This year's festival slogan, "I believe it when I see it?", reflects the growing uncertainty over the authenticity of images and the evolving role of documentary filmmaking in an era when it is increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from fiction on screen.

"In an age of information overload, deepfakes, and manipulated images, how we observe and interpret the world around us is becoming ever more critical," festival director Eniko Gyuresko said.

"Verzio's films encourage us to watch and engage with what we see critically, yet with an open mind."

The festival kicks off on Nov 16 at Budapest's Trafo Contemporary Arts Centre with Papa, a Hungarian documentary that won the main prize at this year's Hungarian Film Week.

The film, set in Budapest's 8th district -- a historically working-class area now undergoing regeneration -- also ties into one of the festival's key themes: this year's programme highlights films exploring the diversity of Roma communities and works created by Roma filmmakers.

Alongside the Hungarian and international competition programmes, the festival will tackle global issues shaping public discourse, including colonial legacies, the ecological crisis, the war in Ukraine, social taboos, and combatting violence against women.

The programme will also feature films that push the boundaries of documentary form. The full schedule will be available in mid-October.

Screenings in Budapest will take place at the Toldi and Muvesz cinemas, as well as other festival venues, while Pecs, Szeged, Szombathely, Veszprem, Miskolc, Debrecen, Kecskemet, and -- a first this year -- Solnok will host regional screenings.

The festival will also include discussions with filmmakers, experts, and special guests to help audiences navigate the often complex themes. In addition to film screenings, the festival will feature afternoon cultural and musical events, as well as an expanded programme for students, with a special focus on community building at the Centralis Gallery and Central European University's Budapest campus.

For the first time in its history, the festival has received 50 million forints (EUR 140,000) in support from the National Film Institute (NFI), a milestone as Verzio had not previously received such central government film funding since its launch in 2004.

More: 
verzio.org
 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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