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Hungarian Edition
Following last year’s successful event, the Tony Curtis International Film Festival will return to Mátészalka, this time in honor of what would have been the iconic actor’s 100th birthday.
The festival, organized by the Hungarian Hollywood Council, Origo Film Studio, and Mátészalka’s Municipality, aims to celebrate Curtis’s Hungarian heritage and further strengthen connections between Hungary and Hollywood.
Under the theme “Back to the Roots,” the festival emphasizes Curtis’s lifelong pride in his Hungarian origins and the contributions of Hungarian talent to Hollywood. “Tony Curtis’s life and career prove that talent and perseverance know no boundaries,” said Balázs Bokor, President of the Hungarian Hollywood Council.
The event will feature an international film competition in four categories—feature film, short film, documentary, and student film—open for submissions between March 2 and July 31. Selected entries will be screened alongside expert discussions and industry panels.
Mátészalka holds historical significance in film history as the birthplace of Adolph Zukor, founder of Paramount Pictures. Organizers highlight the symbolic role of light in cinema, with Horváthné Dr. Fekszi Márta of Origo Film Group stating, “Film is synonymous with light; without it, moving images cannot exist.”
The festival will welcome renowned filmmakers and actors, with high-profile guests to be announced later. Dr. Péter Hanusi, mayor of Mátészalka, emphasized the festival’s growing importance, calling it a tribute to Curtis as well as a cultural and tourism boost for the city.
Supported by the National Film Institute, the festival aims to bring together Hungarian and international industry professionals, cementing its reputation as a significant cinematic event. While most programs will be open to the public, select events will be invite-only.
For updates and details, visit the official website: https://www.backtotheroots.hu
