Awards – Polish Film Festival

The FPFF Grand Prize, the ‘Golden Lions’, is the main film award in the Main Competition, presented to the director and producer of the best film, along with a cash prize of PLN 300,000 (PLN 200,000 for the director, PLN 100,000 for the producer).

Furthermore, the lead producer of a film that has been awarded the ‘Golden Lions’ is entitled to a grant from the Polish Film Institute for the development of their next film, amounting to PLN 200,000 or PLN 250,000 in the case of a historical film. 

The PFF ‘Silver Lions’ Award is presented to a director and a producer, along with a cash prize of PLN 150,000 (PLN 100,000 for the director and PLN 50,000 for the producer).

Furthermore, the lead producer of a film that has been awarded the ‘Silver Lions’ is entitled to a grant of PLN 200,000 from the Polish Film Institute towards the development of their next film.

In the Main Competition, 14 individual awards are presented in the following categories: directing, screenplay, best actress and best actor, best professional acting debut, cinematography, music, production design, best supporting actress and best supporting actor, sound, editing, costume design and make-up.

The winners receive statuettes and cash prizes – PLN 30,000 in the directing category, PLN 25,000 in the screenplay category and PLN 15,000 in the other categories.

The Audience Award in the Main Competition is presented to the director of the film that wins the festival audience vote. The cash prize is PLN 25,000 and is funded by the Kino Polska Group.

The PFF ‘Sapphire Lions’ Award is presented to the director and producer of the best film in the Perspectives Competition, along with a cash prize of PLN 50,000 (PLN 30,000 for the director, PLN 20,000 for the producer). It has been awarded since the 49^th edition of the festival in 2024.

The award for an exceptional artistic contribution, along with PLN 15,000, is presented to a filmmaker – a man or woman working in a film profession other than that of director or producer – whose contribution to the final form of a film in the Perspectives Competition is deemed by the jury to be exceptional.

The award, together with a cash prize of PLN 15,000, is presented to the director of a film in the Main Competition or the Perspectives Competition, for whom this is either their debut film or their second film.

The Andrzej Żuławski ‘Golden Claw’ Award, together with a cash prize of PLN 30,000, is awarded to the director (PLN 20,000) and the producer (PLN 10,000) of a film in the Main Competition or the Perspectives Competition, in recognition of exceptional boldness in form and content, experimental creativity and defiance of genre classifications.

The Lucjan Bokiniec Award, together with a cash prize of PLN 15,000, is awarded to the filmmakers behind the best film in the Short Film Competition.

In addition to the main prize, the Short Film Competition jury may also award a special prize of PLN 10,000 and a commendation worth PLN 5,000.

The PFF ‘Platinum Lions’ Award honours a filmmaker for their lifetime achievement. The winner is nominated by the Programme Council in consultation with the Polish Filmmakers Association, and the award is presented by the Organising Committee. The winner receives a statuette and a cash prize of PLN 30,000.

The award is presented by the KINA POLSKIE Association to the Polish film that achieved the highest box-office takings in Polish cinemas during the previous season.

The award is presented to the director of a film from the Main Competition, selected by the organisers of Polish film festivals and film reviews abroad. The filmmakers behind the winning film are eligible to take part in Polish diaspora festivals around the world.

The award is presented to a film from the Main Competition by a jury comprising Australian film distributors. The aim of the award is to promote Polish cinema in Australia, to foster and facilitate mutual contacts between the Polish and Australian film communities, and to encourage production collaborations between Polish and Australian filmmakers..

The award for the film in the Main Competition is presented by a jury comprising activists and members of film discussion clubs affiliated to the Polish Federation of Film Discussion Clubs.

The award is presented to the film from the ‘Janusz Korczak Golden Lion Cubs’ section which received the most votes from the children and young people attending the screenings.

The award goes to the film from the Main Competition selected by a jury comprising the winners of the Film and Social Communication Knowledge Olympiad, organised by the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute.

The award is presented to a film from the Main Competition by representatives of cinemas affiliated with the Art House Cinema Network. The winning film receives support for its distribution within the art house cinema network.

The award is selected by the jury of the CICAE Association, comprising arthouse cinema owners and programme directors from various countries. It is a cross-section award – the jury assesses first and second films from two competition sections together: the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition.

The award goes to the director of the film in the Main Competition that received the longest round of applause from the audience following its gala screening on the Large Stage of the Musical Theatre.

The award is presented to the director of a film in the Main Competition by a jury comprising representatives of the Polish Filmmakers Association and the Polish Film Festival.

The award is presented by the Polish Post-Production Association and the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia.

The award is presented to a film from the Main Competition by journalists accredited to the festival, following a vote held after the final press conference.

The award is presented in two categories – Feature Film (from among the films in the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition) and Short Film (from among the films in the Short Film Competition). The award is funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, with the National Chamber of Audiovisual Producers as its content partner, and the ‘Film for Climate’ initiative as its honorary organiser.

The award is presented in recognition of the fresh perspective, undeniable talent and artistic sensitivity of the filmmaker or filmmakers whose work is featured in the Short Film Competition.

The award is presented to the filmmaker from the Short Film Competition for the most daring, most sensitive and most beautifully told cinematic story.

The award is presented to the cinematographer of a film entered in the Short Film Competition.