13th Jameson Cinefest – Miskolc International Film Festival

Affordability is always a factor when going to the cinema. No matter how much you might want to watch a flurry of films at a festival, choices often boil down to budget – which can inevitably lead people to be less willing to take a ‘risk’ on an unknown title. It’s refreshing then that the key policy of “Jameson Cinefest – Miskolc International Film Festival” – now in its 13th year – is that admission to all the films and events is free. This is not only great news for cinemagoers, who need only to turn up early enough on the day to ensure they get in, but also for filmmakers, as busy screenings are all but guaranteed. With so many festivals spending their sponorship money on parties that can only be attended by a select elite, it’s a welcome change to see a festival putting the cash where its audience is and something I personally hope catches on.

Situated around two hours from the Hungarian capital of Budapest, the centre of Miskolc becomes a hub of activity during the festival, with pop-up stages and bars near the House of Arts cultural complex that acts as a focus for the films. This year, 18 films, selected by festival director Tibor Bíro and chief programmer Géza Csákvári, were in competition. The international jury awarded the Emeric Pressburger Prize to Matthew Newton’s “From Nowhere” and the Adolph Zukor Prize to Martin Zandvliet’s “Land of Mine” (Under Sandet), which also won the FIPRESCI Prize. (a.w.)

Jameson Cinefest – Miskolc International Film Festival: www.cinefest.hu