This year, the Alexandre Trauner Art/Film Festival’s FILM FUTURES programme takes on a new format with the introduction of a pitch forum. The initiative aims to provide emerging filmmakers currently pursuing film studies with an opportunity to present their work and to create a space for professional discussion of film projects still in development.
Eight projects will be presented at the FILM FUTURES PITCH FORUM: four animated and four live-action short film projects. Participants will present their ideas to a professional jury, with particular emphasis on storytelling, the directorial concept and the films’ envisioned visual worlds.
Date and time: Thursday, 15 October 2026, 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
The programme’s language is Hungarian, without interpretation.
Venue: TISZApART Cinema, Screening Room “A” (4 Templom Street, 5000 Szolnok, Hungary)
Animated Short Film Projects
FakeNess
Director and production designer: Fruzsina Izabell Nagy
Institution: Budapest Metropolitan University, MA in Animation
Project type: Graduation film project
About the film:
Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, has lived in the depths of the lake for centuries, doing everything she can to remain hidden. Recently, however, more and more tourists have been arriving at the lake, and reports about her have once again attracted considerable attention. Tired of being constantly sought out and exposed, Nessie asks for help: she hires a photographer to divert attention from the genuine clues with fake photographs and misleading information.
A friendship gradually develops between the two characters, who at first seem completely different.
About the filmmaker:
My name is Fruzsina Izabell Nagy, and I am currently studying for a master’s degree in Animation at Budapest Metropolitan University, where I hold a scholarship. As a filmmaker, I am primarily interested in storytelling, 2D animation and visual dramaturgy, particularly in how characters, visual worlds and movement can be used to tell personal, emotionally authentic stories.
Szphaira
Director and production designer: Máté László Józsa
Institution: Budapest Metropolitan University, MA in Animation
Project type: Graduation film project
About the film:
A rare form of migraine disrupts a person’s vision. Hallucinations emerge, and familiar shapes transform and become alien. Gradually, the world becomes indifferent. The animated film Szphaira is a passage into another sphere of life.
The narrator, concealed behind the protagonist, recounts personal experiences. He seeks to convey experiences that are difficult to express through words alone. Like the poetic imagery of a poem, the animation will describe them. The visual dimension is central. Only a few sentences are spoken.
About the filmmaker:
He began taking animation more seriously at university. This is his first large-scale project. He has always admired meticulously crafted scenes, as he too finds joy in seeing his ideas come to life after days or even weeks of effort.
Albérlet vadászok (Apartment Hunters)
Director and production designer: Dóra Napsugár Kovács
Institution: Budapest Metropolitan University, MA in Animation
Project type: Graduation film project
About the film:
Tibi, an eccentric young man in his twenties from the countryside, and his faithful companion, Lujza the goat, arrive in Budapest in search of a new home. The plan seems simple, but when your hair is green and your best friend is a goat, nothing goes smoothly.
Tibi and Lujza immediately embark on their apartment hunt, which soon turns into a series of absurd adventures. Distrustful landlords, run-down flats and scams stand in their way.
Albérlet vadászok is a humorous, at times absurd yet heartwarming story about two unusual friends trying to find their way in the big city.
About the filmmaker:
Napsugár is an animation director who also designs the visual worlds of her own films. Alongside her university projects, she has worked on numerous professional animated productions in recent years, which have regularly been screened at film festivals such as KAFF. Her work has also reached audiences beyond festivals: she designed and directed the curtain films currently shown at the Tabán and Toldi Art Cinemas.
Papírozva (Buried in Paperwork)
Director and production designer: Dániel Péter Papp
Institution: Budapesti Metropolitan Egyetem, Forgatókönyvíró MA; korábban Animáció MA
Project type: Graduation film project
About the film:
One morning, on his way to work, a man named M. discovers that he needs a permit simply to be out on the street. But M. refuses to give up and begins a desperate struggle for freedom of movement, while constantly changing rules increasingly restrict his options.
About the filmmaker:
My name is Dániel Péter Papp, and I am an animation filmmaker and MA student in Screenwriting. I studied Animation at Budapest Metropolitan University, first at BA level (2021–2024) and then at MA level (2024–2026), and I am currently pursuing an MA in Screenwriting at the same institution.
For me, visual expression and storytelling are closely intertwined in the creative process.
Live-Action Short Film Projects
A madarak röptükben halnak meg? (Do Birds Die in Flight?)
Director: Lilla Nagy
Cinematographer, presenting the project’s visual concept: Barna Lőrincz
Institution: Eszterházy Károly Katolikus Egyetem
Programme: Film and Media Studies; Lilla Nagy also studies to become a teacher of Hungarian language and literature
Project type and genre: Independent film project, realist dystopian drama
About the film:
Flóra and her lover, Farkas, roam the forest in search of the gods of nature, hoping to bring the birds back. However, an encounter with a mysterious stranger prompts Flóra to abandon Farkas in order to save herself and her unborn child.
About the filmmaker:
Lilla Nagy – Director
I am currently studying Film and Media Studies and training to become a teacher of Hungarian language and literature at Eszterházy Károly Catholic University. Previously, I completed a BA in Film and Media Studies, specialising in screenwriting. I wrote the screenplay for my graduation film, Szép vagy! (You Are Beautiful!), and also wrote and directed a fellow cinematography student’s graduation film, entitled Zev és Boda (Zev and Boda).
Barna Lőrincz – Cinematographer
My name is Barna Lőrincz, and I am a third-year BA student in Film and Media Studies at Eszterházy Károly Catholic University. I specialise in cinematography, and my graduation project will be a documentary about people living with alcoholism.
I am deeply passionate about dystopian and post-apocalyptic worlds, in both literature and film, although I fear that certain aspects of my favourite works may become reality.
A madárijesztő menyasszonyai (The Scarecrow’s Brides)
Director: Minna Szolnoki
Production designer: Sára Kenyeres
Institutions: University of Theatre and Film Arts; Corvin Art School
Programmes: BA in Film and Television Directing; Art Graphics and Illustration
Project type and genre: Graduation film project, historical folk-psychological thriller
About the film:
Love comes at a price.
An isolated community of young women exiled in the nineteenth century takes in a wounded, mute man, with whom they all fall in love. When he disrupts their former harmony, Lujza ultimately kills him and restores him to the place of the community’s sacred male ideal: the scarecrow.
About the filmmakers:
Minna Szolnoki – Director
I originally completed a master’s degree in Psychology at ELTE, followed by studies in Production Design at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. Alongside my theatre work, I was already working on numerous film shoots, and soon realised that I wanted to be far more closely involved in every aspect of filmmaking; that is how I came to SZFE. Understandably, I place great emphasis on visuality, teamwork and strange but exciting things in my films.
Sára Kenyeres – Production Designer
I graduated in Art Graphics and currently work as an illustrator and graphic designer. At the same time, my love of theatre has led me to become increasingly involved in set and production design over the past year and a half. At the invitation of directing students at the University of Theatre and Film Arts, I have worked as a set designer and set builder on several projects, including at the Eiffel Art Studios and the Szkéné Theatre. I also had the opportunity to design the sets for the production Nincsenapám, seanyám at the Gárdonyi Géza Theatre.
Énekek éneke (Song of Songs)
Director: Róza Orbán
Production designer: Eszter Kevés
Institutions: Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem; Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetem
Programmes: MA in Filmmaking – Screenwriting; MA in Production Design
Project type and genre: Graduation film project for both filmmakers; drama
About the film:
A wedding puts the relationship of a young engaged couple to the test when the catching of the bouquet and the tension-filled reception bring years of accumulated grievances and resentment to the surface, casting doubt on their future together.
Énekek éneke is a 15–20-minute drama that portrays a crisis in the relationship of two people in their twenties against the backdrop of a tense countryside wedding.
About the filmmaker:
Róza Orbán – Director
My name is Róza Orbán, and I am in the final year of the MA in Screenwriting at the Department of Film Studies at ELTE. I completed my undergraduate studies in Hungarian Language and Literature, specialising in Religious Studies. Even during my undergraduate years, I developed my dramaturgical and writing skills through practical experience: I took part in developing student films as a script developer and dramaturg, learned the fundamentals of screenwriting from Norbert Köbli in courses at MOME, and further developed my artistic perspective during my master’s studies at ELTE under the mentorship of acclaimed writers and directors including Péter Kárpáti, Barna Tóth and Hajni Kis.
Eszter Kevés – Production Designer
My name is Eszter Kevés, and I am a second-year student on the MA in Production Design at the University of Theatre and Film Arts. Four years ago, I completed the set-drawing course at Premier Film School under the mentorship of Gergely Rieger. I subsequently began working as a production designer on student and graduation films alongside my studies.
Soma Pregun has been my creative collaborator from the beginning, and together we founded the Pompa Copia creative collective a year ago. Our joint projects include production design for commercials (e.g. Zoetis, Vegas.hu, Coors), programmes (e.g. Útkeresők, Pogány Induló – Vajon mit mondana anya), music videos (e.g. Balkan VIP: 100 csók, Tamás Molnár x Gege: Farkasok) and short films (e.g. Dávid Puskás: Seprű, Edit Nagyistók: Halhatatlanok).
Theseus bárkája (Theseus’ Ark)
Director: Kamilla Buzási
Production designer: Alexandra Maria Pop
Institutions: Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania; University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca
Project type: Independent film project
About the film:
It is vitally important for a woman to find something. As the story unfolds, however, uncertainty grows not only about what she is searching for and whether it even exists, but also about who is doing the searching.
The story follows a conversation between a woman and a detective she has hired. The point is not whether the detective can find what the woman is looking for, but whether she can recognise it if someone does find it. The question posed by the Ship of Theseus is simple: if every part of a ship is gradually replaced, does it remain the same ship? Similarly, every element of the film is replaced one by one, until both the subject and the object of the original question disappear.
About the filmmaker:
Kamilla Buzási – Director
My name is Kamilla Buzási, and I completed my bachelor’s degree in Film, specialising in Film and Television Directing, at Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania. During those three years, I was primarily drawn to more absurd and surreal situations and ideas. The films I have made so far also lean in this direction, and we do not intend to rely on the conventions of realism in our new project, provisionally titled Theseus bárkája, which we wish to pitch.
Alexandra Maria Pop – Production Designer
My name is Alexandra Maria Pop. I graduated in Design from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca in 2026 and am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Graphic Design at the same university. I am interested in various areas of visual design, including graphic, environmental and editorial design, and I would now like to broaden my experience in scenography, set design and visual storytelling.
The Film Futures Pitch Forum Jury
Éva Szendrényi, DLA – Hungarian set and production designer, civil engineer and lecturer at the Zsigmond Vilmos Institute of Cinematic Arts at the University of Theatre and Film Arts.
Attila Szász – Hungarian film and television director, screenwriter, producer and journalist; recipient of the Béla Balázs Award.
Viktor Dudás – Hungarian film expert, film journalist and communications manager.
Supporters of the Pitch Forum