The 21st CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival will take over the city from September 5-13, 2025. Now one of Hungary’s biggest film events, the festival brings the latest and finest international films to Miskolc, serving up major feature films, shorts, documentaries, and animated movies—many making their Hungarian debut right here.
Exciting Premieres and Big Names
Freshly announced titles join the previously revealed film Jimmy Jaguar (Jimmy Jaguár) by Bence Fliegauf (Fliegauf Bence). Among the highlights is Joachim Trier’s new drama Emotional Value (Érzelmi érték), which won the Grand Prix at Cannes just a few months ago. This powerful film dives into messy family dynamics, following siblings Nora and Agnes as they reunite with their estranged director father Gusztav, who offers Nora a role in his comeback film. She refuses, creating an opportunity for a rising Hollywood actress who steps into the middle of the family’s chaos. Renate Reinsve, acclaimed for her lead in Trier’s previous hit The Worst Person in the World (A világ legrosszabb embere), stars again, supported by industry heavyweights Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning.
An Iraqi Tragicomedy and Hollywood Producers
One of the festival’s freshest crowd-pleasers, Hasan Hadi’s debut The President’s Cake (Az elnök tortája), scooped both the Golden Camera and Audience Award at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. Set in Saddam Hussein-era Iraq, the film follows nine-year-old Lamia, who is tasked with baking the president’s birthday cake—a nearly impossible challenge in a place where just obtaining the ingredients is a struggle for survival. Shot entirely in Iraq with amateur actors, the film drew attention even before it was completed. Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Dune) and director Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter) joined as producers. Adding a Hungarian touch, Tamás Zányi and his team provided the film’s evocative soundscape.
Brazilian Espionage Thrills
Cannes favorite Kleber Mendonça Filho, previously shortlisted at CineFest for Aquarius, returns with his gripping new film, The Secret Agent (A titkosügynök). Honored with Best Director and International Critics’ awards at Cannes, the film features Wagner Moura (Narcos) in a powerhouse performance as Macerlo, a man with a violent past who seeks refuge in Recife, only to find his homecoming is anything but peaceful. This suspenseful thriller is set against the tense backdrop of Brazil in 1977.
Epic Film Scores, Live
CineFest isn’t just about watching movies. This year introduces CineFest Paradiso—The Evergreens of Morricone (Az örökzöld Morricone)—with concerts on September 11 and 14, showcasing legendary composer Ennio Morricone’s most beloved film music. The Miskolc Symphony Orchestra will perform classics from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Professional, My Name is Nobody, The Mission, and Once Upon a Time in the West. The concert combines music with visual art created by students and teachers from the arts program at Balázs Győző Reformed Grammar School (Balázs Győző Református Gimnázium).
Advance ticket sales for CineFest 2025 open on August 21. For anyone passionate about film—whether you love spectacular premieres, live orchestras, or irresistible stories from around the world—Miskolc is the hottest ticket this September.
