Two Hungarian premieres will be part of the competition programme at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, opening this Wednesday. László Nemes Jeles presents his new feature, Orphan, while Ildikó Enyedi returns with Silent Friend. Both screenings will be held with the participation of their creative teams, supported by the National Film Institute (NFI).

Orphan, inspired by the director’s own family history, is Nemes Jeles’s first film since Sunset. The Oscar-, Golden Globe-, and BAFTA-winning director of Son of Saul created the film as a Hungarian-British-French-German co-production, supported by the NFI, the BFI, France’s CNC, and Germany’s FFA. Produced by Ildikó Kemény and Ferenc Szále of Pioneer Pictures, the film will premiere in Hungary at the Miskolc CineFest on 12 September, followed by a national release from 23 October, distributed by Mozinet.

Ildikó Enyedi, winner of the Berlinale’s Golden Bear and Oscar nominee for On Body and Soul, explores the relationship between plants and humans in her new work, Silent Friend. The film, described as philosophical and lyrical, was made as a German-French-Hungarian co-production, backed by a wide network of European film institutions, with Hungarian producer Mónika Mécs. Its European release is scheduled for early 2026, also through Mozinet.

The NFI emphasized that the presence of two Hungarian films in Venice, alongside the Hunyadi series premiering in Toronto, demonstrates the success of the industry strategy launched five years ago to expand Hungary’s international film presence.

Since then, the NFI has supported nearly 40 international co-productions, including first-time collaborations with Vietnam, Morocco, Bhutan, and Mongolia. According to Csaba Káel, Government Commissioner for the Development of the Motion Picture Industry and Chairman of the NFI, co-productions offer wider distribution opportunities and greater visibility, making them a vital form of cultural dialogue.

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