8th Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival awaits cinema fans with exciting competition program next week
The 8th Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival (ZSIFF) will take place at the Belvárosi Mozi in Szeged from October 8 to 12. Along with the competition program, the festival will feature workshops, panel discussions, audience meetings, and other screenings and film events.
The Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival in Szeged has been celebrating the work of acclaimed cinematographers and providing a platform for young artists to showcase their work since 2017. The festival focuses on promoting Hungarian filmmaking and specifically highlights the contributions of Hungarian cinematographers. ZSIFF also pays tribute to the renowned Szeged-born cinematographer, Academy Award winner Vilmos Zsigmond.
This year, the jury awaited works in three categories: short films, feature films, and documentaries. From the approximately 200 films entered, a preliminary jury of distinguished filmmakers and professionals selected the films to be included in the competition program. There was a significant increase in the number of feature films compared to previous years, with 29 entries from Europe, Asia, and overseas.
The international standard of entries is reflected in the fact that several films from A-category festivals such as Cannes, Boston, and Berlin have been nominated for this year's ZSIFF.
Feature, short, and documentary films made after January 1, 2022, could be entered for this year's festival. The ZSIFF is a truly international film festival — works with English subtitles can be submitted from anywhere in the world, without technical restrictions.
The jury evaluates the entries received based on the performance of the cinematographer, while at the same time taking into account the artistic quality of the film as a whole. Incoming entries are expected to feature original and creative cinematographic solutions, worthy of the work and memory of Vilmos Zsigmond.
Szeged-born Vilmos Zsigmond (1930-2016) was one of the most well-known cinematographers. He worked on approximately 50 movies and made a career in Hollywood. He received an Academy Award in 1978 for his work in the Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
In 2003, Vilmos Zsigmond was voted as one of the ten most influential cinematographers in history by the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.
This year, Szeged residents with a residence card or a student card can view the festival films at the discounted price of HUF 700.
For the festival program, news, and regular updates about the event visit the ZSIFF website or Facebook page.