Orphan, the new film by acclaimed Hungarian film director László Nemes, will open the Haifa International Film Festival. Nemes is known for Son of Saul (2015), which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Orphan held its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and is Hungary’s selection for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. The 41st edition of the Haifa International Film Festival will take place from October 5 – 14, 2025.
Orphan is set in 1957, in the ruins of Budapest after the violent suppression of the Hungarian uprising against the Communist regime. Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) is a Jewish boy living with his mother Klára (Andrea Waskovics), who tells him of his father’s heroism during the war. But when Berend Mihály (Grégory Gadebois), a brutish man, begins to visit the family home, the tales begin to unravel, and the truth of Andor’s mother’s survival is revealed. Nemes co-wrote the screenplay with Clara Royer, who was also his co-author on Son of Saul. The film will be screened at the festival courtesy of New Cinema.
Actors Moni Moshonov and Shlomo Baraba will be honored at the festival’s opening ceremony with a Lifetime Achievement Award, for their significant and long-standing contribution to Israeli culture.
The Haifa International Film Festival takes place with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports – Israeli Film Council, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Regional Cooperation, and the Haifa Municipality. The festival’s Artistic Director is Yaron Shamir, and it is produced by Ethos – The Haifa Municipality Art, Culture and Sports Association Company. The full program and ticket information will be available on the Haifa Film Festival website: https://www.haifaff.co.il/eng.
