CHINA Edition
Hungarian Edition
The National Film Institute (NFI) will host the 8th Budapest Classic Film Marathon from September 16 to 21, 2025, bringing a curated lineup of restored film classics to venues across the Hungarian capital. This year’s edition highlights the 130th anniversary of cinema, commemorating the Lumière brothers’ first public screening in 1895.
The festival offers a rich program across Budapest’s most iconic venues, including St. Stephen’s Square (open-air screenings), Uránia National Film Theatre, Toldi Cinema, Art+ Cinema, the French Institute, and the Budapest Music Center. A special pre-event day on September 14 at Müpa will feature animated films, puppet shows, and live film concerts.
Among the early highlights is a screening of Sándor Korda’s silent film The Man of Gold, accompanied by live music from the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra. Another standout is Buster Keaton’s The General, presented with a new score by the Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra in the Bartók National Concert Hall.
A centerpiece of the festival will be the tribute to Hungarian director Károly Makk, showcasing ten newly restored works, including the vibrant classic Liliomfi. Audiences will also revisit the bold and often controversial screenwriting of Joe Eszterhas, whose work—including Basic Instinct and Flashdance—broke taboos and reshaped Hollywood norms.
The spotlight will also shine on producer Robert Lantos, known for his collaborations with David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan, and the festival will present Ingrid and Roberto – An Italian Journey, exploring the cinematic and personal partnership between Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini.
Fans of noir will enjoy the Light and Shadow section, featuring restored gems from the genre, while the Open Archives program provides rare access to film collections from international archives.
Beyond fiction, documentaries on filmmakers and the craft of cinema will also be screened. The returning series Fabulous Women from the East will once again explore compelling female figures both on screen and behind the camera.
Finally, Thierry Frémaux, artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival and Lumière Institute, returns with a new compilation of Lumière brothers’ films, continuing the cinematic journey into the origins of the seventh art.
