At the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, paid an official visit to Budapest from May 19 to 21, 2025. This visit marked a new stage in political, economic, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
As previously reported, a delegation led by Shuhrat Rizayev, Director of the Cinematography Agency under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, visited Budapest and became acquainted with the operations of one of Europe’s largest film complexes — the NFI (Nemzeti Filmintezet) studio — inaugurated with the participation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
From January 30 to February 1, the city of Budapest also hosted the first-ever “Uzbek Film Days.” As part of the event, modern Uzbek films such as Ilhaq, Farida’s Two Thousand Songs, Pandemic, and House were screened. Hungarian audiences and cinema professionals welcomed these films with great interest and warm appreciation. The initiative to hold the “Uzbek Film Days” annually in Budapest was proposed and gladly supported.
Additionally, during the 78th Cannes International Film Festival held in France from May 13 to 24 this year, Furqat Usmonov, Director of the Uzbek National Center for the Development of Cinematography, met with József Berger, producer and representative of the Hungarian National Film Institute (NFI). They held an in-depth discussion on the synopsis, conceptual script, and literary screenplay of the upcoming Uzbek-Hungarian docudrama Herman Vambery and Mullah Is’hoq, and agreed to begin drafting a co-production agreement.
These projects represent an important step toward strengthening cultural ties between Uzbekistan and Hungary and promoting historical heritage on the international stage.
