The organizers of Friss Hús have released the festival's international competition program. This year's selection presents the most exciting works of contemporary international short filmmaking across five thematic blocks: animations, experimental films, social dramas, black comedies, and powerful auteur works.
The competition films react sensitively to contemporary social and personal tensions while remaining formally diverse—ranging from hand-painted animation and single-shot dramas to surreal experimental films. Characters include fleeing lovers, spies, porn stars, students, families on vacation, lonely men, and other extraordinary or everyday people forced to face their own fears, desires, or moral dilemmas in unexpected situations.
Since 2024, Friss Hús has employed a globally unique, innovative method for assembling its international competition program. More than 5,000 entries were submitted, which were filtered by pre-selectors. The final sections were then curated by film director Márk Beleznai in collaboration with this year’s festival curators. Each block carries a personal voice: beyond their cinematic taste, the curators' creative personalities shine through the selection.
In addition to the international competition, Friss Hús highlights the best short films of a specific nation each year through a country focus. This year’s Glitches block offers a taste of the fresh and diverse works from the British short film scene.
◾ GLITCHES – BEST OF UK SHORTS Contemporary British Short Film Selection The selection provides insight into the colorful and unpredictable world of contemporary British short film, where everyday situations often slide imperceptibly—or absurdly—off their usual tracks. These works are often characterized by the black humor typical of British art, emotional rollercoasters, and unexpected twists. The selection includes festival favorites and award-winning works, showcasing the wit, diversity, and experimental energy of the new generation of British filmmakers. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the creators. Supporters of the British focus program: British Council, Encounters Film Festival, Liszt Institute London.
The Five International Competition Blocks:
◾ FEVER DREAMS AND FALSE GODS Curated by Indigo The films in this block lead into unsettling, sensual, and often extreme worlds. The selection includes Hyena, premiered in Locarno, which depicts the brutal environment of a Chinese art school; the mystical The Sorceress Echo; and the Oscar-shortlisted animation Retirement Plan.
◾ UNKNOWN PATHS Curated by György Dragomán
“This is a rather depressing block; if I had to summarize it in three words, I would just write: Road to darkness.”
Train accidents, disappearances, paranoia, escape, and moral dilemmas appear in this block. Films include Coyotes, screened at the Venice Film Festival; the exciting story of a Palestinian doctor and an Israeli spy; the tale of a porn actress who leaves a set to hang out with her father in a small French village; and the grotesquely humorous Progress Mining.
◾ BROKEN BORDERS Curated by Giorgio Fekete The films in this block examine personal and political fault lines. Bimo is an autobiographical work by an Algerian director, featured in the Cannes La Cinef program; Winter in March is a surreal nightmare of a young couple fleeing an oppressive regime; while A Sky So Low and Eldorado are works with powerful visuals and a unique atmosphere.
◾ DEEPLY INTIMATE Curated by Dorka Gryllus
“It was very difficult to choose the films because I loved them all. Go and watch the block—you will love them too.”
Intimate, human stories about relationships, loneliness, guilt, and loyalty. Between the Lines follows a date in Vienna in a single shot; Fanny at the Beach is a sensitive summer socio-drama; and Mercy examines the moral conflict of a woman standing by her partner accused of violence. The Chilean film Sorrow Doesn’t Sleep at Night tells the story of a man’s isolation and increasing psychological breakdown.
◾ US AND THEM Curated by the Friss Hús Team This block focuses on social and personal relationships, power dynamics, and human connections. It features Rhoda, directed by Alex Lawther and starring Emma D’Arcy and Juliet Stevenson; Best Practice by Oscar-winning Danish director Martin Strange-Hansen; and this year’s Oscar winner, Two People Exchanging Saliva. The Mexican films I Don’t Know You and To Be a Seed also revolve around questions of identity and mutual relations.
The Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival (May 28 – June 3, 2026) awaits audiences with the latest Hungarian and international short films, alongside professional programs, discussions, and workshops. Ticket sales start today on the Friss Hús website. The winners of the competition programs will be announced on the final day of the festival, June 3.