Opening: 27 May,Tuesday 17:00
Hírös Agora / Chamber Room
The exhibition is opened by film historian Zoltán Varga
Can be visited: 27 May, Tuesday – 11 June, Wednesday
If the Kecskemét Animation Film Festival is a celebration of Hungarian animated film, then in 2025 the event will also be a celebration of the festival itself, as its imaginary birthday cake now holds forty candles. The origins of Hungary's first animation film festival - and one of our longest-running film festivals - go back to the founding of the Kecskemét Studio of Pannonia Film. The idea for the festival was conceived in 1971, but the first event, then known as a film week, took place later, in 1985. Ferenc Mikulás in particular advocated its realisation, knowing that an initiative of great value to both the profession and the county was in the making. The event, which has been known by the emblematic acronym KAFF since 1993, is a local and national success story in terms of cultural tradition. From a purely touristic point of view, its merits are undeniable, but it has also become a key event for the animation profession. It explores and evaluates the current developments and achievements of Hungarian animation filmmaking, and fosters and builds international relations. From the very beginning, the event has also placed great emphasis on highlighting the past of Hungarian animation, thanks to retrospective screenings, tributes and lectures. The international character of the KAFF is just as prominent. The festival invites the finest in animation filmmaking from all over the world to the famous city: a foreign expert has been participating in the five-member jury since 1993 and in the three-member pre-selection committee since 1999. From Jurij Norstein to Priit Pärn, from Piotr Dumała to Paul Driessen, from Jimmy T. Murakami to Ishu Patel, just to name a few, Kecskemét has welcomed many masters of animation.KAFF also regularly screens award-winning works from its partner animation festivals – Annecy, Stuttgart, London, Bratislava, Espinho, Hangzhou, Hiroshima, and Córdoba. Initially held every three years, KAFF has been biennial since 2005, and the range of programmes has grown. The presentation of Hungarian animation has been complemented by parallel competition sections for European animation, offering a selection of feature films (since 1996), TV specials (since 2002) and TV series (since 2017). Thanks to the international panorama programmes, the festival has discovered the world of animation from continent to continent, with animation from Asia, South America, Australia and Africa. KAFF's rich offering of events is not only of interest to the animation community. The events and screenings of KAFF, which is considered one of the world's finest animation festivals, are free of charge and the films are also screened in small villages in the surrounding area. Ferenc Mikulás, the festival director, and his team are guided by a motto formulated at the 10th KAFF in 2011, in the spirit of Zoltán Kodály: “Let animation belong to everyone!”.
The exhibition presents the 16 festivals from the past 40 years, showcasing their visual identities, posters, and awards. Photographs and descriptions recall the atmosphere and professional achievements of each event, preserving the memory of all participants.
