Budapest’s Jewish Film Festival Is Back—And It’s Coming of Age (Literally)
Imagine wandering Budapest on a chilly November evening, and instead of binge-watching Netflix alone in your hotel room, you’re sitting in a historic cinema surrounded by film lovers from around the world, laughing, crying, and getting thoroughly invested in stories you’d never encounter on any streaming platform. Welcome to the 14th Budapest Jewish and Israeli Film Festival, or as the locals affectionately call it, ZsiFi.
This year marks a special milestone—the festival is turning thirteen, which in Jewish tradition means it’s reaching its bat mitzvah. And just like any teenager celebrating this rite of passage, ZsiFi is stepping into young adulthood with confidence, bringing you five days of extraordinary cinema from November 26-30, 2025 at Puskin Cinema in the heart of downtown Budapest.
What Makes This Festival Different
Here’s the thing about ZsiFi—it’s not your typical stuffy film festival where everyone takes themselves way too seriously. Festival Director Marcell Kenesei puts it beautifully when he talks about separating “everyday life from special celebrations.” This is about coming together as a community, experiencing stories that make you think, laugh, and maybe shed a tear or two, all while munching popcorn in a beautiful art cinema located at Kossuth Lajos Street 18.
For twelve years (and now celebrating thirteen!), ZsiFi has been the brainchild of JCC Budapest – Bálint Ház, an organization dedicated to making Jewish life more accessible and welcoming to everyone, not just the Jewish community. Their mission? To create a space where people can explore Jewish culture, connect with diverse stories, and basically feel at home while doing it. And honestly, what better way to do that than through the magic of cinema?
This Year’s Star-Studded Lineup
Get ready for a serious movie marathon, because this festival isn’t messing around. You’re looking at 11 feature films, 9 short films, and a whole bunch of side events that’ll keep you busy all week. The films come from all corners of the globe—Israel, France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Hungary, and even the Czech Republic. Every single one will be screened in its original language with Hungarian subtitles, and many will have English subtitles too, so you won’t miss a beat.
Best deals of Budapest
The feature film selection includes intriguing titles like “Bad Shabbos” (which kicks off the festival with a bang), “Ada: My Mother the Architect,” “Tatami,” “Highway 65,” and “Matchmaking 2.” And if you’re into short films, there are two curated programs: “Matters of the Heart” (92 minutes of emotional storytelling) and “Identity Under Construction” (80 minutes exploring questions of belonging and self).
Why Women Take Center Stage This Year
Here’s where things get really interesting. Since ZsiFi is celebrating its bat mitzvah—the age of female adulthood in Jewish tradition—the organizers decided to spotlight women-centered themes and female filmmakers more than ever before. It’s a beautiful nod to the festival’s “coming of age” while also addressing JCC Budapest’s commitment to women’s issues through their social responsibility programs.
This focus on women creators and stories isn’t just a token gesture. Jewish film festivals worldwide have become crucial platforms for diverse voices and perspectives that often get sidelined by mainstream cinema. By centering women’s experiences this year, ZsiFi is doing exactly what great festivals do—expanding our understanding of what Jewish life looks like in all its beautiful, complicated diversity.
More Than Just Movies
If you think ZsiFi is only about sitting in a dark theater, think again. The festival is packed with special events that’ll make your cultural experience even richer. Opening night features “Bad Shabbos” followed by a traditional Kiddush—basically a ceremonial blessing over wine and bread that’ll give you a taste of Jewish tradition (literally). Other screenings come with director Q&As, panel discussions, and even online conversations with filmmakers who couldn’t make it to Budapest in person.
One particularly cool event is the screening of “Jewish Women’s Stories from the 20th Century” followed by a discussion about Centropa, an organization that preserves Jewish family stories through photographs and interviews. And the festival wraps up with a screening of “Real Estate” and an awards ceremony where you can help decide which films win the Community Choice Award and Audience Choice Award. Yes, your vote actually counts here, so make sure to let your voice be heard!
The Awards Everyone’s Talking About
For the third year running, ZsiFi will be handing out some seriously meaningful awards. There’s the Best Short Film Award, the Community Choice Award, and the absolutely beautiful Tikun Olam Award, which honors films that contribute to making the world a better place. In Hebrew, tikun olam literally means “repairing the world,” and it’s a concept that sits at the heart of Jewish values—the idea that we all have a responsibility to leave this world a little better than we found it.
This emphasis on storytelling as a force for good isn’t accidental. In a world where antisemitism and hate crimes are unfortunately on the rise, Jewish film festivals like ZsiFi serve as vital cultural responses that emphasize empathy, understanding, and human connection. They give voice to stories that might otherwise be marginalized and create spaces for dialogue across different communities.
Getting Your Tickets and Planning Your Visit
Tickets went on sale November 14, 2025, and you can snag them online at artmozi.hu or at the Puskin Cinema box office. Each screening costs 3,000 Hungarian forints (roughly 8-9 euros), which is an absolute steal considering you’re getting world-class international cinema with post-screening discussions thrown in.
Puskin Cinema itself is located right in downtown Budapest on Kossuth Lajos Street, super easy to reach by public transport and within walking distance of major landmarks like the Danube riverfront and the famous Chain Bridge. The cinema is part of Budapest Film’s network of art cinemas, so you know you’re in for a quality viewing experience in a venue that actually cares about film as an art form.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss This
Let’s be real—when you’re visiting Budapest in late November, you’re competing with the opening of Christmas markets, thermal bath season, and about a million other touristy things to do. But here’s why ZsiFi deserves a spot on your itinerary: it offers something you genuinely can’t get anywhere else. These aren’t films you’ll find on Netflix or in regular cinemas. Many of them are festival premieres, and you’ll be watching them alongside people who are passionate about Jewish culture, storytelling, and cinema as a community experience.
Plus, Budapest has one of the richest and most complex Jewish histories in Europe. The city is home to the largest synagogue in Europe (the Dohány Street Synagogue) and a thriving contemporary Jewish community that’s actively shaping its own identity in the 21st century. Attending ZsiFi gives you a window into this living, breathing culture—not as a relic of the past, but as a dynamic, creative force that’s still evolving and telling new stories.
The People Behind the Magic
ZsiFi doesn’t happen by magic—it’s the result of collaboration between dozens of organizations and institutions. The primary organizer remains JCC Budapest – Bálint Ház, now celebrating its 30th anniversary alongside the festival’s 13th edition. Strategic partners include JDC, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, BZSH, and MAZSIHISZ. Key supporters include the Embassy of Israel, the Municipality of Budapest (whose mayor, Gergely Karácsony, serves as the festival’s main patron), the German Federal Foreign Office, and the Thalheimer family.
Collaborating partners read like a who’s who of Budapest’s cultural scene: Budapest Film, the French Institute, Goethe Institute, Austrian Cultural Forum, and numerous Jewish organizations and foundations. This impressive roster shows just how much the festival matters to Budapest’s cultural landscape—it’s not some niche event happening on the margins, but a major fixture that brings together diplomatic, cultural, and community organizations from across Europe.
Come for the Films, Stay for the Community
At the end of the day (or rather, at the end of five days packed with incredible cinema), ZsiFi is about something bigger than just watching movies. Festival Director Marcell Kenesei talks about it offering “chances for learning, laughter, reflection, tears, and connection, but above all, togetherness.” In an age where we’re increasingly isolated behind our screens, there’s something profoundly meaningful about gathering in a physical space to experience stories together.
Whether you’re Jewish, curious about Jewish culture, a film buff hunting for hidden gems, or just someone who appreciates good storytelling, ZsiFi has something for you. The festival’s programming team works hard to present multiple facets of contemporary Jewish life—not just the Holocaust narratives or uncritical views of Israel that sometimes dominate mainstream representations, but the full spectrum of Jewish experience in all its diversity, complexity, and yes, even its quirkiness.
So this November, when you’re planning your Budapest itinerary, pencil in a few evenings at Puskin Cinema. Come celebrate ZsiFi’s bat mitzvah, discover films you never knew you needed to see, and be part of a community that believes in the power of stories to change hearts and minds. Budapest’s Jewish and Israeli Film Festival is coming of age—and you’re invited to the party.
Related events