Hungary Shines at Venice Film Festival: A Big Year for Hungarian Cinema

Hungary arrived at the Venice Film Festival with not one but two films in competition for the Golden Lion, claiming some well-deserved international limelight on the Lido.

Picture via Imdb

It’s been over half a century since two Hungarian films ran side by side in Venice’s main competition. This year, László Nemes’s ORPHAN (Árva) and Ildikó Enyedi’s SILENT FRIEND did just that.

Nemes, already acclaimed for his Oscar-winning film SON OF SAUL, returned with ORPHAN, a Hungarian-British-French-German co-production. Shot on 35mm film in Hungary, it tells the story of a boy navigating the post-1956-revolution era in Budapest while searching for his father.

Enyedi is an Oscar-nominated director who won the Golden Bear at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival for ON BODY & SOUL. Her newest film, SILENT FRIEND, is a poetic tale playing across three timelines about the relationship between humans and plants. The feature, starring an international cast (Léa Seydoux, Tony Leung, and Luna Wedler), captivated critics and audiences alike in Venice. The film won not only the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Wedler but also secured five major collateral prizes, including the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film in Competition and the Green Drop Award.

Shooting on 35mm in Hungary: A Growing Trend

Both Hungarian competition films share another connection: they were shot on film and developed at the NFI Filmlab in Budapest. The NFI Filmlab, part of the National Film Institute Hungary, is one of the very few facilities worldwide still offering analogue film processing services — from 16mm, 35mm, and 65mm film development to positive printing and efilm cutting.

With over 60 years of expertise, this Budapest-based facility has become the most experienced film laboratory in Central Europe. With analogue making a come-back, international productions such as THE BRUTALIST continue to rely on the Filmlab’s unique services.

Ildikó Enyedi and the Philosophy Behind Silent Friend

In an interview with Marta Balaga for Variety, Enyedi explained her fascination with plant communication — an idea rooted in the “flower power” era of the 1970s and further explored in SILENT FRIEND. The film spans 1908, 1972, and 2020 at a German university, weaving together stories of a pioneering student, a love-struck caretaker, and a neuroscientist (Tony Leung) obsessed with a mysterious ginkgo tree.

For Enyedi, the film is not an overt ecological statement but rather an invitation to rethink how we perceive the world around us. “Many changes in our life could happen effortlessly if we just shifted our point of view a little,” she says.

Sources & further information

Variety

Screen Daily

Budapest Reporter

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

10 Films & TV Series Filming in Hungary 2025

Hungary has long been considered one of the top filming destinations in Europe for international productions. As summer draws to a close, we’ve scoured industry news to get more details on some of the major international films and TV series filmed in Hungary so far this year and when we can expect to see them released.

Stock Image.

It’s been a busy, busy year for Hungary. We’ve taken stock of 2025 to bring you up to date on the wide range of TV and feature projects that have called Hungary home (at least for a little while) while being filming here in 2025.

THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN

The year kicked off with acclaimed Swedish director Ruben Östlund arriving in Budapest with a decommissioned (and deconstructed) Boeing 747 which became the set for his newest feature. A social satire, the film follows the fate of bored passengers on a long-haul flight from London to Sydney devoid of functioning screens to keep them occupied.  The film, starring Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl, is slated for release in 2026, potentially in time for the Cannes Film Festival.

MATCHBOX

No doubt hoping to replicate the success of the Barbie film, this action-adventure feature is based on the Matchbox toy brand and follows the story of a former soldier and his childhood mates who rediscover their friendship while on a high-stakes adventure trying to clear their names.  Directed by Sam Hargrave and filmed partly in Hungary in the first part of the year, the film stars John Cena, Jessica Biel, Corey Stoll, Danai Gurira, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro. Release is expected next year.

ALPHA GANG 

Another heady mix of big-name actors descended on Hungary earlier this year for the filming of this sci-fi comedy. The film, by writer-director duo Nathan and David Zellner, is about alien beings attacking Earth but then taking pity on humanity. It stars Cate Blanchett, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, and Riley Keough. Here’s hoping that if we ever do face such a situation, life will imitate art and we’ll be spared. The film is reportedly currently in post-production.

PONIES

We’ve written before about how apt Hungary is location-wise to host any Cold War spy story. So, it’s no surprise that this espionage-thriller TV series, set in Moscow of the 1970s, found a home filming here in Budapest. Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson star, playing two secretaries at the American embassy who become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed. Filming wrapped in the middle of summer. An official release date has not yet been announced.

DUNE: PART THREE

Hungary has attracted further A-list talent thanks to the filming of DUNE: Part Three since July 2025. There have been frequent sightings of stars such as Zendaya and Anya Taylor-Joy on the streets of Budapest shopping or having a meal. Meanwhile, Jason Momoa took advantage of his time in the city by staging a concert with his band Öof Tatata at popular downtown nightspot, Aquarium Klub. Timothee Chalamet was also spotted casually having coffee with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner in a café. The film is scheduled for release December 18th, 2026.

Stock Image.

BRIDES

It’s also been reported that the psychological horror feature BRIDES starring Olivia Cooke is also filming in Hungary through the summer. Written and directed by Chloe Okuno, the script apparently draws some of its inspiration from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Set in the 1960s, the story involves a woman recovering from a nervous breakdown in a remote part of Italy with her husband. Attracting the attention of the mysterious villa owner where they are staying, she introduces her feminist ways to his other vampire brides. No release date has been announced yet.

3 BODY PROBLEM

Netflix has recently confirmed that season two of the sci-fi series 3 BODY PROBLEM is currently filming in Hungary with season three also planned to shoot here. This follows the successful debut of the first season in 2024. Based on the novels by Cixin Liu, the plot follows an astrophysicist’s decision to contact an alien civilization in 1960s China which triggers an existential threat to Earth in the present day. Season two is expected to hit our screens sometime in 2026.

12/12/12

This cat and mouse heist drama, a co-production between Skydance Television and Anonymous Content, is reported to be currently filming in Budapest. The story runs across three intertwined timelines, incorporating the 12 months’ planning in the run-up to the heist, the 12 hours of the actual heist, and the 12 days that follow (hence the title of the series). Set against a backdrop of several European locations, the series is set to be released on Apple TV+ sometime in 2026.

BILLION DOLLAR SPY

More Cold War espionage–this one is a thriller starring Russell Crowe and has also been reportedly filming in Budapest across the summer months. Directed by BAFTA-winner Amma Asante, the feature is based on the 2015 non-fiction book of the same name by David E. Hoffman which chronicles the story of Adolf Tolkachev, one of the CIA’s most valuable Soviet assets of the era (Tolkachev passed thousands of pages of top-secret information to the U.S.). No confirmation as yet on a release date.

TURNCOAT

Also reportedly filming in Budapest since August 2025 is this psychological thriller directed by Christian Pichler and written by Renee L. Logan. Revolving around a psychotic mastermind who manipulates a group of interconnected strangers with deadly consequences, the film is slated for release in 2026.

What’s filming in Budapest next? We’ll be monitoring the news for reports on what’s coming to film in Hungary for the last quarter of 2025. Stay tuned!

Sources & further information

Budapest Reporter

Hungary Today

Film New Europe

 Screen Daily

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Hungarian Film Talent on Display at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

The Sarajevo Film Festival 2025 is currently underway, showcasing the best of regional and world cinema, including several Hungarian films that are in competition.

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

Founded in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, the festival has grown into one of the largest film festivals in Southeast Europe and one of the most prestigious in Europe. Each year, it attracts more than 100,000 visitors and some of the biggest names in international cinema.

Bálint Kenyeres Competes with THE SPECTACLE

This year features Hungarian filmmakers with five films competing across categories, including a short film from Bálint Kenyeres, THE SPECTACLE. Flatpack Films’ very own Zita Kisgergely is one of the co-producers of the film.  

A Hungarian-French co-production, the story follows a Roma boy with a unique talent who is suddenly thrust into the public eye after a television crew come to film him. Touching upon themes of identity and media influence, Kenyeres has been open about the origins of the short film and explained that the idea came to him in a dream. Upon waking, he felt compelled to turn it into a short film. You can read more about the film and its production here.

Hungarian writer & director, Bálint Kenyeres

Hungarian Films Across All Sections

Feature Competition: The world premiere of Renátó Olasz’s debut feature MINDEN CSILLAG (ALL THE STARS) tells the story of two siblings returning from Budapest to their hometown for Christmas, only to find that nothing is as they remember.

Documentary Competition: Katalin Bársony’s SUNO DIKHLEM, a Belgian-Hungarian co-production, portrays the struggle of a Kosovar Roma boy facing deportation from Germany.

Student Films: Two young Hungarian talents join the lineup. Mirjana Balogh’s WISH YOU WERE EAR, an animated short about how relationships shape identity, and Jakob Ladányi Jancsó’s LIVING STONES, set in an isolated rehabilitation facility. Both submissions add fresh voices to the festival.

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

The festival this year opened with the world premiere of THE PAVILION. The film is a Bosnian black comedy from Dino Mustafić, who, as well as being the former artistic director of drama at the National Theatre Sarajevo, has extensive experience directing theatre and documentaries. The feature, written by Viktor Ivančić, follows a group of poorly treated elderly residents of a retirement home who exact revenge on their abusers by staging an armed rebellion.

In other news from the festival, veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård has received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo. It was presented to the actor by Mirsad Purivatra, founder of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

The festival runs from August 15th to August 22nd

Sources & further information:

Sarajevo Film Festival

Variety

Budapest Reporter

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Location Scout in Budapest: Parisi Udvar

A Lavishly ornate building built at the beginning of the 1900s that housed shops, bank offices and apartments, fell into disrepair during the Communist years but regained its former glory after extensive restoration work in 2019.

Parisi Udvar

The building was constructed on the site of a former department store, Brudern House, one of the first of its kind in Hungary. The shopping corridor there had been designed on the model of the Passage des Panoramas in Paris, which is why people began to refer to it colloquially as the “Parisian House”. After the Brudern House was demolished at the turn of the 20th Century, the land was bought by the inner city’s savings bank (Belvárosi Takarékpénztár) in 1906 in order to build and establish a new HQ there.

A Brief History

Nestled in the heart of downtown Budapest and dripping in Gothic-inspired detail, Parisi Udvar, or "Paris Courtyard", finished construction in 1913. Featuring an intricate glass ceilings and dome, the ground-floor of the building was originally designed to function as a shopping arcade with open pedestrian entrances at either side, reflecting the elegance of Parisian shopping arcades.

With its tiled façade, ornate mosaics and gargoyles, this eclectic building is a fusion of Gothic and Moorish-elements. It’s no surprise that it was designed by German-born architect Henrik Schmahl, the man behind the similarly remarkable Uránia Cinema in Budapest’s 7th district. We’ve written about the Urania before, which shares this distinctive Moorish ornamental architectural style with the Parisi Udvar.

Urania Cinema. Picture from Wikipedia.

Falling into disrepair after the Second World War and during Hungary’s Communist era, the building was patched up from time-to-time. However, it wasn’t until it was purchased by the Mellow Mood Group of investors in 2014 that the site began to be lovingly restored to its former glory using high-quality, appropriate materials and an extensive team of craftsmen. The renovations, concluded in 2019, reportedly cost 12 billion HUF (52 million euro in today’s terms), including the purchase price of the building.

Parisi Udvar now functions as a five star hotel, part of the Unbound Collection of the Hyatt group.

Párisi Udvar in Films

Budapest is already well-established in the film world for its versatility and ability to stand in for diverse locations. It’s doubled for Berlin, Munich, Moscow, Paris and even cities in the U.K. and U.S. Before its restoration, Parisi Udvar also featured in the movie series UNDERWORLD (2003) about vampires (which was visually heavy on the Gothic elements), as well as the film, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (2011), an espionage thriller set during the Cold War.

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Venice Film Festival 2025: Spotlight on Hungarian Talent

The 82nd Venice Film Festival has announced an impressive lineup of new features from several big-name directors, including two veterans from Hungary: Ildikó Enyedi and László Nemes.

One of the world’s oldest film festivals, and one of the “Big Five” worldwide (the others being Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance), the 82nd Venice Film Festival will run from August 27 to September 9, 2025, debuting exciting new features from world-renowned directors. Highlights include Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN, Yorgos Lanthimos’ BUGONIA with Emma Stone, Luca Guadagnino’s AFTER THE HUNT, Kathryn Bigelow’s A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE, Jim Jarmusch’s FATHER MOTHER SISTER with Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver and Charlotte Rampling, and Park Chan-wook’s NO OTHER CHOICE.

Additionally, esteemed Hungarian directors Ildikó Enyedi and László Nemes also have films screening in the main competition: Enyedi's SILENT FRIEND is a collaboration between Germany, France, and Hungary, while Nemes' ORPHAN is a joint effort between Hungary, the UK, Germany, and France. 

Ildikó Enyedi

Ildikó Enyedi, celebrated for her thought-provoking and visually stunning films, is best known for her 2017 feature ON BODY AND SOUL which tells the story of a neurodivergent woman who finds love and connection through a shared dream with a colleague at an abattoir. The film won the Golden Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Her 2021 film, THE STORY OF MY WIFE, is based on a novel by Milán Füst and follows a sea captain who becomes obsessed with his spouse despite his indifferent attitude towards marriage.

Born in 1955, Enyedi studied at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest after earning a B.A. in Economics. She won the Golden Camera award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival for her film MY 20th CENTURY and received her doctorate from the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest in 2011.

Her sensitive and philosophical exploration of the human condition and our place in the world continues with her new feature to be presented in Venice, SILENT FRIEND. The story spans across three time periods in the 20th and 21st centuries, following the lives of individuals who are drawn to a tree located in a botanical garden in Marburg, Germany.

László Nemes

László Nemes, born Nemes Jeles László in 1977, is a Hungarian filmmaker and screenwriter who spent his formative teenage years in Paris. After studying History, International Relations and Screenwriting, Nemes worked as an Assistant Director in Hungary and France for various shorts and features, and for two years was Béla Tarr’s assistant while filming THE MAN FROM LONDON.

His first feature film, SON OF SAUL, premiered in main competition at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it received the Grand Prix. The feature, which was also the second Hungarian film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, is the harrowing account of Saul, a Jewish prisoner working at an Auschwitz crematorium, determined to give a deceased young boy a proper Jewish burial. Nemes is also the first Hungarian director to have secured a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

His second feature, SUNSET, is a period piece about a young woman who uncovers family secrets while trying to secure work at an illustrious hat company in Budapest during the last days of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1913.

Nemes’ third feature to be unveiled in Venice, ORPHAN, is also an historical drama, set in the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The story centres on a 12-year-old boy who is confronted by the truth of an idolized father he thought was dead.

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu will serve on the Competition Jury, led by Alexander Payne.

Here is the Venice Film Festival lineup for 2025:

In Competition

The Wizard of the Kremlin, dir. Olivier Assayas (France)
Jay Kelly, dir. Noah Baumbach (USA, UK, Italy)
The Voice of Hind Rajab, dir. Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia, France)
A House of Dynamite, dir. Kathryn Bigelow (USA)
Sun Rises on Us All, dir. Cai Shangjun (China)
Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo Del Toro (USA)
Elisa, dir. Leonardo Di Costanzo (Italy, Switzerland)
À pied d’œuvre, dir. Valérie Donzelli (France)
Silent Friend, dir. Ildikó Enyedi (Germany, France, Hungary)
The Testament of Ann Lee, dir. Mona Fastvold (UK)
Father Mother Sister Brother, dir. Jim Jarmusch (USA, Ireland, France)
Bugonia, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (United Kingdom)
Duse, dir. Pietro Marcello (Italy)
Un film fatto per Bene, dir. Franco Maresco (Italy)
Orphan, dir. László Nemes (Hungary, United Kingdom, Germany, France)
The Stranger, dir. François Ozon (France)
No Other Choice, dir. Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
Sotto le nuvole, dir. Gianfranco Rosi (Italy)
The Smashing Machine, dir. Benny Safdie (Canada, USA, Japan)
Girl, dir. Shu Qi (Taipei)
La Grazia, dir. Paolo Sorrentino (Italy)

Sources & further information:

82nd Venice Film Festival: Full list of films in competition.

Film New Europe

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and MATCHBOX: Both Filmed in Budapest

News from two high-profile (and very different) films that wrapped production in Budapest over the last few months: Ruben Östlund’s THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and the MATCHBOX film from director Sam Hargrave.

Parliament in Budapest.

The Entertainment System is Down

As reported by Screen Daily, Östlund was recently in Croatia participating in Slano Film Days while he edited his most recent film on his laptop and his family enjoyed some beach time.

The celebrated Swedish director’s second English language film shot in Budapest over 70 days at the beginning of the year. The film’s story takes place almost exclusively on a long-haul flight where the passengers are confronted with in-flight screens that stop working. To ensure the utmost authenticity, Östlund and his producers (Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober) purchased a decommissioned Boeing 747 which they dismantled and shipped to Budapest where it was reassembled into a working set.

The film stars include Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Bruhl, Nicholas Braun, Tobias Menzies and Julie Delpy, as well as a cast of 150 extras. Despite calling it a “tough shoot” due to the single set and sheer numbers of extras involved in every shot, Östlund added that, “Technically and production-wise, everything worked very well”. 

To overcome the difficulty of filming inside the tight quarters of an airplane, Östlund used what he referred to as a "robot"—a programmable mechanical arm operated with a PlayStation controller. This device could extend into cramped areas where it would be impossible for both a camera and its operator to both fit .

Although Östlund had used similar tech in the past, this project marked a significant expansion in its application. “They’re now compact enough to work in very tight spots,” he said. Working alongside cinematographer Fredrik Wenzel, he helped program the device to handle complex shots. “It was a huge asset,” he noted.

Known for his Palme d’Or-winning films The Square and Triangle of Sadness, Östlund is aiming to premiere The Entertainment System Is Down as his sixth out of seven features at Cannes. He also repeated his goal of sparking “the biggest walkout in the history of the Cannes Film Festival,” referencing a single-take sequence where a young girl is forced to go 15 minutes without her family’s iPad.

Matchbox

Meanwhile, in an interview with Collider, John Cena (star of the upcoming Matchbox feature that also filmed partly in Budapest), has called the movie “kick-ass” and commended the storytelling chops of director Sam Hargrave. The actor explained, “What really stood out to me about Matchbox is that Sam gets to show more of his storytelling skills.”

Matchbox is the first time Cena has worked with Hargrave, who’s known for his stunt coordination work on major franchises like Marvel, The Hunger Games, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Cena spoke highly of the experience, both on a personal and professional level.

“The biggest thing I took from working on this film is that I gained a friend and developed huge respect for Sam Hargrave,” he said. “He’s someone I look up to—he brings out the best in everyone, every single day. I admire his drive and work ethic. After seeing how dedicated he is, it makes sense why his films look the way they do. I’m really hoping we get to team up again. Matchbox is a powerhouse of a movie, and Sam really had the chance to dig deeper into storytelling, not just focus on jaw-dropping stunts.”

The cast joining Cena includes Jessica Biel, Corey Stoll, Danai Gurira, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro. The screenplay was written by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper—the latter also working on a future Star Wars project.

Although an official release date hasn’t been announced, Matchbox is currently in post-production.

Sources & further information

Screen Daily

Collider

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

DUNE: Part Three Filming in Budapest

The third instalment of the sci-fi saga DUNE officially kicked off production in Budapest at Origo Studios this week.

From Imdb.

Turns out the rumours were true. Sightings of Zendaya (who plays Chani in the previous DUNE films) in Budapest over the last few days had led to suspicions that DUNE: Part Three was about to start filming in the Hungarian capital. Zendaya was snapped in a café as well as petting someone’s dog on the street a few days ago, while a post on IG featured a photo of the star spending time at the Neroli luxury perfumery on Andrássy Avenue.

Additionally, there had been reports on social media that Timothée Chalamet had shaved his head–although the actor seemed to be trying to keep it, literally, under wraps with a headscarf and baseball cap. This sent devoted fans into a fit of speculation that he was in prep to reprise his role of Paul Atreides. Turns out, the fans were right.

Based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, the two previous instalments of DUNE were also partly filmed in Hungary. The director behind this cinematic vision of the franchise, Denis Villeneuve, is using material in the second novel of the series (DUNE MESSIAH) for the third instalment which follows the story of Paul Atreides. (Incidentally, Villeneuve is also slated to direct the next James Bond film, the first one since Amazon-MGM Studios took over creative control of the franchise).

On X (formerly Twitter), the official DUNE account described the new DUNE film as "a journey into that land where we walk without footprints". The quote, taken from the second novel, describes the character Paul Atreides’ spiritual transformation beyond the physical as he graduates to a near-prophetic state.

DUNE: Part Three is expected to again involve an extensive multi-location, multi-month-long shoot. It sees the return of Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho.

Fun Facts about the original film

Released in 1984, the first DUNE film was directed and written by David Lynch. Production took place in Mexico City at Churubusco Studios and the cast featured a range of prominent actors of the time, including Kyle MacLachlan–who would go on to star in Lynch’s TWIN PEAKS.

With a budget estimated at between $40 and $42 million, the film struggled commercially when it was released, earning just under $31 million. Multiple versions of the movie were released, with Lynch distancing himself from the project and removing his name from some. But despite this controversy, the film has since gained a cult following.

Sources & further information

Screen Daily

Screen Rant

Hungary Today

MSN

Wikipedia

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Movies & Thermal Baths in July in Budapest

It’s heating up and we’re not just talking about the weather, or even the number of international productions filming in Budapest. It’s been announced that CineSpa is back, an event that combines two of our favourite activities.

Széchenyi Baths. Picture via Wikipedia.

Hungary has a rich thermal bath culture thanks to an abundance of natural hot springs, over 100 just in Budapest alone. As a result, the city (already a well-established hub for filmmakers looking for professional crews, state-of-the-art sound stages and diverse locations) has also become a mecca for spa lovers the world over.

Budapest has seven thermal baths open to the public, three of which were built over 100 years ago: Széchenyi, Gellért and Lukács. Four of the city’s baths hark back several hundred years to the time of the Ottoman occupation: Rudas, Király, Veli bej and Rácz (see our previous blog post to explore these places further).

If you’ve never been to a thermal bath, then it can take some time to wrap your head around the notion. Unlike a public swimming pool, in a thermal bath patrons tend to not move very much. There’s a lot of sitting in one place basically guarding your underwater perch like it’s a piece of prime real estate. But there’s certainly nothing more relaxing when combined with the array of steam, sauna and plunge pools that can be found in every establishment.

In an effort to continuously push the envelope in the realm of relaxation, the organization that operates these baths (Budapest Spa and Thermal Baths Co.) recently announced that CineSpa is back for July. This is an event that combines soaking in the neo-baroque vibes (as well as some essential minerals) of the Széchenyi Baths while re-watching classic films.

Movie night, but in a communal bath

Every Tuesday in July, the Széchenyi Thermal Bath will host a movie night, running under the catchy slogan: “CineSpa – Immersed in Films”. You’ll be able to watch a series of open-air movie screenings in the outdoor pool, with this years’ line-up including cult classics as well as crowd-pleasers:

A Star is Born (July 1st)

The Greatest Showman (July 8th)

Pulp Fiction (July 15th)

Snatch (July 29th)

It’s a rare chance to float under the stars while watching big hits of the past. Screenings start at 9 p.m. Budapest locals with a residence card can take advantage of a 50% discount.

Welcome to the concept of the Spa Party

But there will be other opportunities to have a soak after dark this summer. At least one of the thermal baths in the city will remain open until 10 p.m. daily throughout the season. What better way for film crews in Budapest to unwind after a shooting day?

Incidentally, there are party nights held into the wee hours at Széchenyi on Saturday nights (tickets can be purchased through a third-party operator). Strictly for those who want a touch more decadence with their relaxation,

Sources & further information:

Daily News Hungary

trademagazin.hu

Thermal Hungary

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.  

Hungarian Short Film "The Spectacle" in Competition in Cannes

Only 11 short films were selected from a whopping 4,700 global entries at this year’s 7 Cannes Film Festival. One of the lucky selected films was from Hungarian filmmaker, Bálint Kenyeres with “The Spectacle”.

On set of the short film, “The Spectacle”. Photo via Anna Vághy

The Story Behind The Film

As was revealed in magyar.film.hu, Kenyeres has been very open in revealing what inspired the film. It quite literally came to him in a dream. Upon awakening, the writer-director knew that he had to bring it to life and commit it to the screen, especially since its themes are so very relevant to the world we live in today.

The Spectacle tells the story of a young Roma boy with a unique ability who, thanks to his unexpected appearance on a TV show, finds himself thrust into the limelight. The film explores issues surrounding identity, media exposure, and the negative impact of instant fame.  

A Fast and Friendly Shoot

Shot in only two days in Monor in January, The Spectacle was financed with independent funding under the banner of Anabanana Productions. The cinematography was handled by Thimios Bakatakis, known for his work on The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster, which no doubt added major visual impact to the short.

Leaning heavily into realism to ensure emotional authenticity, the film stars non-professional actors Vilmos Jónás and Jolika Oláh Józsefné, alongside Soma Sándor, Tímea Udvari-Kardos, and Gábor Váradi. A tight-knit crew behind the scenes handled everything from costumes to post-production, with Anna Vághy editing, Sandra Sztevanovity designing the sets, and Annamari Nagy on costumes.

Produced by Anna Bartók, Flatpack’s very own Zita Kisgergely, Tamás Hutlassa, Jeremy Zelnik, and Judit Romwalter, and cast by Hermina Fátyol, the film is a testament to what focused filmmaking can achieve—even on a limited budget.

A Cannes Comeback

Although the film missed out on an award this time round, going to Cannes was a return to familiar ground for Kenyeres. Back in 2005, his short film Before Dawn debuted at Cannes and went on to a successful global festival run. His 2009 short The History of Aviation was featured in the Directors' Fortnight, and in 2011, the screenplay for his feature Yesterday received recognition from Cannes’ L’Atelier program.

Hungary’s Film Industry

As a Budapest-based film production service company, Flatpack Films see firsthand how much talent and vision flows through Hungary’s creative veins. From world-class cinematographers to innovative directors and set designers, Hungary continues to be a prime destination for international film production–The Spectacle is just another example of that.

The Spectacle will reach Hungarian audiences this autumn.

Sources & further information

magyar.film.hu

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Friss Hús Budapest: Hungary’s First Oscar-Qualifying Short Film Festival

The Friss Hús (Fresh Meat) Budapest International Film Festival has just concluded its program for 2025. As the first Oscar-qualifying film festival in Hungary, this means its winners in Best Hungarian Live-Action Short Film and Best Hungarian Animated Short Film categories will now be eligible for Oscar consideration.

This prestigious honour that was granted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences upon this little but mighty film festival puts it in the same league as the likes of Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, as well as respected short film showcases like Vienna Shorts and Tokyo Short Shorts. To put this in perspective, from the tens of thousands of film festivals worldwide, only around 100-150 hold this title—making this inclusion of Friss Hús kind of a big deal for the Hungarian film industry.

Humble Beginnings

Founded in 2013 by filmmaker Dániel Deák, Friss Hús started as a two-day screening event at Budapest’s Toldi Cinema. In its early days, the festival was a response to demand from local short filmmakers eager to showcase their work. Since that time, it has grown into Hungary’s largest short film festival, attracting over 10,000 visitors annually and expanding to include international competitions, thematic sections, workshops, exhibitions, and panel discussions.

This year’s 13th edition ran from May 29 to June 4, 2025, at the Puskin Cinema.

Hungary Steps into the Oscar’s Spotlight

Receiving Oscar-qualifying status was a surprise even to the organizers. Deák explains:

“We applied without expectations, and to our amazement, the Academy said yes.”

This means that two Hungarian films will now automatically enter consideration for an Academy Award every year. This is a heady opportunity in a region with very few such qualifying festivals.

At this year’s event, the top awards went to:

Best Hungarian Live-Action Short: Dögsúly by Bese Komáromy

Best Hungarian Animated Short: Üvegház by Katalin Sárdi

These two films are now one step closer to the Oscars.

Other Rising Stars

Further winners from this year’s competition include Zsófia Tóth, who won Best Actress for Világvége, and Benjámin Lengyel, who took Best Actor for Két felnőtt. The Magyar Telekom Award for Most Promising Director Under 30 went to Kristóf Zsolt Tóth for Túlpart and Denisa.

Hungary: An Established Player in International Film

With its rising global profile, the levelling-up of Friss Hús’ international status is yet another indicator of Hungary’s position as a vibrant filming hub, and not just for locations, studios, crew and talent, but for storytelling nous.

Sources and further information

Friss Hús

Euronews

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

House of Music in Budapest Celebrates Global Music with New Exhibit

Hungary’s House of Music has opened an exciting new temporary exhibition–LISTEN. Touted as a musical journey around the world, LISTEN was born of a decade-long global filmmaking project by Japanese producer Tomoko Yamaguchi and American director Garry Bassin.

House of Music, Hungary

While attending the opening of the exhibit back in March, the filmmaker explained that the project had been intended as a sort of musical time capsule for the planet. He further reflected that the LISTEN series (the first part of which was filmed in Hungary), shows how no matter where people live in the world, humans strive to covey human emotions through music

From musical expressions of identity by Greek migrants in Turkey in the early twentieth century to Inuit throat singing in the Canadian arctic circle (and everything in between), the exhibition is a rare visual and oratory feast documented through installations, photographs, film and musical instruments. The film was shot in thirty countries with over 100 musicians over a span of more than ten years.

Capturing raw, powerful performances in a space of 1,000 square metres, this ambitious project delves into how music shapes human life—from birth to death—highlighting both our differences as well as our shared love of music. The exhibits feature renowned international and Hungarian artists (including Hungary’s Márta Sebestyén and Portugal’s Carminho–the most recognized representative of Portuguese fado). Hungarian talents like cinematographer Attila Csoboth and photographer Péter Rákossy also helped bring the project to life.

House of Music, Hungary

Budapest’s House of Music (HoM) Hungary was opened on the edge of City Park in 2022. With its striking architecture–the building’s head-turning modern design was designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto–it represents a unique space for concerts and immersive experiences. HoM recently earned special recognition at the prestigious European Museum of the Year Awards where the jury commended HoM’s bold, interactive approach and praised it as a model for making music culture accessible to all.

With concerts, educational programs, and exhibitions spanning genres (see our post on its outstanding DIVAS exhibition held last year), the House of Music is much more than just a venue and rather a tribute to sound, creativity and cultural exchange.

LISTEN can be experienced until 31st August 2025

Sources and further information

House of Music, Hungary

Architonic

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

István Szabó’s SUNSHINE Rises Again at Cannes

Restored by the NFI’s Film Archive and Filmlab, István Szabó’s 1999 award-winning film SUNSHINE gets a new lease on life as it screens in Cannes Classics this year.

Legendary Hungarian director István Szabó will be in attendance at the Cannes Film Festival where he’s set to receive a special lifetime tribute award as part of the centenary celebration of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics. Szabó was also a recipient of a FIPRESCI prize in Cannes in 1981 for Mephisto, which went on to win Hungary its first Academy Award for best foreign-language film.

Szabó has presented films for competition in Cannes five times. Apart from his wins with Mephisto in 1981, he won the jury prize in 1985 for Colonel Redl and participated as a jury member in 1986.

Director of the Filmlab in Hungary Viktória Sovák revealed that the meticulous and time-consuming restoration of Sunshine was done specially in preparation for the film’s screening in Cannes. She further explained that the frames of the film had been partially corrupted and spotted with white blotches and colour imbalances.

Hungarian director, István Szabó. Picture via Imdb.

The film’s original cinematographer Lajos Koltai (another giant of the Hungarian film industry) was able to make adjustments to the digital version thanks to advances in technology since the time the film was shot. This meant that new, minute and hitherto invisible background details of the film were able to be highlighted.

Sunshine, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Jennifer Ehle, is a sweeping narrative that follows five generations of a Hungarian-Jewish family from the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the mid-19th century to the Cold War era and fall of the Iron Curtain. After its premier in 1999, Sunshine went on to secure three European Film Awards.

The ambitious 4K digital revamp of Sunshine is part of a broader film restoration program that began in the 1990s. Since that time, over 400 feature films, documentaries and animations have been completely restored, along with the digitization of 55 volumes of historic newsreels. Other important works that have been given a new lease on life include films by iconic directors Miklós Jancsó, Márta Mészáros and Béla Tarr. The restoration program is not only reintroducing classic films to a global audience but also underlines Hungary’s capacity in film restoration and post-production services.

For international production companies seeking expertise in filmmaking, diverse locations rich in period details and state-of-the-art facilities, filming in Hungary offers a complete package—from soundstage to screening. Recent international productions such as Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist have utilized Hungary’s top-tier production and post-production capabilities.

More Hungarian classics are sure to be reborn soon. Don’t miss the Budapest Classics Film Marathon this September where Szabó’s Being Julia will also make its restored debut.

Sources & further information

Cannes Classic 2025   

Variety

Screen Daily

Imdb

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Hungarian Animation and Live Action Films Having a Moment at International Film Festivals

That’s right, not one, but two Hungarian films are currently making waves on the circuit. I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE A BOOK (Véletlenül írtam egy könyvet) from writer-director Nóra Lakos, and PELIKAN BLUE, Hungary’s first ever animated feature-documentary, have both taken home awards recently from various international festivals

Via Imdb

I Accidentally Wrote a Book

A very personal story revolving around a young teen girl (Nina) who uncovers the power of self-expression through creativity. Nina starts to write and in doing so uncovers stories from her family’s history. But there’s more to this than connecting with family lore. The healing power of the written word is celebrated in this touching film as Nina begins to process the loss of her mother.

Incorporating classic coming-of-age elements, the film allows the audience to witness how every decision Nina makes impacts the narrative going forward. There are conflicts with her younger brother as well as the experience surrounding f first love and growing up. The story of the film is illustrated through a unique visual style that mixes live action and animation.

This is feel-good family film from writer-director Nóra Lakos has been hitting home runs in North America and Europe. The film won Audience Favorite at the Tumbleweeds Film Festival in Utah. Just days later, the film snapped up the award for Best European Feature-Length Children’s Film at Norway’s Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival—a huge cultural event for young audiences. The European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) jury praised the film’s dreamlike visual tone and emotional depth, calling it a “pan-European film with extraordinary potential.” That accolade also secured the film a nomination for CFA’s Best European Children’s Film of the Year, to be announced during the prestigious 2026 Berlinale.

Adding to its international success, the film also won the Grand Prix at the Montréal International Children’s Film Festival, and star Villő Demeter took home Best Young European Talent at Poland’s Ale Kino! Festival.

Backed by Hungary’s National Film Institute (NFI) and distributed by JUNO 11 Distribution and the Human Rights and Cultural Foundation, Lakos’ film has already drawn over 155,000 viewers in Hungarian cinemas and is currently streaming on Netflix. It’s the first green production supported by the NFI, co-produced with the Dutch studio BIND and funded by Eurimages and the Netherlands Film Fund. Notable names behind the scenes include producer Claudia Sümeghy, cinematographer Dániel Reich, and composer duo Jacob Meijer and Alexander Reumers.

Pelikan Blue

Via Imdb

This unique animated documentary-feature film tells the story of three young men in the 1990s with a hankering to discover the world that’s just opened up to them after the collapse of Communism. Big on dreams but short on funds, they hit upon a scheme that will allow them to see Europe by forging Hungarian Railways international tickets using blue indigo paper. Needless to say, things start to spiral out of control…

We’ve written about our love for this film before, and it’s not just us. It recently won the AniMovie Award at Germany’s Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film. The film also won multiple accolades after its release in 2024, including the Golden Dove Award at the DOK Leipzig Festival, and has screened globally at festivals like Annecy, Hot Docs Toronto, and the Silk Road International Film Festival in China.

Directed by László Csáki, the film is a creative blend of animation and real-life storytelling, incorporating audio interviews from the 2010s. Set to a soundtrack of classic Hungarian hits, Pelikan Blue is more than an off-the-wall (and very Hungarian) nostalgia trip. It’s a light-hearted yet insightful look at freedom, rebellion, and post-socialist identity, combined successfully with playful visuals and a dynamic soundtrack. The Stuttgart jury called it “fun and entertaining,” with engaging characters and contemporary flair.

Produced by Umbrella Entertainment and supported by the NFI, the film’s producers are Ádám Felszeghy and Miklós Kázmér, cinematographer Árpád Horváth, and editor Dániel Szabó. The film is currently streaming on HBO Max.

Sources & further information:

I Accidentally Wrote a Book

Pelikan Blue

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Why Are So Many Productions Filmed in Hungary?

Following Donald Trump’s comments heralding tariffs on films made abroad, there’s been a lot of chatter about why a significant number of U.S. productions choose to film in foreign locations such as Hungary. Let’s break it down.

Hollywood has been hit by a series of setbacks over the past five years such as the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023. According to last year’s report by production technology and research company ProdPro (first published by The Los Angeles Times), the number of global film and television productions is down 20% from 2022. With U.S. film and TV production still significantly below 2022 levels, studios are looking to cut costs by filming abroad in places that offer better deals.

Currently, the top filming spots worldwide are all located outside the U.S. as productions, tempted by lower costs and tax incentives, move to Canada, the U.K., Australia and Hungary. Production spend in Hungary neared $1 billion in 2024 and, with the number of international film and TV series being filmed in the country continuously increasing, the National Film Institute of Hungary projects expenditure will grow to $3 billion by 2030.

Hungary has hosted several major productions in recent years, including:

• Alien: Romulus, directed by Ridley Scott

• Dune: Part Two, from Denis Villeneuve

• Poor Things, from Yorgos Lanthimos

• The Brutalist, from Brady Corbet 

 What makes Hungary stand out:

• State-of-the-art studios like Origo, Korda, and NFI Studios

• A 30% tax rebate—one of the most competitive in Europe and recently extended to 2030.

• Highly skilled and experienced crew as well as diverse talent available on the ground.

• Versatile locations that double for cities and landscapes around the world.

• Competitive costs

Features and TV Series currently filming in Budapest

Budapest is abuzz at the moment with major international film and TV productions filming as we speak.

Major international projects that are currently filming in the country:

• 3 Body Problem (Seasons 2 and 3)

• Dune: Messiah (Feature film)

• Matchbox (Action-adventure-comedy feature)

• Ponies (Espionage-thriller TV series)

• The Entertainment System Is Down (Rolund Östlund’s new satirical film starring Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst)

Newly announced titles about to be filmed in Hungary:

• Alpha Gang (a sci-fi comedy starring Cate Blanchett)

• The Billion Dollar Spy (a cold war thriller with Russel Crowe)

But these productions are not just taking advantage of tax breaks and cheaper costs. Productions are often moved to locations outside the country due to creative decisions made at script stage–films such as Mission Impossible, Harry Potter or the James Bond franchise spring to mind.

It remains unclear how proposed levies would be imposed on films, which can also be viewed as digital products or services and thus (currently) exempt from tariffs. Yet another question is which productions specifically they might be imposed on considering the complex way many films are funded and put together, incorporating investment and skills from various countries. What will constitute an “American” film?

So, as the global film industry prepares for Cannes among much second-guessing of how these tariffs will work, we’ll have to wait and see how decisions made in Washington will affect the sector and its choice of film locations.

Sources & further information

Film New Europe

Variety 

LA Times

 Budapest Reporter

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

New Netflix Heist Movie Filmed in Hungary

The Indian Hindi-language action film, Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, featuring Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan and filmed last year in Budapest, Mumbai and Istanbul, has recently made its debut on Netflix.

Jewel Thief. Picture via Imdb

Persuaded to steal the legendary African Red Sun diamond for a mafia boss, Khan’s character (Rehan Roy) meticulously plans a heist with detective Vikram Patel (played by Kunal Kapoor) in hot pursuit. Rehan Roy is a master thief who’s been hiding out in Budapest, and who could blame him? It’s a great city to hole up, surrounded by a choice of cultural or more hedonistic pursuits.

It’s also become a major hub for international film production with no let-up in sight.

Jewel Thief is the latest in a long list of films to showcase the sights and scenes of Budapest. In this case, the city plays herself, although she’s an expert of disguise. A real chameleon, Budapest has stood in for a range of European, British, and even U.S. cities.

Other Bollywood films of note that have likewise been lured to film in Budapest include:

·       Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1991)

Now considered a Bollywood classic, the film is about a man who discovers that the woman he’s just married is in love with someone else. Decidng to help, he takes his wife to Europe (Budapest standing in here for Italy) so he can reunite her with the object of her affection.

·      Force 2 (2016)

An action-espionage thriller (which allegedly took its inspiration from Skyfall), this was filmed partly at locations in Budapest, including the Ethnographical museum. In the lead roles the film featured John Abraham, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Sonakshi Sinha.

·       Jab Harry met Sejal (2017)

A romantic comedy filmed across Amsterdam, Prague and Budapest starring iconic Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. A woman loses her engagement ring while holidaying in Europe. She’s helped by a jaded tour guide to retrace her steps in an attempt to find the ring.

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Sir Alexander Korda: The Hungarian-born British Movie Mogul

Hungarians like to tell you that filmmaking is in their blood. The connection goes back to the early days of cinema, embodied by Hungarian immigrants like Adolph Zuker, who co-founded Paramount in Hollywood, and Sir Alexander Korda, who helped lay the foundations of the British Film Industry.

Alexander Korda. Picture via Imdb.

European Film Roots

Alexander Korda started his journey in movie making by writing film reviews to support his family after his father died. He quickly made a name for himself during the First World War as a screenwriter in the Hungarian film industry, having been excused from military service due to his short-sightedness. Quickly graduating to making his own films, Korda established his first production company in 1916, Corvin Film, which would go on to become one of the largest film companies in the country. Although widely recognized as a leading voice in the Hungarian film industry, Korda left Hungary in 1919 for Austria due to the political turbulence of the period. He would never return.

It was in Vienna where Korda first tasted major international success while working with Count Alexander Kolowrat’ company, Sascha-Film, on the film The Prince and the Pauper (1920). This experience sparked something in Korda; a desire to make films that had global box office appeal. The pursuit of this dream would propel him to move to Germany where he continued to make films, often with his actress wife Maria Corda (sic) in the starring role.

Mixed-Success in Hollywood

Taking up a contract with a US studio, Korda arrived in Hollywood with Maria in 1926. The pairs’ first break-out film came in the form of The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927), a parody portraying figures of antiquity as everyday people navigating marriage, friendships and parenting. It proved to be a hit, but pigeon-holed Korda as a director of films set in exotic, foreign locales. He grew increasingly frustrated with the studio system. There were also tensions on the home front as the advent of talking pictures meant the demise of Maria’s career–her accented English precluded her from appearing in most American films. They divorced before Korda made the move back to Europe around 1930–to France, this time–where he worked for Paramount adapting Hollywood films for the French and German markets.

London Beckons

Leslie Howard in Service for Ladies (1932). Picture via BFI Southbank.

In 1931, Korda arrived in Britain to oversee the UK operations of Paramount. He injected a jolt of quality into the so-called ‘quota’ films of the time–movies made on the cheap and in a hurry to bolster home-grown production. The first film of this kind that Korda made, Service for Ladies (1932), featured one of Paramount’s rising stars, Leslie Howard–the UK born actor with Hungarian heritage who would go on to star in Gone with the Wind. A resounding hit, it was described by the weekly magazine Bioscope as, “one of the most enjoyable [films] ever to emanate from a British studio”. Interestingly, the film was a remake of one of Paramount’s successes from the silent era, which was in turn based on a novel by Hungarian writer Ernest Vajda.

Leveraging the success of Service for Ladies, Korda set up his own company, London Film Productions, which would become one of the most successful production companies in the U.K. He made several modestly budgeted films before embarking on one more ambitious in scale. It was based on the template that had brought him success back in Hollywood: The Private Life of Henry VIII. The film was a hit, grossing £500,000 within a year. Korda had arrived in Britain only three previously, but was already proving that the country could sustain an international film industry independent of Hollywood.

Korda went on to build a seven-stage studio at Denham, which would later merge with Pinewood Studios. He produced and directed many more films, including a trilogy centred on the theme of empire: Sanders of the River (1935), The Ghost goes West (1935) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), as well as other movies centring on Britain’s imperial legacy. Although he escaped the financial crises in the film industry around 1937, his own extravagance in spending came under fire leading to his eventual loss of control over Denham studios. This forced him to return to Hollywood in 1940. Despite being essentially in exile for three years, Korda continued to produce and direct British-led movies during this time, many of which were made to sway American public opinion regarding the Second World War. 

Links to Winston Churchill and MI6

Winston Churchill. Picture via Wikipedia.

It may seem incongruous now, but around 1934, when Winston Churchill was in the wilderness politically, Korda paid him £10,000 to write The Reign of King George V, a film to commemorate the silver jubilee in 1935. The film never got off the ground, but Korda certainly left an impression on Churchill. Writing to his wife, Clementine, Churchill remarked,

            “Korda certainly gives me the feeling of a genius at this kind of thing…. I have great confidence in this man and in his flair.”

The men would later collaborate on films designed to garner American sympathy and support for the British war effort against Hitler. Particularly notable was the film, That Hamilton Woman, which cast Laurence Olivier as Admirable Nelson and Vivien Leigh (hot off the heels of Gone with the Wind) as his lover Emma Hamilton.

Beyond the fact that Korda bolstered wartime morale through his films, he also provided cover for MI6 agents in Europe by claiming they were employees of his production company. In 1942, Alexander Korda’s efforts for the cause were recognized when he was knighted by Churchill, cementing his role not only in establishing the British film industry, but as a committed ally to his adopted country.

To pay tribute to his contribution to the British film industry, the "Outstanding British Film of the Year" (an award bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts) was known as The Alexander Korda award until 2007.

Sources and further information:

BFI

Open University

Wikipedia

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.  

Death of a Unicorn: Filmed in Hungary

A central European country standing in for Canada? Done. With the release of Death of a Unicorn last month, it’s clear that Hungary’s versatility as an international film location continues to evolve and grow.

Via Imdb

A 2025 American comedy-horror film written and directed by Alex Scharfman, the film stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega playing a father and his teen daughter. The pair accidentally run over a unicorn foal while on the way to spend the weekend with Elliot’s boss–owner of a pharmaceutical company–and his family at his estate in rural Canada.

We don’t want to venture too deeply into spoiler territory, but this being a horror-comedy, there’ll be plenty of satirical jibes involving the miraculous power of unicorns and their potential exploitation in our modern, cynical, post-capitalist society. Needless to say, there’ll also be gore in the form of bloody, drawn-out deaths.

The film is produced by the much-celebrated American independent entertainment company A24, which has become synonymous for its distinctively quirky and critically acclaimed features and TV series. Filming for the movie began in Hungary in July 2023.  It was able to continue with production during the 2023 SAG-AFRA strike because A24 is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Other A24 movies filmed in Hungary include The Brutalist–set in Philadelphia and rural Pennsylvania–and Midsommar–set in rural Sweden. The company also acquired the U.S. rights for Ruben Östlund’s new movie, The Entertainment System is Down, which is currently also filming in, you guessed it, Budapest.

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Rob Lowe and Adam Scott Discuss Filming Outside L.A.

In a recent episode of the podcast, Literally! With Rob Lowe, Rob Lowe and Adam Scott discussed the reasons why so many productions are choosing not to film in L.A. Let’s just say that Lowe did not hold back in voicing his criticisms.

Rob Lowe. Photo via Wikipedia.

Rob Lowe is one of the original members of the so-called Brat Pack of the 1980s–a nickname bestowed upon a group of young actors (Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson) who  often starred in popular coming-of-age films of the era. They appeared in hits such as Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, The Outsiders and About Last Night.

Forty-odd years of working and maintaining industry success has obviously given Lowe certain insight into the business and he’s not afraid to voice his opinion, no matter how unpopular that might be. During the last episode of his podcast, Lowe spoke to his ex-co-star Adam Scott from the sitcom Parks & Recreation (Scott is now star of the cult hit show streaming on Apple TV, Severance). In a wide-ranging chat, the discussion turned to why there is so much filming going on outside of L.A. Cost was obviously stated as the number one factor.  

Lowe bemoaned the situation of film and television production in California, specifically the fact that there has been an exodus of domestic production to international destinations. Describing the state’s leadership handling of the issue as “criminal”, Lowe pointed to the lack of (competitive) tax breaks as a major reason forcing productions out of the state.

Acknowledging that “nothing shoots in Los Angeles” anymore, Scott went on to ask Lowe if Parks & Recreation would be filmed there if the show were being made today:

 “Do you think if we shot Parks right now, we’d be in Budapest?” Scott asked.

“One-hundred percent we would be. We’d be in Budapest,” Lowe replied.

Budapest has indeed become the second largest filming hub in Europe. Hungary, more specifically central Europe, is now in the top five preferred global filming destinations due to generous tax rebates, state-of-the-art, expansive studios, experienced crew and diverse locations on offer.

And just in case there’s a chance of Parks & Recreation coming back for a final season, we’re sure Budapest would be delighted to oblige.

 Sources & further reading:

Deadline

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.  

Budapest's Prettiest Movie Theatres: The Puskin and Urania Cinemas

Not only is Budapest the number two go-to location for international productions looking to film in Europe, it’s also home to a couple of the world’s most beautiful art house cinemas. But don’t just take our word for it–it’s official!

Puskin Cinema in Budapest. Picture via www.puskinmozi.hu

In Time Out’s recently published list of the 50 most beautiful cinemas globally, The Puskin came in at number eight. But there’s another cinema just up the road from there that (in our humble opinion) is just as stunning architecturally: The Urania.

These iconic venues offer more than just a place to watch a film—they provide an immersive experience where history, architecture, and cinematic art converge.

 Puskin Cinema: A Timeless Masterpiece

Originally opened in 1926, it was once the largest cinema in Europe. Before becoming a movie theatre, it served as a casino, a past reflected in its lavish design. The cinema’s main hall, adorned with gilded sculptures by Sándor Kristián, retains its regal charm, offering visitors a glimpse into the golden age of the roaring 20s, Budapest style

Over the years, the Puskin has undergone renovations while preserving its historical integrity. Since 2013, it has housed five distinct screening rooms named after iconic films: Metropolis, Amarcord, Annie Hall, Mephisto (named after a Hungarian Oscar-winning film that you may remember we wrote about in this blog post), and Körhinta. The largest hall, with its marble pillars and golden ceiling, feels like a portal to another era.

Beyond its aesthetics, the Puskin Cinema champions independent and arthouse films, showcasing a curated selection of international and Hungarian movies. Regular family-friendly screenings, film festivals, and cultural events make it a beloved destination for movie lovers who crave more than just the latest blockbuster.

Urania National Film Theatre: A Monument to Cinema 

The Urania Cinema. Photo via Wikipedia.

Step into the Urania National Film Theatre and you’re instantly transported into a world of opulence. Constructed in the 1880s, the building wasn’t originally intended as a cinema at all. It first served as an Orpheum (a cabaret slash dance hall), until it was repurposed at the dawn of the 20th century to host film screenings.

The Urania has a striking neo-Renaissance facade, but just wait till you get inside. Here, you’ll be assailed by colourful Moorish design features, intricate detailing, lavish chandeliers, and a ceiling adorned with frescoes. It’s the complete package in terms of immersion into another, altogether more lavish world. Today, it’s a popular venue for film festivals, premieres, and screenings of both Hungarian and international arthouse films. Whether you’re watching a contemporary masterpiece or a classic film, the experience will only be heightened by the theatre’s grand aesthetics and rich history.

Why These Cinemas Matter

In an era where streaming and multiplex theatres dominate, venues like the Urania and Puskin preserve the charm of traditional cinema-going. They remind audiences that film is not just about content but also about atmosphere, communal experience, and appreciation of the art form in an environment that enhances storytelling.

For international filmmakers looking to shoot in Hungary, these cinemas also highlight Budapest’s deep cinematic culture, making it an ideal destination for film production. Whether you’re here to watch a film or to capture the city’s timeless elegance on camera, the Urania and Puskin cinemas are must-visit landmarks for any film enthusiast.

Time Out: The 50 Most Beautiful Cinemas in the World

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

New Documentary: Ferenc Puskás in Australia

Ferenc Puskás is a name that needs no introduction in the football world. The legendary Hungarian football star’s achievements on the field have been much celebrated, but little is known about his time coaching a soccer team in suburban Melbourne–until now. A new documentary Ange & the Boss sheds light on Puskás’ time down under and explores themes of immigration, identity and the power of football.

Recognized as one of the world’s most remarkable football players (he is the seventh top goal scorer of all time), Ferenc Puskás was at the core of Hungary’s Golden Team of the 1950s. This was a team that remained unbeaten for 32 consecutive games, became Olympic champions in 1952, and famously beat England 6-3 at Wembley Stadium in 1953.

After the 1956 revolution, Puskás refused to return to Hungary, which led to FIFA banning him from professional football for two years. He eventually went on to become a star player for Real Madrid.

Ferenc Puskás. Picture via Wikipedia.

From European Stardom to Melbourne Suburbia

It sounds like an unlikely story: one of the greatest footballers of all time, the man who inspired FIFA's Puskás Award, goes to Australia and finds himself coaching a semi-professional Greek-backed team in Melbourne in the late 1980s. Yet, that is exactly what happened. Puskás, in his 60s, overweight and speaking little English, found himself at the helm of South Melbourne Hellas, guiding them to a dramatic National Soccer League (NSL) championship in 1991.

Drawn to Australia by Melbourne’s Hungarian community to teach soccer clinics locally, he was soon linked with South Melbourne Hellas through its Greek connections. Puskás had spent time coaching in Greece in the 1970s and for this reason had cultural familiarity and spoke some Greek. But he also had the support of a translator and club captain in a young Ange Postecoglou—now one of the world's top managers, currently head coach of Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.

The Hungarian ‘Golden Team’, 1953. Puskás is front and centre. Picture via Wikipedia.

A Migrant Story Beyond Football

While Ange & The Boss is a sports documentary at its core, it’s also a film about multicultural Australia in the 1980s and 90s. South Melbourne Hellas was more than just a football club; it was a cultural institution for Greek immigrants, a place where they found community, belonging, and pride. Postecoglou reflects on this in the film, recalling how Greek families had two places of worship on Sundays: the church in the morning and the football club in the afternoon. The documentary captures the rich cultural backdrop of the time, from dimly lit Hungarian clubs to lively Greek restaurants, offering an intimate look at the immigrant experience.

Lost Footage and Hidden Gems

What sets this documentary apart is its wealth of rare archival footage. Puskás, despite his age and physique, is seen playing in local matches, still showcasing his legendary left foot. There are also glimpses of a different era in Australian soccer: a struggling yet passionate NSL, dismissed by mainstream Anglo-Australian sports fans but cherished by its multicultural supporters. The film also delves into the quirks of Puskás’ Australian adventure—his love for food, his aversion to rain, and his non-rigid approach to coaching that emphasized the joy of the game.  

A Labor of Love

Ange & The Boss is a documentary 13 years in the making, driven by the passion of filmmakers Tony Wilson, Cameron Fink, and Rob Heath. Despite funding struggles and the high cost of licensing match footage, they have crafted a film that is both a tribute to Puskás and a celebration of Australian soccer history.

The documentary premiered in Melbourne March 13th with limited theatrical screenings across Australia.  

Sources & further reading:

Ange & The Boss

The Guardian

Documentary Australia

Wikipedia

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.