The National Film Institute (NFI) has announced a new round of funding for a rich and varied lineup of Hungarian film projects, including the continuation of the globally acclaimed Hungarian Folk Tales animated series. The announcement, delivered Friday by the Mayor’s Office, outlines NFI’s commitment to both preserving cultural heritage and promoting bold new narratives in film.
A new 13-episode season of Hungarian Folk Tales, produced by Kecskemétfilm, will expand the classic animation series to 113 episodes. Known for its global success over the past five decades, the series blends traditional visual art with region-specific folklore. The final four episodes will be directed by Lajos Csákovics and Zsolt Maticska, with music by Kaláka and production led by Ferenc Mikulás. NFI is backing the season with 94 million forints.
Among the other funded works is a satirical animated short based on a script by the late artist Liviusz Gyulai, portraying Greek gods in everyday domestic squabbles. The film, directed by Katalin Glaser and produced by Judit Éva Ordódi, is receiving 24 million forints.
The Mimóka Tales (Mimóka Mesék) pilot, by acclaimed director Luca Tóth, will explore childhood defiance through animation. Adgwa Ata, a visually rich short by Zsuzsanna Kreif, tells a coming-of-age story set deep in the jungle and is being co-produced with French partners.
In live-action storytelling, emerging filmmaker Éva Hanna Pekár’s short film follows a drifting young courier jolted into self-awareness by an unexpected event.
A dramatized documentary on the 1956 show trial of medical student Ilona Tóth, produced by Budamount Film, will spotlight the brutal tactics used to discredit the Hungarian revolution. The project received nearly 300 million forints and is scripted by György Somogyi, with Márk Győri directing.
Also in production is the second season of a documentary series exploring the hidden remnants of dictatorship-era repression in urban Hungary.
Other documentaries will revisit overlooked historical figures, such as Péter Bod, an 18th-century Transylvanian scholar; László Magyar, the first Hungarian explorer of Africa; and Margit Balla, a multifaceted artist known for her work in visual and puppet design.
These films are being produced by a wide range of independent studios, with support from tens of millions in funding from the NFI, whose most recent decisions can be accessed on their website.
This robust set of projects reflects a renewed investment in Hungary’s cultural memory and creative future—bridging animation, education, historical reflection, and visual innovation.
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