Hungarian Film Days in Russia

Between October 16 and November 6, 2025, audiences in Moscow and St. Petersburg had the opportunity to discover a selection of Hungarian feature films, animated films, and short animations. As part of the “Hungarian Film Days” series, the Liszt Institute in Moscow presented Gábor Bódy’s “Psyché” and Ildikó Enyedi’s “My 20th Century.” In addition, at the Moscow Grand Animation Festival, visitors could watch the animated film “Blue Pelican” as well as the latest selection of animated short films from MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design). The series concluded with a screening of “The Whiskey Bandit,” where the audience had the chance to meet Attila Ambrus, the real-life protagonist of the film. The closing event was supported by the Russian subsidiary of OTP Bank Plc.

With the aim of presenting Hungarian film culture and cinematography to a wider audience and promoting Hungarian films, the Liszt Institute in Moscow organized a series of film days in Moscow and St. Petersburg. As part of the program, two Hungarian films were screened between October 16 and 19, 2025: Gábor Bódy’s “Psyché” and Ildikó Enyedi’s “My 20th Century.” Gábor Bódy’s “Psyché” is considered one of the most unique and complex works in the history of Hungarian cinema. Set in the 19th century yet highly modern in its approach, the film incorporates motifs from Sándor Weöres’s poetry cycle of the same name, exploring questions of identity, freedom and artistic creation through a distinctive cinematic language. Ildikó Enyedi’s “My 20th Century” is a lyrical film that poetically reflects on the dawn of the 20th century, interweaving themes of human thought, technological progress and women’s destinies. The films were screened at the KARO October Cinema in Moscow and at the Varsavsky Express Cinema in St. Petersburg.

Animated films form an essential part of the Hungarian film industry, a genre in which Hungary has also achieved outstanding results. This year, the Moscow Grand Animation Festival presented the latest Hungarian animated films and short animations as part of a special series of events. The special program included a feature-length film — the captivating “Blue Pelican,” a fascinating detective story about the “ticket counterfeiters” of the 1990s. The film was featured at numerous art film festivals last year and received several prestigious awards. In addition, the festival program included two short film selections presenting recent works such as “Mermaids and Rhinoceroses” and “Children of the Bird.” These films were produced and screened at various animation festivals over the past two to three years. As part of the event series, the audience also had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Sándor Kozlov, Director of the Institute, who introduced the history of Hungarian animation and its most significant figures.

The closing event of the Hungarian Film Days took place on November 6 at the KARO October Cinema with a screening of “The Whiskey Bandit.” Following the sold-out screening, a Q&A session was held with Attila Ambrus, whose real-life story inspired the film’s main character. The screening was a private event, attended by invitation only. The guest list included regular visitors and sponsors of the Liszt Institute in Moscow (such as Egis and Richter Gedeon), representatives of the Institute’s partner institutions (including the Pushkin Museum, GES-2, the Dom Cultural Center, Russian sports federations, and the KHL management), partners of OTP Bank, students of Hungarian language programs, as well as diplomats from Hungary and other EU countries. After the screening, the audience engaged with Attila Ambrus for nearly an hour, asking questions about the film and its true story. Following the discussion, guests had the opportunity to purchase ceramic artworks made by Ambrus himself, handcrafted coffees and sweets, as well as books about his life story. The evening concluded at the Liszt Institute in Moscow with a tasting of Russian whisky and Hungarian wines, accompanied by contemporary culinary delicacies. The closing event was supported by the Russian subsidiary of OTP Bank Plc.