About Filmszemle

1965.

The Hungarian Film Review Was Born

In 1965, the Hungarian Feature Film Review was born in Pécs, designed to showcase the previous year’s Hungarian feature film productions. Documentaries and animated films were not included in the program, as they had their own dedicated festivals. As the name suggests, this event was a meeting place for feature film creators, their works, and audiences.

The Feature Film Review opened on November 10 at the newly reconstructed Petőfi Cinema, now known as the Uránia Cinema. The inaugural film of the event, screened at the opening gala, was Iszony (Repulsion), directed by György Hintsch and based on the novel by László Németh. The jury included Viktor Gertler, Péter Bokor, Ágoston Kollányi, György Pintér, László Ranódi, Sándor Sára, and Ferenc Széchenyi.

A social jury, comprising local and nationally recognized public figures, also voted on the films. Additionally, audience voting was organized, where viewers rated films as excellent, good, average, or poor.

As part of the Feature Film Review, public discussions titled Prosecution and Defense were held over two mornings in the banquet hall of the Pannónia Hotel (now Hotel Palatinus). These sessions involved a “trial” for each film, where the director acted as both the defendant and defense attorney, a critic served as the prosecutor, and the audience participated as witnesses.

2025.

The History of the Hungarian Film Review and Its Revival in 2025

Hungarian film production in earlier decades was overseen by various state film studios. It was the heads of these studios who entered films into the Feature Film Review. The first awards ceremony for the Feature Film Review was held on November 14, 1965. The Grand Prize of the Social Jury was awarded to Zoltán Fábri’s Twenty Hours, while the main prize was shared by three films: András Kovács’ Difficult People, Márton Keleti’s The Corporal and Others, and Miklós Jancsó’s My Way Home. The award for Best Cinematography went to György Illés.

From 1976 to 1983, the Feature Film Review alternated between Pécs and Budapest as its location, after which Budapest became its permanent host. The event took place during the first week of February each year, timed to coincide with the Berlin International Film Festival. Many international participants visited Budapest before heading to Berlin, spreading the acclaim of Hungarian films at the Berlin festival.

The last Film Review was held in 2012, but it was non-competitive, with no prizes awarded. This had happened before, as no awards were given between 1976 and 1980, and in 1981, although some prizes were distributed, no main prize was awarded.

The Film Review was not held in 1971, 1972, 1974, or 1975.

Between its establishment in 1965 and 2011, 37 films received the main prize. In 1989, the event was renamed the Hungarian Film Review (Magyar Filmszemle).

Under the leadership of Dr. András Muhi, President of the Hungarian Film Association, it was decided to revive the Film Review after a 13-year hiatus. The 44th Hungarian Film Review will take place in February 2025, returning as a competitive event with awards presented in eight categories, including a new main prize for a Hungarian film.