First Washington Polish Film Festival to Showcase Poland's Newest Films

The first Washington D.C. Polish Film Festival will be held May 10-12, 2024, at the Landmark E Street Cinema in Washington, D.C. The Festival will showcase eight new feature films and eight shorts, one of which debuted to great accolades at the Venice Film Festival (Woman Of…).

This diverse selection offers audiences in the nation's capital a glimpse into the latest trends in Polish cinema, reflecting urgent social changes and historical aspects of Poland and its citizens. Film topics include spy thrillers, dramas exploring gender issues, romantic comedy, historical period drama, docudrama, and more. Individual tickets are $20, which includes a feature film and a short film.

Martin Kabat, Chair of the Festival's Board of Directors, as well as some of the Festival's Board members, attended the 48th Gdynia Film Festival in Poland. Sixteen new Polish films were released to great acclaim; out of those, the Board selected the films for this first D.C. Festival. The Gdynia Film Festival is one of the oldest film events in Europe, and Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza calls it, “the most important event of Polish cinematography.” It has produced iconic filmmakers such as Andrzej Wajda and Pawel Pawlikowski, and award-winning films such as Cold War (2018), which won three Academy Awards, and Ida (2014), which won two Academy Awards.

"Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds, Polanski's Knife in the Water, and Kieslowski's Double Life of Veronique were recognized as masterpieces, but nothing prepared us for the ripening and maturing of today's Polish cinema," said Kabat.

Several of the films featured during the Festival received top honors at the Gdynia Film Festival. Scarborn won the top prize, the Grand Prix - Golden Lion. Scarborn may resonate with American audiences as it profiles General Tadeusz “Kos” Kosciuszko as he returns to Poland with his friend and newly freed, former slave, Domingo, after fighting together in the American Revolution. Back in Poland, they fight the Russians for an independent Poland. Feast of Fire won three awards, including Best Debut Actress (Paulina Pawlikowski). Doppelganger, which is now sold out, won the most awards (five), including best director and best actor.

Each feature film will be shown in Polish with English subtitles and preceded by a carefully selected short. Among the events surrounding the Festival is a meet-and-greet with actress Paulina Pytlak, the lead in Feast of Fire, at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at the Cinema, which is located at 555 11th St. NW, Washington, D.C. A jury, headed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Jan Komasa (Corpus Christi, Anniversary), will select the best feature film, best short, best actor, and best actress. The announcement of the jury awards and the audience awards will be made on Sunday, May 12, at 8:30 p.m. at the Cinema. Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe winning filmmaker Agnieszka Holland will serve as the Festival's Honorary Patron. Holland has directed famous Polish and American films, including the headlining Green Border, Europa Europa, The Secret Garden, and episodes of the popular American TV series The Wire and House of Cards.

"Our objective is to bring the latest offerings of leading Polish filmmakers to Washington audiences,” said Barbara Bernhardt, Vice President and Washington Director of the Kosciuszko Foundation. “Some films boldly tackle pressing social themes relevant in many societies regardless of geography. Additionally, several films presented at the Festival are made by women, highlighting the growing role of women in contemporary cinema," said Bernhardt.

The Washington D.C. Polish Film Festival is organized by the Kosciuszko Foundation, one of the oldest and largest Polish American organizations in the country. It serves to facilitate and promote educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Poland. Read more about the Kosciuszko Foundation: www.thekf.org.

Tickets

Festival Passes are available for all eight feature films and eight short films for $100. Discounted student tickets are available for 30% off with code STUDENT. For details about each film and the accompanying shorts, and to check out the full schedule, visit https://www.dcpolishfilmfest.org/.

To purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-kosciuszko-foundation-washington-dc-polish-film-festival-tickets-865966869217.

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