Record number of entries submitted to 10th Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival
Photo from the 2024 Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival. Credit: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
A record number of more than 400 films have been submitted to the 10th Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival, organizers announced, marking the most successful call for entries in the event’s history.
Submissions for the anniversary edition of the cinematography-focused festival closed with record-breaking numbers in all four competition categories. Nearly 250 short films, 55 feature-length films, 59 documentaries, and 40 music videos are competing for a place in the official selection, which will be curated by two-member professional juries in each category.
The festival, held in honor of Oscar-winning Hungarian cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, received entries from a broad range of countries and cultural backgrounds. Hungary leads the field with more than 100 submissions, while films also arrived from most European countries, as well as from North, Central, and South America — including the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru — Australia, the Middle East, and East Asia, and Africa. Participating countries include China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Iran, Israel, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
Organizers said the high number of entries was matched by their quality. Several submitted films have already screened at major international festivals, and some have been entered for Academy Award consideration. These works will compete for the Zsigmond Vilmos Award, presented for outstanding cinematography.
The official competition program of the festival, scheduled to take place May 13–17, is expected to be announced in early February.
In addition to the competition screenings, the 10th edition of the festival will feature new calls for projects, preview screenings, special showcase sections, master classes, and audience meetings. Events will be held at Belvárosi Mozi in Szeged, continuing the festival’s tradition of highlighting the artistic and technical achievements of cinematographers from Hungary and around the world.
