Budapest International Documentary Festival brings you 60 astonishing films

The 12th Budapest International Documentary Festival (BIDF) has officially opened, bringing with it a striking snapshot of contemporary reality through 60 films and more than 250 screenings across Hungary. Running until 1 February, the festival once again positions Budapest as a key meeting point for filmmakers, audiences and pressing global stories.

Budapest International Documentary Festival brings you 60 films

Budapest International Documentary Festival launched with Facing War, a Norwegian documentary directed by Tommy Gulliksen. The film follows the final year in office of Jens Stoltenberg, who stepped down in 2024 after a decade as NATO Secretary General. Set against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the documentary offers rare insight into the personal and political pressures faced by a leader navigating the alliance’s most serious challenge since the Second World War.

As Euronews reports, Stoltenberg is shown working to maintain NATO unity while supporting Ukraine, all without escalating the conflict into a direct war with Russia. Gulliksen captures moments of unusual candour, revealing the doubts, frustrations and responsibilities that come with global decision-making. According to the director, filming took place over two years in 27 countries, with access to nearly 40 presidential and prime ministerial residences and around 600 hours of footage featuring Stoltenberg.

This year’s festival slogan, “The film of your future is already being made,” reflects Budapest International Documentary Festival‘s ambition to showcase documentaries that resonate emotionally while addressing urgent issues. Festival director Ágnes Sós explained that the programme aims for balance, ensuring that while political topics are present, they do not dominate. Roughly one third of the films engage directly with current political events, but all focus on universal human experiences rather than ideology alone.

Oscar-winning filmmaker’s production is the peak of the festival

Among the highlights is Love + War, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. The American documentary follows Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario as she reports from conflict zones while raising two children, exploring the personal cost of bearing witness to war.

The diverse programme of Budapest International Documentary Festival also includes stories about Ukrainian students attending school under the threat of air raids, the militarisation of education in Russia, survivors of terror attacks in Israel, and the daily work of a surgeon operating in Gaza. Other films examine subjects such as online dating culture in China, academic ghostwriting in Kenya, dementia, generational conflict within families and the resilience of love in later life.

Not only in Budapest, but also in 12 other big cities in Hungary

In addition to screenings at Cinema City Mammut in Budapest, the festival reaches audiences in 12 regional cities, including Debrecen, Pécs, Szeged and Győr. Viewers will also have the opportunity to meet directors, creators and protagonists during post-screening discussions, reinforcing Budapest International Documentary Festival’s reputation as a festival that values dialogue as much as cinema.