The 21st edition of the Verzió Documentary Film Festival will take place in Budapest from 6 to 13 November 2024. Known for its dedication to addressing pressing global and human rights issues, this year’s festival promises to uncover hidden realities and tackle narratives that challenge mainstream discourse.
The 2024 program, Reality Uncovered, includes 60 films across four competition categories and eight thematic sections, with selections covering topics ranging from the war in Ukraine to the MeToo movement in Japan.
A significant thematic focus for this year will be Decolonization. The special section will feature acclaimed works such as Dahomey, a film directed by Mati Diop about the controversial return of cultural artefacts from France to Benin. The film won the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlinale.
Disinformation is another urgent theme to be explored in this year’s programming. The festival will include the documentary Black Snow, a deep dive into a Soviet-era mine disaster and the government-led disinformation campaign that followed.
The opening film, KIX, is a Hungarian-French-Croatian co-production directed by Bálint Révész and Dávid Mikulán. It traces 12 years in the life of a young boy, Sanyi, from Budapest. This poignant documentary captures the rawness of urban poverty and social marginalization, presenting Sanyi’s transformation from a carefree skateboarder to an individual branded a «public enemy.»
In addition to the Hungarian premieres, Verzió 2024 will spotlight Ukrainian documentary filmmakers. A key highlight is Intercepted, which juxtaposes phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families with the brutal realities of the war in Ukraine.
The festival also includes a British selection featuring Shiori Ito’s Black Box Diaries, a film about a high-profile Japanese MeToo case. Additionally, Iranian-born director Ehsan Khoshbakht’s Celluloid Underground, which traces the illegal screening of banned films in post-revolutionary Iran, will be part of the international showcase.
For the first time in its history, Verzió will host a section dedicated to Armenian films, focusing on the impact of the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Among the key entries is 1489, which has garnered international accolades.
Running in cinemas across Budapest, the festival will also offer online screenings through Verziótéka from 14-24 November. The full program will be available in early October, and tickets for the opening film are already on sale.
