Budapest is preparing to welcome young film lovers and their families to the Cinemira Film Festival, taking place from 17 to 19 October at the Marczibányi Cultural Center and Cinema City Mammut. The event combines screenings, workshops, and interactive programmes designed to inspire creativity among children and teenagers.
Cinemira is divided into two sections: Cinemira Kids at the Marczibányi Cultural Center and Cinemira Youth at Cinema City Mammut. The opening film, Kensuke’s Kingdom, is a family animation based on Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling novel. Exploring the bond between humans and nature on a deserted island, the film features the voices of Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanabe, screened in English with Hungarian subtitles.
This year’s festival will showcase around 80 animated and live-action shorts competing for the Golden Squirrel Award, alongside exclusive premieres. Highlights include Michel Gondry’s unreleased film Give Me a Title, Maya!, the French-Canadian feature Hello Frida about the childhood of Frida Kahlo, and Ugo Bienvenu’s award-winning animation Arco. Audiences can also revisit David Lynch’s cult classic Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me on the big screen.
The festival will host two Hungarian Oscar winners: Kristóf Deák and László Nemes Jeles, whose new film Orphan will premiere in advance. Many shorts tackle issues relevant to young audiences, such as empathy, sibling rivalry, school challenges, divorce, identity struggles, and performance pressure.
Internationally acclaimed works will also appear, including What’s in the Box? and Dark Tide, both premiered in Annecy. Hungarian films are part of the lineup as well, among them Máté S Papp’s The Master, exploring the complex bond between a young writer and his mentor battling dementia.
The programme expands beyond screenings, offering opportunities for participants to try film casting, create animations on 35mm film, train as stunt performers, or learn about makeup and animal training for movies. Children can attend a concert by Réka Farkasházi and Tintanyúl, even filming a real music video with the band, while other workshops will include nature photography and hands-on creative activities.
With its diverse selection, Cinemira once again provides a unique meeting point for young audiences, filmmakers, and families, celebrating both Hungarian and international cinema.
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