The aim of the Hungary L!ve Art Foundation, the organiser of the festival, is to present Hungarian culture to the American metropolis. The first festival, organised in 2018, was attended by 1,000 visitors at various iconic venues across Manhattan. The second event, taking place this year, will feature a selection of top Hungarian theatrical productions, such as Kristóf Kelemen’s Megfigyelők (Observers), the Dollár Papa Gyermekei Assembly’s  Kelet(East), Duda Éva Assembly’s Mirror, Gergye Krisztián Assembly’s „…és Echo” (...and Echo) and László Göndör and Éva Katona’s Nagymamával álmodtam (I had a dream about Grandma). A stage reading of Pál Závada’s literature award winning novel will also be performed, among others, by Erika Marozsán and Sheryl Sutton under the direction of János Mohácsi. There will be a screening of the film Toxikoma, which proved immensely successful in Hungary, followed by a meet-and-greet with lead actor Áron Molnár and producer Gabriella Illés. The theatre performances will be followed by a professional discussion moderated by Anikó Szűcs and Anikó Rácz, as well as a workshop with Éva Duda, Krisztián Gergye and Márta Kelemen.   

Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design has played a significant role in shaping the Hungarian design scene for a long time. Building on over 140 years of tradition and the legacy of László Moholy-Nagy, its mission is centred around the teaching, research and development of arts, design and creativity. The university trains and supports mindful specialists, who, through the expert use of design, technology, and contemporary art strategies, can take a role as innovators and improvers of various life situations and social systems in the 21st century. 

At the Hungary L!ve festival, MOME’s Media Institute will also be represented with a screening of short films from the Media Design department and a capsule exhibition of the best designs from the Graphic Design department. The works included reflect on the experience of those living in Central and Eastern Europe, in various abstract or less abstract ways, subjects, colours, and visions. 

MOME Anim, the Animation department at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, is one of the most influential creative workshops and intellectual hubs of Hungarian animation. The department successfully produces various animation projects that are awarded at the most prestigious film festivals (Cannes, Berlinale, Annecy). The festival will feature a selection of the best animated shorts of the past years. 

Highly diverse in terms of both genres and subjects, the selected short films from the Media Design department include documentaries and even a fictional webshop. Some of them reflect on personal experiences, and some on socio-historical phenomena, but they all share a critical attitude and social sensitivity. The exhibition of artists from the Graphic Design department is a selection of illustrations created in the context of the university’s training. 

Date of MOME events: 

MOME Anim I screening: 29 May 2022, 12:00 noon (EDT) (70 minutes) 

MOME Anim II screening: 29 May 2022, 1:30 p.m. (EDT) (70 minutes) 

MOME Media Design screening: 29 May 2022, 3:00 p.m. (EDT) (60 minutes) 

MOMEnts exhibition: 25-29 May 2022 Opening Ceremony: 25 May 2022 9:00 p.m. (EDT) (120 minutes) 

The principal venue of the 2022 festival is HERE Arts Center in the heart of city, SoHo. During the festival, the MA Poster project of the Hungarian Poster Association reflecting on the Russian-Ukrainian war will also be on display.Concerts by DJ Bootsie Trio & VJ Kemuri, and Random Trip featuring Zentai Márk (Mörk), Nagy Kristóf (7s), Delov Jávor will add further variety to the event programme.  Artisans Minimal with Márton Kovács and Ádám Móser will put on a unique concert, and will be joined by Jessica Lurie, Nikolett Pankovits, and Juancho Herrera at the well-known New York music club Nublu.  

The full programme is available on the festival’s website at https://hungarylivefestival.com 

Sponsors of the festival: the National Cultural Fund, the Ministry of Human Capacities, the Performer's Rights Protection Association Office, the Trust For Mutual Understanding, LOT Polish Airlines, the Hangfoglaló Programme, Stellatus 

Partners: HERE, k2 Theatre Foundation, Summa Artium, Trafó, Nublu, Cache Life, MOME, National Film Institute, The Jane Hotel, Hungarian Poster Association, OPLA