Budapest International Film Festival (BIFF) 2025 – October 25 to November 2
Film lovers visiting Budapest this autumn are in for a cinematic treat. The second edition of the Budapest International Film Festival takes over Corvin Cinema from October 25 to November 2, showcasing nearly 40 outstanding films from around the world, along with exclusive Q&A sessions, special events, and exciting side programs.
Essential Information
Dates: October 25 – November 2, 2025
Venue: Corvin Cinema, 1082 Budapest, Corvin köz 1
Tickets: Festival passes available for 45,000 HUF, individual tickets sold online
Opening Party: October 25, 21:00 at Permanens Palazzo
Special Exhibition: Robby Müller Polaroid photography exhibition opens November 2 at Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center
What Makes BIFF Special
BIFF brings together award-winning films from major international festivals including Cannes, Locarno, Berlin, and Toronto. The festival features films that have captured audiences worldwide, from Cannes Palme d’Or winners to A24’s latest releases, alongside Hungarian cinema highlights. The festival is organized into five distinct sections: Echoes (international festival favorites), Bloom (official competition for emerging filmmakers), Galas (special presentations), Anzix (experimental cinema), and a Retrospective program exploring the concept of home.
Festival Highlights
Opening Night – October 25, 19:00
The festival kicks off with Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors, followed by an official opening party at Permanens Palazzo starting at 21:00, featuring live music from BP Posse, Rút, Vehemencia, and Sierra Delta, with DJ sets running until 4:00 AM.
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Closing Night – November 2, 19:00
Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love serves as the closing gala film, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in an intense drama about postpartum depression and relationship turmoil.
Notable Films
Hamnet by Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao (starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley) tells the story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. This Toronto International Film Festival audience award winner is already generating Oscar buzz. Other highlights include Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Jafar Panahi’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine featuring Dwayne Johnson.
Hungarian Cinema Spotlight
The festival showcases Hungarian talent with Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend, Gábor Holtai’s thriller Feels Like Home, and the documentary Pogány Induló – What Would Mom Say, along with Canadian-Hungarian co-production Blue Heron by Sophy Romvari.
Daily Program Overview
October 26 – The Smashing Machine gala screening, screenings of I Only Rest in the Storm, Cuerpo Celeste, and It Was Just an Accident.
October 27 – Three screenings of Pogány Induló with Q&A sessions, plus A Poet and Sirat.
October 28 – Blue Heron with Q&A, Silent Friend gala, We Believe You with Q&A, and a Cine-Collegium roundtable discussion.
October 29 – Hamnet gala screening, Reedland with Q&A, plus BIFF HUB talks including a conversation with Sophy Romvari.
October 30 – Two Prosecutors, Follies with Q&A, Feels Like Home gala, and BIFF HUB filmmaker discussion.
October 31 – No Other Choice, God Will Not Help, The Smashing Machine, The Ice Tower, My Father’s Shadow, and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, plus BIFF HUB talks.
November 1 – Retrospective screenings including Paddington, plus Resurrection, Pillion, and Selected Works by Scott Barley with Q&A.
November 2 – Final day features Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, El Sur, The Long Day Closes, and the closing gala Die My Love.
Special Events and Side Programs
BIFF HUB offers industry talks throughout the festival, including conversations with visiting filmmakers Sophy Romvari, Eric K. Boulianne, Sven Bresser, and Scott Barley, along with discussions on film funding, screenwriting, and a special Amnesty International event. On November 2, a Robby Müller photography exhibition opens at the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, showcasing Polaroid works by the legendary cinematographer behind Paris, Texas and Breaking the Waves. The exhibition runs until November 30 with free admission for District 6 residents.
Why Visit BIFF
For tourists in Budapest, BIFF offers a rare opportunity to experience world-class cinema before these films reach wider distribution. The festival creates an intimate setting where cinephiles can discover award-winning international and Hungarian films, attend filmmaker Q&As, and immerse themselves in Budapest’s thriving cultural scene. Whether attending opening night festivities, catching Cannes winners, or exploring experimental cinema, BIFF delivers nine days of unforgettable film experiences in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.