A food stylist will talk about how to achieve the pavlovian response when working with food in film; short classics from the past will be presented, and several topics will be discussed such as the rise of artificial intelligence, alternative ways to fund film projects, virtual reality, film music and where and how to apply for a job in the industry. The pitch forum will return and the directors of the short films selected for the festival will be invited to an open discussion.

"The greatest value of Friss Hús is the mixture of talent and creative power, while the greatest enemy is the combination of closed-mindedness and lack of knowledge - this is what drives us to create a richer professional programme every year, where AI and even food styling can be included, as long as they are relevant to our audience - and in the long run, to creative filmmaking", said Dániel Deák, founder and festival director of Friss Hús.

Friss Hús starts on 30 May and ends on 5 June: in addition to the best Hungarian and international short films, the organizers are also preparing inspiring professional programmes, talks, lectures and workshops. Festival-goers will gain valuable insight into many areas of the film industry at events featuring renowned national and international experts.

Young filmmakers will have the opportunity to showcase their new projects at Hungary's only short film pitching forum, the Friss Pitch. The Friss Csillagok (Fresh Stars), Dorottya Gellért and Raul Ionescu, will talk about the challenges and the beauty of a career in film acting. Experts analyze the differences between the dramaturgy of short and feature films. You can find out about the art of sound and music in films; the difference between the structure of short films and features, what a food stylist does and how film can be used to communicate science. The origin and afterlife of movies will also be discussed: filmmakers with successful projects will review the European funding schemes, and international experts will share their experiences in a discussion with tips and information on building a festival strategy. 

Fans of vintage shorts  will be able to watch rarely seen short classics and discuss them after the screening. Budding filmmakers can get career advice from a telecommunications marketing manager. In the VR room built on the top floor of the Puskin Cinema, festival-goers will be treated to an impressive virtual reality experience, meanwhile, the creators of the short films that premiered in the competition programme will be invited to a coffee and a chat with the audience.

Friss Hús Festival offers entertainment for film industry professionals and cinema lovers alike. The events will take place at the Puskin Cinema from 30 May to 5 June. The full list of programmes can be found below. Tickets to Friss Hús go on sale on 16 May.

REGISTRATION IS NEEDED TO THE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES. REGISTER HERE.

The professional programmes will take place in the Puskin cinema and at Restro Puskin. Please note that with the exception of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered discussion, these programmes will be in Hungarian with no translation. 

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Bake, Cook, Fuse - The Foodstylist

The undisputed masters of the Pavlovian reflex, food stylists are responsible for making food look as desirable as possible on photo shoots and film sets. Professional food stylist Sándor Csíki gives us an insight into the secrets of the profession - spiced up with a fascinating demonstration.

Thursday, 30 May 2024, 18:00

Friss Pitch 

Hungary's only pitching forum for short films aims to provide an opportunity for young filmmakers to present and discuss their projects in preparation. The public pitching forum will allow ten selected filmmakers (directors/screenwriters/producers) to present their ideas. The best film project will receive the Nándor Lovas Award, named after the late producer, along with a cash prize and additional prizes from the jury.

Friday, 31 May 2024, 14:00

Short and sharp?

A shot-by-shot analysis of Bianka Szelestey's short film Pragma with Dr. András Bálint Kovács

How to construct the dramaturgy of a short film? How to avoid the trap of making a short film into a condensed feature film? What makes a short film story memorable? In general: what is the story and what is the plot, can the dramaturgy of a short film be interpreted without conflict and character changes? These are some of the questions that will be answered in the practical film analysis class at Friss Hús, where the audience will learn about the narrative structure of a short film through an analysis of Bianka Szelestey's Pragma. 

Saturday, 1 June 2024, 15:00

Long Story Short 

How does the dramaturgy of a narrative short differ from that of a feature-length film? Is it possible to tell a compelling story without much conflict or character change? In general: what makes a short story short, apart from, you know,  being short? Dr. András Bálint Kovács, Barnabás Tóth and Cristina Grosan will answer these questions for the audience.

Saturday, 1 June 2024, 17:00

Classic Film Sprint

Friss Hús is not only about the films of the present and the future: one of the festival's important missions is to bring the short classics from the past to the forefront and make them visible and understandable for future generations of filmmakers. This year, in collaboration with the National Film Institute, they will present a short version of the Classic Film Marathon; the Classic Film Sprint will showcase special pieces from the avant-garde visual and musical worlds of the Béla Balázs Studio. The films' creators have gone on to exemplary careers - not only in the field of cinema. The screening will be followed by a discussion.

Screening: Saturday, 1 June 2024, 16:00

Discussion: Saturday, 1 June 2024, 18:00

Signed, Sealed, Delivered - the life cycle of short films 

Our film is finished. But who will watch it? In order to reach as many people as possible with the work we've invested so much energy into, we need to focus on the packaging and festival strategy of the film - and in the absence of other distribution windows, this is especially true for short films. Friss Hús is inviting distributors to a marketing-oriented discussion to help more Hungarian filmmakers learn about the operations of short film distribution agencies.

Sunday, 2 June 2024, 16:00

How to become a film actor? 

A conversation with this year's stars of Friss Hús, Raul Ionescu and Dorottya Gellért, and casting director-actress Kata Bartsch about embarking on an acting career in Hungary, the opportunities, trials and tribulations as well as about the beauty of the job.

Sunday, 2 June 2024, 17:00

Science Stories 

Focusing on science communication, this discussion will explore the potential role and directions of animation in communicating the findings of science to a wider audience, as well as the contemporary language and trends in visual culture, where animation as a tool has grown significantly in recent years, not to mention the rise of AI. 

Sunday, 2 June 2024, 17:00

Who is a science communicator? 

Science communication is changing rapidly as the digital world evolves. Scientists are adopting new methods and following trends to communicate their research to the world in a way that is as understandable as possible. Visualization and design are playing an increasing role in the online distribution of science. In this process it is essential to ensure mutual attention and understanding of each other's professional values. A "role-playing" workshop to illustrate how artists, researchers and journalists practice decision-making by stepping into each others’ roles. 

Sunday, 2 June 2024, 13:30

All for one - the ways and means of crowdfunding

Do it differently! 

In line with international trends, crowdfunding, i.e. community financing of cultural content, has become increasingly popular in Hungary in recent years. The aim of the discussion is to introduce crowdfunding to filmmakers not only as a form of alternative funding but also as a marketing tool. 

Monday, 3 June 2024, 17:00

When will we have an Oscar nominated short documentary?

In this discussion, organized in cooperation with the Hungarian Documentary Filmmakers Association (MADOKE), we will seek answers as to what is keeping us from having a Hungarian short documentary getting close to an Oscar nomination. And in general: why are we not making more short documentaries?!

Monday, 3 June 2024, 18:00

Film music - awareness workshop

The aim of this interactive session is to help filmmakers develop a more conscious concept of music and sound. Through inspiring exercises, participants will explore the possibilities of musical character development and sound dramaturgy for storytelling, while gaining practical perspectives and vocabulary for musical instruction and director-composer communication. 

Monday, 3 June 2024, 13:00

VR room

Film festivals cannot be left out of the conquest of virtual user experiences - although VR-XR content is less widespread in Hungary so far, but in 2024, Friss Hús will catch up with international trends, and with the help of experts - in cooperation with MOME - a VR room will be built on the upper floor of the Puskin cinema, where the necessary equipment will be provided to introduce the audience to the cinematically outstanding content of virtual reality.

Tuesday, 4 and Wednesday, 5 June 2024, 13:00

How to apply for a grant successfully?

Creative Europe stories of successful Hungarians

Every year, the MEDIA strand of Creative Europe's funding scheme supports dozens of Hungarian film companies in a wide range of fields; distributors, production companies, film festivals and even software developers use EU support to realize their projects. The Hungarian Creative Europe Bureau has compiled the stories of the successful MEDIA applicants in a publication, which will be presented in a discussion at Friss Húss. The event will also be an opportunity to meet the applicants in person and to ask them and the staff of the Creative Europe Office about the tricks and pitfalls of successful applications. 

Tuesday, 4 June 2024, 17:00

Do I need to go to Mars to make a film?

Branding and film career opportunities - beyond commercials

Is there life beyond a grant? Delivering film creative projects is an increasingly challenging task for directors and producers alike. Those who want to make films need to explore new avenues, and one way to do this is to work with brands and incorporate creative film projects into communication strategies. An exciting example of this in Hungary is the web series "Marsra magyar! ("To Mars, Hungarian!"). The concept and behind-the-scenes secrets of the series will be discussed by producer Ferenc Pusztai (A nyomozó,  Afterlife, Lajko - Gypsy in Space) and Béla Szabó, BrandComms Director at Magyar Telekom. 

Tuesday, 4 June 2024, 15:15

Director's Club

During the festival, in the afternoons before the competition programmes in Restro Puskin you can chat with the creators of the previous day's premieres about their films and the themes they deal with.