Hello and Welcome!

The 21st Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles is one of our most exciting to date. Our festival celebrates and gives a platform to a wide variety of opinions and viewpoints.
The festival’s primary goal each year is to give an opportunity to not only feature films but also documentaries, short films, and animaton.
We have always felt that the power of cinema captures the imaginaton, making us laugh, cry, and think… a place to show passion and the love of film.

We are most proud that this year is filled with diversity and record breakers: Oscar Nominated Director Lajos Koltai brings his new film Semmelweis and Director Aron Gauder presents his Animation, Four Souls of Coyote, Hungary’s 2024 Academy Award Entry for Best International Feature. Zsombor Kovesi, the young actor from Vigszinhaz, comes to the North American Premier of this year’s Hungarian box office hit comedy We Started Together and Katica Nagy, the “Shooting Star” of our 19th Film Festival of Los Angeles, returns to LA after five years, starring in Semmelweis.

The festival’s closing film, Golden Legends, is a documentary that chronicles the story of the Hungarian Men’s National Water Polo Team who won three Olympic gold medals in a row between 2000 and 2008.

HADIK, after running for one week at Laemmle’s Royal, has submitted for 2024 Academy Awards consideration in four categories.

We also welcome Hungarian Film Commissioner, Csaba Kael and Producer of Semmelweis, Tamas Lajos

We also remember Andrew Friedman (1957 – 2023), a lawyer and congregational co-founder, our friend and strong supporter of the festivals.

We believe there is something for everyone and you will enjoy this year’s festival.

Bela Bunyik
Festival Founder & Director

Hello,

I am Melinda Borbély, a lecturer of Hungarian Studies at UCLA. Through my work I am fortunate to follow my calling of being an ambassador of the Hungarian Culture.

As the artistic director of the Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles, I will continue the work of Bonnie Bunyik.

Her devotion to the Hungarian Film made it possible to have a successful Hungarian Film Festival in Los Angeles for the last twenty years.

I passionately believe that art can stimulate both hearts and minds, and the moving image has the power to help create a better world with better humans.

Melinda Borbely
Artistic Director 21. Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles