Gdynia for Children and Janusz Korczak Golden Lion Cubs at the 50th PFF
For the twenty first time, the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia features a special repertoire with young film buffs in mind, i.e. Gdynia for Children, which is part of the Polish Film for Young Audiences programme run by the Polish Filmmakers Association. This year’s programme celebrates 50 years of Teddy Drop-Ear, the Year of Reymont, and the 95th birthday of Zofia Ołdak – the creator of Plastusiowy pamiętnik. The Janusz Korczak Golden Lion Cubs Award for the best film for children and youth will be presented at the 50th PFF for the fourth time.
Polish Film for Young Audiences has been a permanent and unique element on the Polish film map for over two decades, also at the Polish Film Festival, constituting a pillar of the Gdynia for Children programme. It’s a tradition we’re proud of, a celebration of young viewers, during which the cinema becomes a space for meetings, emotions and joy – says Grzegorz Łoszewski, the President of the Polish Filmmakers Association. – From the beginning, we wanted these screenings to offer not only entertainment, but also an opportunity to learn about Polish culture, artists, and heroes who have become indelibly etched in our imagination. Twenty one years ago, we began this journey with the youngest audiences in mind. Today we can proudly say that we grew up together: they as viewers and we as creators, learning how to tell stories that move, entertain and inspire. Proving that cinema is not only about images and sounds, but above all about emotions, dreams and experiencing history together – he adds.
From Silesian legends to documentaries about the young, and for the young
On Monday morning, 22nd September, at the Musical Theatre, a pre-premiere screening of Tomasz Jurkiewicz’s The Treasurer will inaugurate this year’s edition of Gdynia for Children and the 50th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. It’s the story of siblings Janek and Zosia, who visit their grandparents and embark on an exciting yet dangerous holiday adventure, discovering the world of Silesian fairy tales and legends. To find the treasure, they must descend into an abandoned mine and face the devious Szarlej. At 1 p.m. on the same day, we will see Magdalena Nieć’s The Travelling Dog 2, a sequel to the beloved children’s story about the adventures of Zuzia and Antek and their friendly four-legged companion, Lampo. The creators of both films will meet the Festival audience.
The following screenings of Gdynia for Children will take place at the Consulate of Culture from Tuesday to Friday The youngest audience members will watch adventure-packed episodes of Agi Bagi and Patchwork Kingdom, as well as various heart-warming and funny short animations, such as Damian Tchórzewski’s Packed Up, a surprising story about dreams; Agata Zych’s Wander of Light, full of atmospheric images; Kiki and Bouba: A Peachy Story, which offers different perspectives on reality, a production from the Studio Mufka collective; Miłosz Makowiecki’s action-packed Japcuś and the Golden Bottle Cap; and Grzegorz Koncewicz’s Not Such a Last Elephant, a reflective tale about finding confidence. The programme would be incomplete without intergenerational TV classics: Teddy Drop-Ear, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, and Plastusiowy pamiętnik, whose creator, Zofia Ołdak, was born ninety-five years ago.
Slightly older children will surely enjoy the adventure-packed Oskar, Patsy and Baltic Gold, directed by Magdalena Nieć and Mariusz Paleja, and Grandpa, Let’s Go!, directed by Olga Chajdas, as well as heart-touching animations: Alina Poszepczyńska’s Different Fairy Tale, offering an unusual take on classic fairy-tale motifs; Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi’s MoMo&LuLu, a story about a delicate relationship between two characters, set in an oneiric landscape; Agata Mikina’s Sparkle, a visual meditation on light and emotions; Gabi Bania’s Nibbling of the Night, which plays with vampiric motifs; Maciej Lisek’s The Golden Steppe, a portrait of the conflict between people and nature; and Marcin Podolec’s Potatoes, reflecting on everyday life with humour and warmth.
This year, we will also touch upon the subjects of memory, transience, and identity in the following films: Heritage, directed by Barbara Koniecka, a poetic exploration of the way the past influences the present and family bonds; The Memory of Speckles, directed by Dominika Struzik and Marta Ejchart, a story about justice and empathy; There Was – There Is No – There Is, directed by Kamila Paciorkowska and Łukasz Kamil Kamiński, a visual impression of disappearance and persistence; Nabu, directed by Joanna Rusinek, a story about a war-torn childhood; and Lili, directed by SylwiaRosak, a touching documentary about growing up in a patchwork family.
High-schoolers will certainly be interested in Jakub Piątek’s Pianoforte, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, and the Polish Filmmakers Association’s Munk Studio documentary shorts about teenagers: Echo by Emi Buchwald, exploring the struggle with stuttering and confronting one’s fears; Sister of Mine by Mariusz Rusiński, portraying the relationship between the director’s sister, a drug addict, and the rest of the family; and Freshman by Tomasz Pawlik and Michał Edelman, which tells the story of fifteen-year-old Jędrek, who is placed in a youth detention centre and must find his place in a new, hostile environment.
To celebrate the Year of Władysław Stanisław Reymont, we will screen the innovative, part-live-action, part-animated film The Peasants by D.K. and Hugh Welchman.
During Gdynia for Children, we will also organise film walks titled Camera on Gdynia! A Film Journey to the City Centre. Participants of a screenwriting workshop conducted by screenwriter Emil Płoszajski will spark their imagination and develop their storytelling skills.
Janusz Korczak Golden Lion Cubs
It is the fourth time one of the six nominated films for children and youth will receive the Janusz Korczak Golden Lion Cubs Award at the Polish Film Festival. From this year onwards, the prize has a financial dimension: it is PLN 10,000, and its founder is Telewizja Polska. The winner will be selected by audience votes, and the award will be presented at the Young Gala heln on 26th September. The following titles are in the running: Grandpa, Let’s Go! by Olga Chajdas, The Travelling Dog 2 by Magdalena Nieć, Bartek Kędzierski’s animation Iggy the Eagle, Oskar, Patsy and Baltic Gold, directed by Magdalena Nieć and Mariusz Paleja, The Treasurer by Tomasz Jurkiewicz, Pixie. The New Beginning by Krzysztof Komander. Screenings of the nominated films, followed by meetings with the filmmakers, will be held at the Helios Cinema. Thanks to KGHM Polska Miedź – the Golden Lion Cubs Award partner, the Festival audience will watch the nominated films for just 1 PLN. Sales of tickers for screenings at the Helios Cinema will begin in September. Groups interested in screenings are asked to register.
Films nominated for the Janusz Korczak Golden Lion Cubs Award:
Grandpa, Let’s Go!, directed by: Olga Chajdas
The Travelling Dog 2, directed by: Magdalena Nieć
Iggy the Eagle, directed by: Bartek Kędzierski
Oskar, Patsy and Baltic Gold, directed by: Magdalena Nieć, Mariusz Palej
The Treasurer, directed by: Tomasz Jurkiewicz
Pixie. The New Beginning, directed by: Krzysztof Komander
The partner of the Golden Lion Cubs section is KGHM Miedź. The Golden Lion Cubs Award is funded by Telewizja Polska.
We invite organised school and kindergarten groups to contact us and sign up for free screenings at the Musical Theatre and the Consulate of Culture, as well as for paid screenings (PLN 1/person; booking from 10th September 2025) at the Helios Cinema. Contact: Renata Smagacka, tel. 503 430 345, adres e-mail: r.smagacka@sfp.org.pl
The author of this year’s visual identification of the Polish Film for Young Audiences is Marysia Machulska.
The Gdynia for Children section is organised by the Polish Filmmakers Association in cooperation with the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia. The project was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute The honorary patronage over the project was taken by UNICEF Poland and the Children’s Rights Ombudsman. The media patrons of the project are TVP VOD, Filmweb, SFP Film Magazine, KINO monthly, Filmoterapia and Jacek Cygan (TVTok). The partners of the project are the Gdynia City Museum and the Film Educators Team
The 50th Polish Film Festival will take place from 22nd to 27th September 2025 in Gdynia. The Festival is produced by the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia.
