Csaba Káel

As government commissioner for film and president of the National Film Institute, Csaba Káel oversaw a system in which the allocation of state film funding increasingly favoured projects aligned with government narratives. Under his leadership the domestic film industry underwent rapid expansion, its financial foundations resting heavily on state incentives decided through opaque processes. Multiple professional sources reported that screenplays by government-critical filmmakers were more likely to be rejected than those from politically neutral or sympathetic applicants. Káel's mandate expired in spring 2026; the NFI subsequently announced a suspension of film financing until the next change of government.