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Hungarian Edition
Budapest Reporter’s Andi Lustak sat down with Dr. Bojána Papp, film director and associate professor at Budapest Metropolitan University, spoke on behalf of the newly formed Forum of Higher Education Film Lecturers about the ongoing Film Reform discussions and the role Hungarian higher education could play in shaping the future of the screen industry.
The conversation opens up a timely issue: film reform is not only about financing, institutions or production policy. It is also about classrooms, graduation films, internships, international exchange and access — the places where careers begin long before the first professional credit appears on IMDb.
Film Reform as an Industry Wake-Up Call
Papp describes the current Film Reform process as a bottom-up initiative, one that brings together different parts of the profession to ask what Hungarian film culture and the domestic industry actually need next.
That makes the education question impossible to ignore. If the industry wants renewal, then universities cannot remain on the sidelines. They are the first training ground for future directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, screenwriters, documentary filmmakers, animators and media professionals.
One of the strongest takeaways from the interview is that Hungary’s film education landscape has become much broader than before. Institutions such as SZFE, MOME, ELTE, Budapest Metropolitan University, the University of Pécs and the University of Eger all form part of a more diverse ecosystem.
The challenge now is how to connect that ecosystem more clearly to the professional world.
Autonomy, Access and Real Industry Links
The interview touches on several issues that rarely make headlines, but directly affect the future of Hungarian filmmaking.
How should graduation films be supported? How can students gain meaningful industry experience before leaving university? What happens to international mobility and Erasmus opportunities? And how can film and media education become less Budapest-centric, less elite, and more accessible to young talent across the country?
Papp also underlines the importance of preserving the autonomy of higher-education institutions. In a sector built on creative identity and artistic risk, that point matters. Film schools do not only teach technique. They shape voices, taste, confidence and professional culture.
The conversation also looks at what already works. The NFI’s Film Intern Programme is mentioned as an example of a bridge between education and real production life — the kind of practical connection reform should strengthen, not erase.
Beyond the Classroom
For international producers, streamers and studios watching Hungary, this may sound like an internal education debate. It is not.
Every production hub depends on its talent pipeline. Crews are not created overnight. Assistant directors, editors, cinematographers, production designers and producers all emerge from a mix of education, mentorship, access and on-set experience.
That is why this conversation feels bigger than university policy. It is about whether Hungary can keep building not only as a service-production powerhouse, but as a film culture with a sustainable future.
In the full conversation, Andi and Bojána go deeper into the Film Reform debate, the newly forming Forum of Film and Media Educators, and the next steps for connecting Hungarian higher education with the needs of the screen industry.
