The winner of the second Cine-Collegium Budapest call is: Lady Sunshine
The winner of CCB’s first call, Rudolf Olivér’s film My Mother, the Monster, will premiere at the 3rd BIFF, held between October 24 and November 1, 2026.
Cine-Collegium Budapest is the independent film financing programme of the Budapest International Film Festival, created through the support of film professionals and audiences in order to sustain free Hungarian filmmaking.
- 24 million HUF in financial support in 2026
- For directors planning their first or second feature film
- At least 35 million HUF worth of professional film services, such as props and furniture support, camera and lighting packages, studio days, post-production, etc. (see the detailed call for more information)
- Application fee: 28,000 HUF + VAT (35,560 HUF gross)
Deadlines
24 FEB 2026
29 MARCH 2026
19 MAY 2026
PREMIERE
OCTOBER 2027
(IV. BIFF)
Cine-Collegium Budapest is built on donations and professional in-kind contributions. The programme could not exist without the support of the Hungarian film community and its audience.For long-term sustainability, your support is also needed.
Through our crowdfunding platform, you can support the realization of the winning CCB project with a one-time donation, a monthly contribution, or an amount of your choice.
Our Mission
The goal of Cine-Collegium Budapest (CCB), created by the Budapest International Film Festival (BIFF), is to enable the production of at least one independently financed Hungarian feature film each year, supported by donations from the Hungarian film community, cultural patrons, and audiences committed to free filmmaking.
The programme provides the formal framework for collecting and redistributing these donations. Calls for applications are issued depending on the amount of donations and available resources. To ensure independence and diversity, the winning project is selected each year by a five-member professional jury whose membership changes annually.In addition, BIFF provides a platform for the supported films to premiere at the international film festival held every autumn. To ensure long-term sustainability, 30% of the net revenues of films produced through Cine-Collegium Budapest must be reinvested into the programme by the filmmakers.
The programme’s long-term plans include, should additional funding become available:
- supporting additional feature films, short films, and documentaries
- covering the tuition fees of at least one young Hungarian filmmaker per year at a Hungarian film school for the full duration of their studies.
The teams of CCB and BIFF are also working to create further programmes that strengthen the professional community and help young Hungarian filmmakers connect to the international film industry.
Jury 2026
From the submitted applications, an appointed pre-selection team (the Reading Committee) selects the 10 best projects. These are then presented to the Final Jury, whose membership changes each year. The winning film project is chosen by the Final Jury from these ten shortlisted projects.
Feasibility considerations are also taken into account; therefore, the screenplay must reflect realistic production conditions based on the available budget.