English-Language Debut by Hungarian Director to Open Venice Days
- 23 Jul 2026 10:51 AM
Hungarian director Lili Horvat's first English-language film, My Notes on Mars, will open the Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) competition programme at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The romantic drama, starring Mackenzie Davis and Rupert Friend and supported by the National Film Institute (NFI), was produced as an international co-production.
According to a statement from the filmmakers, the film will open the section known for showcasing distinctive auteur films when the festival begins on Sept 2.
The Giornate degli Autori section, established in 2004 and modelled after Cannes' Directors' Fortnight, features just 10 new feature films, with a special emphasis on innovation, experimentation, originality, and independence.
Horvat's previous film, Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, which won numerous international awards, also debuted in Venice and was Hungary's official Oscar submission in 2021.
In My Notes on Mars, Margot, a young American space researcher struggling with marital issues, inexplicably disappears while hiking in the Alps with her husband, Sam.
Weeks later, she reappears at her own memorial service, remembering nothing from her past life except for her notes on her research on Mars, which she desperately tries to destroy. Though Margot is no longer the same, Sam sees her return as a second chance for their love.
The international co-production was made in collaboration with partners from Austria, France, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the United States.
My Notes on Mars will have its world premiere in Venice, followed by a Hungarian theatrical release this winter, distributed by Mozinet.
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival will take place on Sept 2-12 at its traditional venue, Lido di Venezia.
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.
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