NFI Backs Five New Projects, From Historical Trauma to Grotesque Animation

The National Film Institute (NFI) has greenlit production support for five new Hungarian projects, including documentaries and animated shorts set for television or streaming distribution. The selections reflect a wide thematic range—from historical remembrance to personal and cultural identity.

Among the supported titles is “Magyarország a második hazám – Boban Marković portréja” [“Hungary Is My Second Home – Portrait of Boban Marković”], directed by Zoltán Hevér. The film follows the journey of the world-renowned Serbian brass musician and highlights the deep-rooted Serbian-Hungarian cultural ties. Produced by B&L Line, the documentary received 259 million HUF in NFI support.

A “kommunizmus gyermeke” [“Child of Communism”], directed by Béla Harcsa, offers a dramatized portrait of Ede János Pfeiffer, based on his 1958 memoir. Through both fictionalized scenes and narration by his sister, Judith Neszlényi Pfeiffer, the film reflects on the Stalinist-Rákosi era’s oppressive school system, his role in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and eventual rise as a respected academic and presidential advisor in the United States. The project is produced by Dunatáj Alapítvány, with 24.99 million HUF in support.

Another historical subject is covered in “Érzelmek és valóság” [“Emotions and Reality”], a documentary by Sándor Laczkóexploring the shattered hopes of the Hungarian minority in Felvidék (present-day southern Slovakia), whose return to Hungary after the First Vienna Award was later undercut by World War II. The project received 23.48 million HUF in backing and is produced by Autentika Művészeti Műhely Alapítvány.

Commemorating one of Hungary’s most pivotal historical defeats, “Mohács 500”, directed by Stefán Mónika Kiss, investigates the mass graves unearthed 500 years after the 1526 Battle of Mohács. The film uses facial reconstruction and forensic anthropology to bring the victims of the Ottoman massacre back to life, tracking events from the eve of the battle to its bloody conclusion. Produced by Real Pictures Production, the project received 150 million HUF in funding.

On the animation side, Dániel Bárány returns with “Toxic”, a grotesque short film produced by Boddah Riotfilm. The story centers on a young man haunted by the memory of his dead mother, which casts a disturbing shadow over his relationships with women. The film received 29 million HUF in support from the NFI.