The slogan this year, “We Exist Together,” invites us to think together: how can we live together amidst the fractures, conflicts, and challenges of our world?
“The films in the section deal with issues such as the exclusion of different groups in society on the basis of gender, nationality, and economy, or the division along different ideologies and worldviews. But through the main characters, we also learn about the challenges of those fighting against division,” says festival director Enikő Gyureskó.
This year's inaugural film, filmed over five years, stars Israeli activist and stand-up comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi.
Noam grew up in a bilingual, Israeli-Palestinian village, the country's only intentionally integrated community.
Over time, however, he became disillusioned with traditional peace activism and turned to stand-up, his show quickly gaining attention throughout the Middle East.
With its sharp satire, it forces its audience to confront difficult truths that are not always funny, but remind them that reality can be interpreted from other perspectives. The film won the Special Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Festival.
The festival will feature a total of 49 fresh and artistically outstanding documentaries that reveal the diversity of human life from different perspectives and realities. This year, there will also be a Vector section with more than ten immersive films. In addition to serious, often heartbreaking themes, the program also includes films with a lighter, more relaxed tone.
Read our newsletter in the coming weeks, where we will introduce in detail the exciting sections of our festival: The award-winning international competition films, Doc Future featuring fresh voices, personal Hungarian stories, the films of the image search and the Ukrainian, Korean, Iraqi and creative-focused selections.
We have highlighted a few films for you:
Cuba & Alaska tells the story of two Ukrainian paramedics who, with the energy and humor of their friendship, portray the hardships of the front line.
Khartoum, which won two awards at this year's Berlinale, depicts the Sudanese civil war through the lives of five people.
The Norwegian film The Long Road to the Director's Chair is about an 80-year-old icon, Vibeke Løkkeberg, who shows the struggles of succeeding in a male-dominated industry from a female perspective.
Click below to learn more about the films!
This year the festival is also expecting its viewers with a number of exciting accompanying programs - documentary professional events, discussions, exhibitions and concerts. The Budapest locations are Trafó, Toldi and Művész cinemas, Blinken OSA Archivum, CEU Budapest and the French Institute.
The rural locations this year will be Pécs, Szeged, Kecskemét, Veszprém, Miskolc, Szombathely and Debrecen.
