Catching the Wave of Time – Exhibition on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
22nd September 2025–6th January 2026
Gdynia City Museum, Zawiszy Czarnego 1A, Gdynia
tickets: 20 PLN adults (18+), 12 PLN children / 50th PFF accreditation during the Festival
opening: 22nd September 2025, 5.00 p.m.(by invitation only)
Catching the Wave of Time is a narrative exhibition tracing fifty years of the history of the most prestigious film event in Poland: the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. The story begins with the passion for cinema of the Festival’s first Director, Lucjan Bokiniec, and of those associated with the Film Discussion Club – Żak in Gdańsk. An atmosphere of conversation, music, openness, fascination with film and its creators. A grassroots initiative that arose from the need to create a place that would allow for meetings, promotion of the young generation of creators, and confrontation with the audience. After a long journey from Sopot, Gdańsk, to the Musical Theatre in Gdynia, the Festival continues to seek a current perspective on Polish cinema, being a key place for the film industry and the next generation of viewers.
Through the exhibition’s narrative, we go back in time to recall the most important figures, events, award-winning films, the atmosphere of the Festival and its backstage. The titular wave will lead us from the contemporary magic of the red carpet to the fight for self-determination and artistic freedom of the film community in the times of the Polish People’s Republic. Important political events and micro-stories related to the experience of each participant.
We will look at the Festival through the eyes of the organisers, creators and, above all, the audience. They will share their experiences and emotions, which will paint a picture of this incredible event that has been generating interest and controversy for years. The Festival is an opportunity to meet, to talk about film and contemporary life. About one’s feelings and experiences, and also about the extent to which film shapes our perspective on the reality around us. It’s also a confrontation: with audiences, critics, funs of film, and ultimately, politics.
“The main idea was to create an exhibition that could have many views. The exhibition consists of twelve modules, each devoted to one major issue, which together form a broad and comprehensive story about the Festival. We wanted to extend the celebration of the 50th anniversary with this formula and to be able to share individual modules next year and create different versions of memories of the Polish Film Festival from them” – says Agata Kozierańska-Burda, Managing Director of the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia, the originator of the exhibition.
It features unpublished documents, memorabilia, photographs, and magnificent awards, including the Golden Lions statuette, which has evolved over the years. Graphic elements and original objects are woven into a multimedia spectacle, incorporating film footage that captures the atmosphere of the Festival. The history of the event is varied, and each edition has its own character and significance in terms of its impact on Polish cinema. It is not only the highlights, but also the shadows, hence the exhibition is not arranged chronologically, but thematically presents the most important phenomena, as well as often difficult topics.
Most importantly, the exhibition is a nostalgic journey to the people and places whose dedication has allowed us to enjoy the magic of Polish cinema for half a century and counting. It demonstrates that, despite the passing of time, one thing remains unchanged in Gdynia – the love of film.
Exhibition organiser:Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia
Exhibition partners: Gdynia City Museum, Board of Directors of the Port of Gdynia Authority SA
The exhibition has received financial support from the City of Gdynia and is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.
Concept: Agata Kozierańska-Burda
Curation and exhibition script: Piotr Kulesza
Consultation: Joanna Łapińska, Krystyna Zamysłowska, Mirosław Morzyk, Anna Wróblewska, Andrzej Ochalski
Layout and graphic design: Sławomir Bit
Design collaboration: Michał Bit
Poster design: Ola Jasionowska
Co-ordination: Agata Dzik, Zuzanna Sitek, Izabela Szamałek, Marta Chwastniewska-Jaworska, Joanna Śmiałek, Gabriela Zbirohowska-Kościa, Rafał Frankowski, Antonina Tucka
Promotion: Krystyna Weiher-Sitkiewicz, Michał Miegoń
Audio-visual essays: Maciej Jurgielewicz
Animations: Kamil Danielewicz
Comic panels: Rafał Szłapa
Booklets and facsimiles: Martyna Bit, Mariusz Nawrocki
Archival materials: Katarzyna Raj
Production:StudioJaro/Jarosław Antosik
Media patrons: Radio Gdańsk, Trójmiasto.pl, Dziennik Bałtycki, TVP 3 Gdańsk, Zawsze Pomorze, Presto, Magazyn Pomorski
The exhibition features archival materials, photographs, and objects from the collection of the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia, as well as from private collections.
