Vidnyánszky Attila published an open letter addressing the sixth anniversary of the Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetem model change.
As the former president of the foundation maintaining the University of Theatre and Film Arts, Attila Vidnyánszky wrote, “I therefore apologize for making efforts, together with my colleagues, to achieve the following results…” according to Vidnyánszky Attila, former foundation president of SZFE and director of the National Theatre.
The letter followed events on November 11, 2026, when former students and instructors marked six years since the 71-day university blockade at the Vas utca building. Protesters wrapped the Ódry Színpad in red-and-white ribbons and criticized leaders for failing to apologize.
Vidnyánszky rejected comparisons between past and present, listing infrastructure updates, studio modernizations, and international masterclasses featuring guests such as Valerij Fokin. He said that 44 prominent foreign instructors taught at the university last year.
To avoid provincialism and insularity, students arrived from cities ranging from Paris, Rome, and Beijing to Moscow, Bucharest, Belgrade, Toronto, Liverpool, and Tbilisi. Vidnyánszky said that the institution established connections with more than fifty cultural organizations, and a newly founded publication named Uránia was launched alongside the release of a dozen books.
He also detailed that the former headquarters of Duna TV was integrated into the university property and systematically renovated from floor to floor, housing the Kovács László Studio and a digital LED-wall virtual film studio equipped with modern technology for student motion pictures.
Addressing the institution’s prior condition, Vidnyánszky asserted that they inherited a facility with an empty treasury and in a dilapidated state in 2020, yet handed it back accredited and with considerable funds. Director Bodó Viktor and director Schilling Árpád were referenced in the discussions surrounding the transformation, with Schilling quoted in Színház journal regarding the previous study environment.
The former foundation president defended returning the Vas utca property to the reformed church, noting that the building’s transfer aligned with their sense of justice while maintaining that the university could still use the premises.
