Budapest Cassics Film Marathon 2023

Budapest Classics Film Marathon, the international film festival of restored classics and gems of film history, is back again, between 12-17 September 2023.

This year’s lead festival topic is the Korda universe coinciding with the 130th anniversary of the birth of Hungarian director-producer Sándor Korda who became a household name as Sir Alexander Korda. The programme not only presents Alexander Korda’s career and key films but also that dynamic intellectual medium, those Hungarian and international colleagues, who contributed to the renaissance of the British film industry after the Second World War, including the two other Korda brothers, Zoltán and Vince, the legendary screenwriter Lajos Bíró and the brilliant but largely forgotten producer István Pallós. In connection with this focus on Britain, we are screening films by the famous creative duo of Imre Pressburger, that is, Emeric Pressburger, and Michael Powell. The remarkable collaboration between these two professionals created matchless movies that continue to enrapture audiences to this day. The primary aim of the section featuring their selected films is to illustrate the breadth of their artistic vision.

Restored Hungarian films by André de Toth are on the menu and we select from his American productions, too, while we also tie in to Hollywood via the films of Paramount Studio and its Hungarian founder, Adolph Zukor.

In other sections of the festival we seek new perspectives on the subject of sport and motion pictures, we introduce important female filmmakers, and with the help of films we travel back in time to view the Budapest of 150 years ago, with the restored films of Kálmán Latabár, we evoke a perennial favourite of Hungarian audiences. Last year we celebrated the Pathé Baby 9.5 mm small gauge format; this year we have not forgotten the 100th anniversary of the 16 mm small gauge format. 

Screenings at Urania

September 12, Tuesday

16:15
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp – Csortos Hall
British drama, romance, war, colour, 163 min, 1943
dir.: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Péter Muszatics, film historian

17:00
Pitfall – Fábri Hall
American crime, drama, bw, 86 min, 1948
dir.: André de Toth
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Nagy V. Gergő, screenwriter, dramaturg, film critic

19:00
To Catch a Thief – Fábri Hall
American thriller, colour, 106 min, 1955
dir.: Alfred Hitchcock
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gergő Gazdag, film handling, digitization associate, National Film Institute - Film Archive

19:15
Semmelweis (12) – Csortos Hall
Hungarian drama, bw, 81 min, 1939
dir.: Endre Tóth
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Rita Boronyák, researcher, archivist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

19:30
Openning Ceremony: Maléna (16) – Main Hall
Italian-American drama, colour/bw, 92 min, 2000
dir.: Giuseppe Tornatore
in Italian with Hungarian and English subtitles

September 13, Wednesday

16:00
The Private Life of Henry VIII – Main Hall
British drama, bw, 93 min, 1933
dir.: Alexander Korda
in German and English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Attila Vörös, MWA, Klang operator, projectionist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

16:30
A Day in the Country – Csortos Hall
French comedy, romance, bw, 40 min, 1946
dir.: Jean Renoir
in French with Hungarian and English subtitles
Supporting film: Jean Renoir's direction of actors
Introduction: Rita Boronyák, researcher, archivist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

17:30
Marathoners Are Running The Honorary Round – Fábri Hall
Yugoslav comedy, 92 min, 1982
dir.: Slobodan Šijan
in Serbian with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Aleksandar Erdeljanovic, Head of Archives, Yugoslav Cinematheque,  Director of Jugoslav Pantelic, Yugoslav Cinematheque

18:00
The Moon Has Risen – Main Hall
Japanese drama, bw, 102 min, 1955
dir.: Kinuyo Tanaka
in Japanese with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Fujii Mami, director of Japan Foundation, Attila Varró, film critic

18:15
Five-Forty  (12) – Csortos Hall
Hungarian, crime, drama, bw, 82 min, 1939
dir.: Endre Tóth
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Márton Kurutz, Manager of the collections and research department, National Film Institute - Film Archive
 
19:30
To Be or Not to Be (12) - Fábri Hall
American black and white black comedy, 99 min, 1942
dir.: Ernst Lubitsch
in English and German with Hungarian subtitules
Introduction: Péter Muszatics, film historian

20:00
Városbujócska – Csortos Hall
Hungarian drama, colour, 96 min, 1984
dir.: Mária Sós
in Hungarian with English subtitules

20:30
Trainspotting (16) – Main Hall
British drama, colour, 93 min, 1996
dir.: Danny Boyle
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Andrew Macdonald, film producer


September 14, Thursday

16:30
Ramrod – Díszterem
American drama, bw, 94 min, 1947
dir.: André de Toth
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Attila Vörös, MWA, Klang operator, projectionist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

17:15
The Balkan War – Csortos Hall
black and white Bulgarian silent documentary, 56 min, 1913
dir.: Alexander Ivanov Zhekov
Bulgarian insert with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Angel Radev, digitization and restoration specialist, Bulgarian National Film Archive

17:00
Kinuyo Tanaka, A Woman We Talk About – Fábri Hall
French documentary, colour/bw, 52 min, 2022
dir: Pascal-Alex Vincent
in French, Japanese and English with Hungarian and English
Introduction by: Vincent Paul-Boncour, co-founder and director of Carlotta Films

18:15
Forever a Woman – Fábri Hall
Japanese drama, bw, 106 min, 1955
dir: Kinuyo Tanaka
in Japanese with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Attila Varró, film critic

18:30
György Kepes: Interthinking Art + Science – Main Hall
Hungarian-Canadian documentary, colour/bw, 95 min, 2023
dir: Márton Orosz
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Supporting film: Reconstruct

18:45
Jadzia – Csortos Hall
Polish comedy, bw, 92 min, 1936
dir: Mieczysław Krawicz
in Polish with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Dorota Lekka, Head of International Department FINA National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute, Poland

20:15
Children from the "Hotel America" – Fábri Hall
Lithuanian drama, history, music, colour, 92 min, 1990
dir: Raimundas Banionis
in Lithuanian with Hungarian and English subtitles

20:30
The Pawnbroker – Csortos Hall
American drama, bw, 116 min, 1964
dir: Sidney Lumet
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gyula Gazdag, film director

21:15
Two Girls on the Street (16)  – Main Hall
Hungarian drama, bw, 75 min, 1939
dir: Endre Tóth
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Márton Kurutz, Manager of the collections and research department, National Film Institute - Film Archive


September 15., Friday

16:45
The Man of Gold (12) – Csortos Hall
Hungarian silent drama, bw, 1918, 93 min
dir: Sándor Korda
with Hungarian and English inserts
Introduction: Mariann Sipőcz, collection supervisor, National Film Institute - Film Archive

17:00
Wings – Main Hall
American drama, bw, silent movie, 144 min, 1927
dir: William A. Wellman, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
English insert with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Attila Vörös, NFI – Film Archive

18:45
Invention for Destruction – Fábri Hall
black and white animation, 84 min, 1958
dir: Karel Zeman
in Czech with Hungarian and English subtitles

19:00
Husbands – Csortos Hall
American drama, 1970, 154 min
dir: John Cassavetes
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gyula Gazdag, film director

20:00
The Red Shoes (12) – Main Hall
British drama, music, romance, colour, 134 min, 1948
dir.: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
in English, French and Russian with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Péter Muszatics, film historian

20:30
Raging Bull (16) – Fábri hall
black and white American biographical drama, 129 min, 1980
dir.: Martin Scorsese
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gergő Gazdag, film handling, digitization associate, National Film Institute - Film Archive


September 16., Saturday

10:00
Cat City (KN)– Main Hall
Hungarian animation, colour, 96 min, 1986
dir.: Béla Ternovszky
in Hungarian with English subtitules

13:45
The Wedding in Toprin – Csortos Hall
Hungarian drama, bw, 84 min, 1939
dir.: Endre Tóth
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Rita Boronyák, researcher, archivist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

13:30
High Performance – Fábri Hall
short film selection, 59 min
in original language with Hungarian and English subtitles 

14:00
H8… – Main Hall
Yugoslavian drama, bw, 105 min, 1958
dir.: Nikola Tanhofer
in Croatian and German with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Vjeran Pavlinić, Director of Film Preservation, Croatian Cinematheque - Croatian State Archives

15:00
Suburban Legend (12) – Fábri Hall
Hungarian drama, bw, 82 min, 1957
dir.: Félix Máriássy
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Gabriella Szállás, Collection operator, National Film Institute - Film Archive

15:45
A Case for the Defence Attorney – Csortos Hall
Czechoslovak drama, bw, 90 min, 1964
dir.: Martin Hollý
in Slovak with Hungarian and English subtitles

16:00
The Stolen Airship – Main Hall
Italian-Czechoslovak adventure, bw/colour, 90 min, 1967
dir.: Karel Zeman
in Czech with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Ondrej Beranek, Producer, Founder of the Karel Zeman Museum

17:00
Shorts by Hungarian Female Directors I. – Fábri Hall
Hungarian short film selection, 72 min
in Hungarian with English subtitules

17:45
The Disciples (12) – Csortos Hall
Hungarian drama, colour, 100 min, 1985
dir.: Géza Bereményi
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Gergő Gazdag, film handling, digitization associate, National Film Institute - Film Archive

18:00
A Matter of Life and Death – Main Hall
British drama, romance, war, colour, 104 min, 1946
dir.: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
in English with Hungarian subtitles

18:45
It – Fábri Hall
American silent comedy, bw, 72 min, 1927
dir.: Clarence G. Badger, Josef von Sternberg
English insert with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Janka Barkóczi, researcher, archivist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

20:00
The Godfather (16) – Csortos Hall
American crime, drama, colour, 175 min, 1972
dir: Francis Ford Coppola
in English and Italian with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gergő Gazdag, film handling, digitization associate, National Film Institute - Film Archive

20:30
I'm an Elefant, Madame – Fábri Hall
West German drama, colour, 102 min, 1969
dir.: Peter Zadek
in German with Hungarian subtitles

20:45
The Last King of Scotland (16) – Main Hall
British-German biography, drama, colour, 123 min, 2006
dir.: Kevin Macdonald
in English, French, German and Swahili with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Kevin Macdonald, film director


September 17, Sunday

11:00
Mickey Magnate (KN)– Main Hall
Hungarian comedy, bw, 83 min, 1948
dir.: Márton Keleti
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Márton Kurutz, Manager of the collections and research department, National Film Institute - Film Archive

11:00
The Jungle Book –(12) - Fábri Hall
American-British adventure, colour, 108 min, 1942
dir.: Zoltan Korda
in Hungarian

15:00
Six Weeks of Happiness – Fábri Hall
black and white Hungarian crime comedy, 80 min, 1939
dir.: Endre Tóth
in Hungarian with English subtitules
Introduction: Márton Kurutz, Manager of the collections and research department, National Film Institute - Film Archive

15:30
The Tales of Hoffmann – Csortos Hall
British fantasy, music, colour, 133 min, 1951
dir.: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger,
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Rita Boronyák, researcher, archivist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

16:00
Roman Holiday (12) – Main Hall
American comedy, romance, bw, 118 min, 1953
dir.: William Wyler
in English, Italian and German with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Péter Muszatics, film historian

16:30
Masterclass by director Gyula Gazdag – Uránia Café
90 min

17:00
Shorts by Hungarian Female Directors II. – Fábri Hall
Hungarian short film selection, 89 min
in Hungarian with English subtitules

18:00
Stolen Date – Csortos Hall
Soviet-Estonian drama, colour, 97 min, 1989
dir.: Leida Laiusz,
in Estonian and Russian with Hungarian and English subtitles
Introduction: Mari Armei, digitization specialist, Estonian National Archives - Film Archive

18:15
Ace in the Hole – Main Hall
American film-noir, bw, 111 min, 1951
dir.: Billy Wilder
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gyula Gazdag, film director

19:00
Day of the Outlaw – Fábri Hall
American western, bw, 92 min, 1959
dir.: André de Toth
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Gergő V Nagy, screenwriter, dramaturg, film critic

20:00
49th Parallel – Csortos Hall
British-Canadian thriller, bw, 123 min, 1941
dir.: Michael Powell
in English with Hungarian subtitles

20:30
The Third Man  (12) – Main Hall
British film-noir, bw, 104 min, 1949
dir.: Carol Reed
in English with Hungarian subtitles
Introduction: Péter Muszatics, film historian

Ticket price: 500 HUF

The whole program of the Budapest Classics Film Marathon

Organizer: