Fire in My Pocket, a10 minutes long graduation film was created using a unique combination of stop-motion and digital animation. The short animation was produced by Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) with the collaboration of numerous current and former students. Csaba Kalotás and Bálint Szabó were responsible for the sound design, while the film was edited by Béla Balázs Award winner Judit Czakó. The production managers were Eszter Talabér-Glaser and Kata Lakatos, the line producer was Réka Anna Szakály, and the producers were Zsuzsanna Vincze and József Fülöp.
The Generation Kplus section of the Berlin International Film Festival focuses on films made for younger audiences that tell complex stories through perspectives shaped by their age and experience. The selection of Janka Feiner’s film marks another milestone in a long-running series of international accolades: since 2017, diploma films from MOME’s Animation programme have featured regularly at the Berlinale.
The successful series of MOME diploma films produced with the support of the National Film Institute – Hungary continues at the 76th Berlinale. Following Réka Bucsi's Symphony No. 42 (2012), Katalin Lovrity's Volcano Island (2017), Anna Buda Flóra's Entropia (2019), Domonkos Erhardt's From the Corner of My Eyes (Szemem sarka) (2023), and Mirjana Balogh's Wish You Were Ear (2025) – the latter won the Crystal Bear, the main prize in the Generation 14plus section last year – a new talent, Janka Feiner is entering the Generation Kplus competition with her animated film Fire in My Pocket.
This year, the Berlinale Forum special program focuses on women directors. Judit Elek, a Kossuth Prize and Béla Balázs Prize winner and recipient of the Hungarian Film Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, who passed away at the age of 87 on October 1, 2025, was one of the first and most influential Hungarian women filmmakers. At the invitation of Forum Special, the Berlin audience will be able to see two of her recently restored works. Organisers of Berlinale have announced that restored versions of Judit Elek’s restored films A Hungarian Village and Encounter are to be screened in the Forum Special Programme.
In the documentary A Hungarian Village, Elek Judit concentrates on the everyday struggles and opportunities of young women who wish to shape their lives according to their own ideas, taking on a series of conflicts in the process. A Hungarian Village was a great revelation when it premiered at the 1975 Berlinale.
The short “cinéma direct” film Encounter, which moves along the boundary between fiction and documentary, tells the story of a date between a lonely bachelor and a nurse, capturing through it the fundamental difficulties, oddities, and awkward humour of attempts at forming relationships. Produced at the Béla Balázs Studio, the male lead was “played” by renowned writer Iván Mándy, while the female amateur performer was found through a classified advertisement. The 21-minute short film was made in 1963.
The preservation and distribution of Judit Elek’s films, as well as the entire national film heritage, is handled by NFI Film Archive, while the digital restoration work is carried out by the specialists of NFI Filmlab.
Hungarian Talents at the 76th Berlinale
Janka Feiner’s diploma film Fire in My Pocket and two restored works by influential Judit Elek – A Hungarian Village and Encounter – will enrich the program of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, 12-22, February.
Kornél Mundruczó’s new film, At the Sea, will have its world premiere in the Competition section.
The successful series of MOME graduation films supported by NFI Hungary continues at the 76th Berlinale, starting on February 12. Following Réka Bucsi’s Symphony No. 42 (2012), Katalin Lovrity’s Volcano Island (2017), Flóra Anna Buda’s Entropia (2019), Domonkos Erhardt’s From the Corner of My Eyes (2023), and Mirjana Balogh’s Wish You Were Ear (2025) – the latter having won the main prize of the Generation 14plus section, the Crystal Bear, last year – a new talent, Janka Feiner, enters the Generation Kplus competition with her animated film Fire in My Pocket.
The 10-minute graduation film, created through a unique combination of stop-motion and digital drawn animation, leads viewers into a magical mushroom world while offering insight into children’s inner lives. Balancing on the boundary between reality and imagination, the story follows a young protagonist who is tempted into mischief by a tiny fire creature. Although his father repeatedly tries to put a stop to the troublemaking, the boy follows his new friend into a surreal world where freedom seems boundless, yet actions still carry weight: in the end, the protagonist must face the consequences of his desires and the importance of taking responsibility.
Fire in My Pocket was produced by the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) with the collaboration of many current and former students. The sound design was created by Csaba Kalotás and Bálint Szabó, and the film was edited by Judit Czakó. The production managers were Eszter Talabér-Glaser and Kata Lakatos, the line producer was Réka Anna Szakály, and the producers were Zsuzsanna Vincze and József Fülöp.
This year, the Berlinale Forum special program focuses on women directors. Judit Elek, a Kossuth Prize and Béla Balázs Prize winner and recipient of the Hungarian Film Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, who passed away at the age of 87 on October 1, 2025, was one of the first and most influential Hungarian women filmmakers. At the invitation of Forum Special, the Berlin audience will be able to see two of her recently restored works.
In the documentary A Hungarian Village, Elek Judit concentrates on the everyday struggles and opportunities of young women who wish to shape their lives according to their own ideas, taking on a series of conflicts in the process.
A Hungarian Village was a great revelation when it premiered at the 1975 Berlinale.
The short “cinéma direct” film Encounter, which moves along the boundary between fiction and documentary, tells the story of a date between a lonely bachelor and a nurse, capturing through it the fundamental difficulties, oddities, and awkward humour of attempts at forming relationships. Produced at the Béla Balázs Studio, the male lead was “played” by renowned writer Iván Mándy, while the female amateur performer was found through a classified advertisement. The 21-minute short film was made in 1963.
The preservation and distribution of Judit Elek’s films, as well as the entire national film heritage, is handled by NFI Film Archive, while the digital restoration work is carried out by the specialists of NFI Filmlab. MORE
The Berlinale and the European Film Market are Europe’s first major international film event of the year. Last year, Berlinale screenings attracted more than 440,000 viewers, while the professional programs drew 20,000 film professionals.
More: https://www.berlinale.de
VIDEÓK:
Lángbogár a zsebemben teaser: https://vimeo.com/1153507638?fl=pl&fe=vl
Találkozás részlet: https://youtu.be/CP2HbducP-U?si=7kqSKLTX3FHi47Vp
