Hungarian Wedding - U.S. Pre-Premiere Screening

Hungarian Wedding, directed by Csaba Káel, brings together the power of Hungarian folk dance, the force of folk music, and the timeless story of love, all through the language of cinema. The film is produced by Tamás Lajos, who also joined the production as cinematographer. The event is organized by the Liszt Institute New York.

This grand, spectacular production is both deeply traditional and strikingly modern: it draws from the treasures of the past to speak to audiences today, inviting the world to dance through the universal language of film. Passionate folk dances, the emotional strength of folk music, and the moving story of a young couple intertwine throughout the film. The creators believe that folk art is a source of inspiration for the future, and that through this movie, global audiences can feel the beauty, power, and fire of Hungarian folk culture.

With Hungarian Wedding, viewers travel from the present day, guided by a cast of young actors, into the world of Kalotaszeg in the late 1970s, a cultural landscape of which only traces remain today. The story unfolds at the dawn of the Hungarian folk dance revival movement.
The production also pays tribute to the legendary choreographer Ferenc “Tata” Novák, whose life’s work inspired generations to preserve and carry forward Hungarian folk dance.

The wedding depicted in the film brings the culture to life through traditional costumes, customs, music, and dance. This artistic heritage, so vibrant in the 1980s but increasingly elusive today, is captured on film with the aim of preserving its very essence. According to Zoltán Zsuráfszky, the film’s lead choreographer, no dance film until now has presented this archival, decades-long body of folk material with such authenticity.

Filming took place in spring 2025 at various Budapest locations, in the Szentendre Open-Air Museum, and in the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania.

Hungarian Wedding features the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble and the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble. The choreography is set to Kalotaszeg folk music and includes Transylvanian musicians whose participation adds even greater authenticity. István “Szalonna” Pál curated the music to create a strong dramatic arc throughout the film.

The leading roles are played by Tamás Kovács, Zsombor Kövesi, and Franciska Törőcsik. Icons of the folk dance movement also appear, including Márta Sebestyén, Ferenc Sebő, Zoltán “Batyu” Farkas, Ildikó “Fecske” Tóth, and the legendary Muzsikás Ensemble.

The film premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), one of Northern Europe’s largest festivals. This was followed by its world debut on November 15 at the Hungarian Opera of Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár). After its New York City red carpet premiere, the film will arrive in Hungarian cinemas on January 22, 2026.

Based on a screenplay by Miksa Békési, the story follows two young men from Budapest — András and Péter — who travel to Transylvania in the late 1970s to attend the wedding of András’s cousin. In the Kalotaszeg village, they find themselves in an adventure that changes their lives. Soon, both must make decisions with unpredictable consequences.

Age Rating: PG-13

Dress up, walk the red carpet, and experience the very first U.S. screening of a film that invites the world to fall in love with Hungarian folk traditions.

👉 Reserve your seat now and join us for a magical evening at the Museum of the Moving Image!

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Host or Publisher Liszt Institute New York