The 50 for 51 project in August – Polish Film Festival

In August, as part of the 50 for 51 project, we’ll be visiting Chełmno, Rawicz, Pszczew, Rzeszów, Katowice, Warsaw and Kraków. It’ll be summery and witty, classic and fresh. In Chełmno, there will be open-air screenings dedicated to teenagers and young adults as part of the 11^th edition of the 9 Hills Festival. In Kraków, we’ll hear new voices in Polish cinema. In Rawicz, Rzeszów and Katowice, we’ll showcase the evolution of Polish comedy over the decades. In Pszczew, we’ll explore the evolution of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s vision. And at Amondo in Warsaw, we’ll screen three significant works by female directors—representing different creative generations and distinct artistic approaches—from original 16 mm film prints.

In July, we visited Sucha Beskidzka, Pszczew, Bydgoszcz, Toruń, Kraków, Sopot, Rzeszów, Katowice and Szczecin. Thanks to Janusz Zaorski’s films, we moved from ‘childish questions’ to matters of great importance. We gave a platform to both debutants and established filmmakers. We discovered different facets of Aleksandra Konieczna and Agnieszka Smoczyńska. There was plenty of time for laughter through tears, as well as scope for Marcin Giżycki’s experimentation and imagination. The year 2026 has been designated the Year of Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieślowski. To mark the occasion, during the BellaTOFIFEST International Film Festival we took a closer look at the actresses appearing in Wajda’s films, whilst in Pszczew we traced the evolution of Kieślowski’s cinematic vision.

This August, we invite you to:

Kino na Dziewięciu Wzgórzach as part of the 11th edition 9 Hills Festival | Fundacja 9 Hills, Chełmno
7.08 LARP, dir. Kordian Kądziela
8.08 Seasons, dir. Michał Grzybowski
8.08 Juliusz, dir. Aleksander Pietrzak, meeting with actor Jan Peszek

Taśmowe niedziele x3: Jakubowska – Holland – Sass | Fundacja Amondo Films, Kino Amondo, Warszawa
9.08 It Started Yesterday, dir. Wanda Jakubowska
16.08 Provincial Actors, dir. Agnieszka Holland
23.08 Without Love, dir. Barbara Sass

Polska komedia – od PRL do współczesności | Dom Kultury w Rawiczu, Kino Promień, Rawicz
1.08 Teddy Bear, dir. Stanisław Bareja
22.08 Boys Don’t Cry, dir. Olaf Lubaszenko

Debiuty. Nowe głosy polskiego kina | Klub Kultury Mydlniki, Filia Centrum Kultury „Dworek Białoprądnicki”, Kraków 
30.08 Life for Beginners, dir. Paweł Podolski

Nie tylko Niebieski – ewolucja spojrzenia Krzysztofa Kieślowskiego | Kino Przystań, Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Pszczewie
9.08 Three Colors: Blue, dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski

Wakacje z komedią | Kino Zorza, Regionalna Fundacja Filmowa, Rzeszów
11.08 Wyjście awaryjne, dir. Roman Załuski

Śmiech przez łzy | Instytucja Filmowa Silesia Film, Kino Kosmos, Katowice
29.08 We’re All Christs, dir. Marek Koterski. Film screening followed by a meeting with the director and actress Małgorzata Bogdańska.

Events in the 50 for 51 series will run until the end of February 2027. Thanks to the project, we will visit 14 provinces, the seaside, the mountains, towns and villages. We will visit Sulęczyno, Lubomierz, Piwniczna Zdrój, Kraśniczyn, Pszczew and Darłowo. Katowice, Kraków, Elbląg, Poznań, Lublin, Szczecin, Warsaw, Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot will each host their own instalments of the project. A total of 33 locations. 

The organiser of 50 for 51 is the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia – the producer of the Polish Film Festival

The project is held under the honorary patronage of the Mayor of Gdynia

This project was co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage and the Polish Film Institute

The main partner of 50 for 51 is the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute

The project partners are the Documentary and Feature Film Studio, Telewizja Polska and the Kino Dostępne Foundation

The project’s national media patrons are Telewizja Polska, Polska Press Group, naszemiasto.pl, Polish Radio Programme 1, Polish Radio Programme 3, Interia, SFP Film Magazine, Ekrany, Filmweb, KINO Monthly, and Kino Polska Television.

Ola Jasionowska is the designer behind the visual identity for the 50 for 51 project.