Bartosz M. Kowalski is a director and screenwriter, known for his work in genre cinema and social activism. He graduated from film schools in Paris and Los Angeles. His feature debut, Playground, received critical acclaim for uncompromising approach to the subject of youth violence, receiving awards at many festivals, e.g. in Gdynia, Koszalin, Warsaw and Melbourne, in addition to being nominated to Paszport Polityki and Krzysztof Krauze Award. In recent years he collaborated with Netflix, writing and directing the first Polish slasher Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (parts 1 and 2) as well as a demonic horror Hellhole. His Night Silence was a fantasy drama awarded at the Polish Film Festival in 2024. It was screened at some of the most important genre cinema events in Europe, including Sitges Film Festival and SXSW. His latest project, home invasion thriller 13 Days Till Summer, premiered in 2025 at the New Horizons Film Festival in Wrocław and Fantastic Fest, where he won a Best Director award.