road movie\u00a0Thelma & Louise<\/em>\u2013which premiered thirty-five years ago in Cannes\u2013or Mathieu Kassovitz’s relentless\u00a0La Haine<\/em>. Andrzej Wajda’s\u00a0Ashes and Diamonds<\/em>\u00a0and Roman Polanski’s\u00a0The Pianist<\/em>\u00a0will round out the selection, offering perspectives on survival and the brutality of war. <\/p>\n

The festival’s\u00a0very distinctive Blood Countesses \u2013 Female Vampires in 20th-Century Genre Cinema<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0section includes Tony Scott’s vampire film\u00a0The Hunger<\/em>, starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. The film\u2019s gothic yet modern interpretation of the vampire myth combines themes of desire and ageing that sound just as relevant as they did back in 1983 when the film was released. <\/p>\n

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Queen Live in Budapest via Imdb.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Piece of Music History<\/h3>\n

Opening the festival on September 15th will be the screening of another bit of Hungarian history\u2013this one decidedly happier. This new 4K version of\u00a0Queen’s legendary 1986 Budapest concert film<\/strong> was restored by the NFI Film Archive and NFI Film Lab in collaboration with Peter Jackson’s Park Road team for Sony Music Vision and will offer a glimpse into the band\u2019s time in the city and the ecstatic fans who greeted them. <\/p>\n

Where to Watch<\/h3>\n

Screenings of the films will take place at venues including the\u00a0Ur\u00e1nia National Film Theatre, Toldi Cinema, Art+ Cinema, the French Institute and Budapest Open-Air Cinema<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Sources & further information:<\/strong><\/p>\n

We Love Budapest<\/a><\/p>\n

Film New Europe<\/a><\/p>\n

Hungarian Conservative<\/a><\/p>\n

Flatpack Films<\/strong> has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.<\/p>\n

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since 2017, the Budapest Classic Film Marathon has been celebrating restored movie favourites every year for a week in autumn. But this year marks an extra special celebration: the 125th birthday of Hungarian film. With its grand boulevards, historic buildings and diverse architectural styles, Budapest understands the magic of cinema. This is one of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3992,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3995,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3991\/revisions\/3995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}