Gundel Restaurant’s film showcasing sign language communication came second at one of the world’s most prestigious short film festivals. The 3 Minute Film Festival in Santa Barbara celebrates the creativity and message of three-minute films and is highly regarded amongst filmmakers.

This year, 12 films from five countries (England, India, the United States, Hungary and Turkey) were selected for the competition programme in the „Narrative” category, with the film *Gundel* representing Hungary. The Gundel is for EVERYONE The short film of that name ultimately missed out on the festival’s top prize by a hair’s breadth. 

The Péter Bergendy Thanks to its production team, the Gundel film, which premiered in March this year, not only focuses on the commitment to CSR of Hungary’s most famous restaurant, but also conveys a profound message about the importance of inclusivity. 

As part of this, staff learnt the most important sign language phrases in English and Hungarian, and a menu in Braille was produced for visually impaired guests. 

Alongside its legendary hospitality, social responsibility and sensitivity have always been part of Gundel’s core values and have shaped the attitude of its staff, which is also evident in the care shown towards guests with visual and hearing impairments – the restaurant’s operator told our newspaper.  

Jenő Magyary, Gundel’s managing director, commented on the success: „… to ultimately feature in the top three amongst such illustrious company is a source of immense joy for the entire Gundel team and all our partners who have supported us in this endeavour. We would like to take this opportunity to express our immense gratitude to the dedicated Gundel team, our group of companies responsible for operating Gundel – the Eventrend Group – Péter Bergendy’s team, who work with such refined sensitivity, and the experts at SINOSZ (National Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing), who have enthusiastically helped us learn sign language. This recognition only serves to reinforce our commitment and further encourage us to make Gundel’s hospitality accessible to everyone.”.

Now in its 12th year, the 3 Minute Film Festival aims to provide a platform for short yet thought-provoking films that powerfully convey human stories and social messages. 

What makes this festival special is that the three-minute format gives filmmakers the opportunity to express their message concisely yet powerfully, thereby offering viewers a unique and memorable experience.