14th Budapest Jewish and Israeli Film Festival
The 14th Budapest Jewish and Israeli Film Festival returns to the capital from November 26-30, 2025, bringing five days of exceptional cinema to Puskin Cinema. Organized by JCC Budapest – Bálint Ház, this year’s festival celebrates both its own coming of age and the organization’s 30th anniversary with a special focus on women filmmakers and stories.
Event Details
Dates: November 26-30, 2025
Location: Puskin Cinema, Kossuth Lajos utca 18, Budapest
Ticket Price: 3,000 HUF per screening
Tickets Available: Online at artmozi.hu or at the cinema box office (tickets went on sale November 14)
What to Expect
This year’s festival features 11 feature films, 9 short films, and numerous special events that bring together cinema lovers and those curious about Jewish culture. The carefully curated selection includes the best Israeli films of the past year alongside outstanding international works from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. All films will be screened in their original language with Hungarian subtitles, and many will include English subtitles for international visitors.
Best deals of Budapest
The festival emphasizes women-centered themes and female creators this year, a meaningful choice as the festival reaches its thirteenth edition—the age of bat mitzvah (female coming of age) in Jewish tradition. This focus aligns with JCC Budapest’s ongoing commitment to highlighting women’s issues through their social responsibility programs.
Featured Films
The festival lineup includes compelling titles across multiple genres. Among the feature films are “Bad Shabbos,” which opens the festival, “Ada: My Mother the Architect,” “Tatami,” “Highway 65,” “Matchmaking 2,” “A Letter to David,” “Franz,” “Real Estate,” “Return,” “YES!,” and “Blind at Heart.”
Short film programs are organized into two themed collections: “Matters of the Heart” (92 minutes) featuring films like “Border,” “Heart Hug,” “If I’ll Ever Forget You,” “Voiceless Witness,” and “We Have Sinned Before You,” and “Identity Under Construction” (80 minutes) with “No Harm Done,” “Premiere,” “Resentment,” and “The Doll’s House.”
Special Events and Discussions
The festival goes beyond film screenings with a rich program of post-screening discussions and special events. Opening night features “Bad Shabbos” followed by a traditional Kiddush ceremony. Other highlights include a screening of “Ada: My Mother the Architect” with a conversation with the director, a presentation of “Jewish Women’s Stories from the 20th Century” followed by a discussion about Centropa, and “A Letter to David” with an online director Q&A presented by MERKAZ.
The festival concludes with a screening of “Real Estate” and an awards ceremony where winners of the Best Short Film Award, Community Choice Award, Tikun Olam Award (honoring films that contribute to making the world a better place), and Audience Choice Award will be announced. Festival-goers are encouraged to vote and make their voices heard in selecting award winners.
About the Festival
For over a decade, the Budapest Jewish and Israeli Film Festival has served as one of Hungary’s most significant Jewish cultural events, offering diverse perspectives on contemporary Jewish life and Israeli cinema. The festival brings together diplomatic missions, cultural institutes, and community organizations from across Europe.
Festival Director Marcell Kenesei describes the event as an opportunity to “separate everyday life from special celebrations,” emphasizing that cinema storytelling is one of the most powerful art forms of the 21st century. He invites audiences to experience these films collectively rather than watching alone at home, creating space for learning, laughter, reflection, and above all, togetherness.
The festival is organized by JCC Budapest – Bálint Ház with support from strategic partners including JDC, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, BZSH, and MAZSIHISZ. Key partners include the Embassy of Israel, the Municipality of Budapest (with Mayor Gergely Karácsony serving as main patron), the German Federal Foreign Office, and the Thalheimer family. Collaborating partners include Budapest Film, French Institute, Goethe Institute, Austrian Cultural Forum, and numerous Jewish cultural organizations.
Who Should Attend
The festival welcomes everyone curious about Jewish culture and open to the world’s diverse stories. Whether you’re a film enthusiast seeking exceptional international cinema, interested in Jewish cultural perspectives, or simply looking for meaningful cultural experiences during your Budapest visit, the festival offers something unique that cannot be found on streaming platforms or in regular cinemas.
Many of the films are Hungarian premieres and festival exclusives, making this a rare opportunity to discover stories that illuminate contemporary Jewish identity, historical memory, and cross-border experiences through the lens of talented filmmakers from around the world.
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