Rules and Regulations

THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
OF THE 50^TH POLISH FILM FESTIVAL

as approved by the Organising Committee on 14^th March 2025

§ 1.

The Polish Film Festival, hereinafter referred to as the “Festival”, is an all-Poland competition review of the best Polish cinema feature films of the preceding year.
The Festival presents all film genres, while the basic criteria for selecting competition films include their artistic quality and the professionalism with which they were made.
The Festival’s objective is to promote Polish film art in Poland and abroad, and to award best feature films and their creators.
The Organising Committee and the Directors of the Festival ensure that films are properly selected for the Main Competition and for other sections, they supervise the Festival programme, the rules and regulations, and the organisation of the Festival.
The Festival is held every year in Gdynia on a date fixed by the Organising Committee.

§ 2.

The Organising Committee supervises the technical and organisational preparations for the Festival.
The Organising Committee comprises:

a) the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage,
b) the Polish Film Institute,
c) the Polish Filmmakers Association,
d) the Local Government of the Pomerania Province,
e) the City of Gdynia,
hereinafter called “the Organisers”,
and the Co-organisers and the Directors of the Festival.
The Co-organisers of the Festival are:
a) Telewizja Polska SA,
b) the National Centre for Culture,
c)

other partners of the Festival, proposed by a member of the Organising Committee and accepted by the majority of the Organisers.
Each Organiser and Co-organiser delegates one representative for the work of the Organising Committee.
The work of the Organising Committee is managed by the Chairperson who is elected by members of the Organising Committee, in an open vote by an absolute majority of votes. The Chairperson is then appointed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage on a proposal from the Organising Committee. If the Chairperson cannot supervise the work of the Organising Committee, the Chairperson indicates a member of the Organising Committee to exercise the powers.
The following shall fall within the competence of the Organising Committee:

a) announcing competition for the post of Artistic Director,
b) approving nominations for members of the Competition Committee, selected by the Festival Programme Council,
c) approving Juries of the Main Competition, the Perspectives Competition, the Short Film Competition, and the Award for directing debut or second film, on a proposal from the Artistic Director,
d) approving the Festival programme, budget and media patrons,
e) participating in the process of qualifying films for the Main Competition in accordance with the rules set out in Article 7,
f) approving out-of-competition Festival events, including in particular celebratory film screenings of high media profile,
g) approving the Rules and Regulations of the Festival.
The Organising Committee shall meet at dates agreed on at meetings or on an ongoing basis, on-site or online via the selected communication platform. The proceedings of meetings of the Organising Committee can be recorded, subject to the consent of people participating in the meeting.
The Organising Committee makes decisions in the form of resolutions passed by an absolute majority of votes. Each member of the Organising Committee has one vote. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
Resolution drafts are presented to all members of the Organising Committee via e-mail or in writing.
A resolution is passed if at least 50% of members of the Organising Committee plus one participate in the meeting.
In exceptional circumstances, the Organising Committee may pass a resolution by circulation outside the meeting, also by e-mail. Such a resolution is valid if at least 50% of members of the Organising Committee plus one participate in an online voting held for no longer than 5 working days. Adoption of a resolution is confirmed by the signature of the Chairperson of the Organising Committe.
The Organisers and Co-organisers invite other state entities, community and private, domestic and foreign, who wish to make a material or financial contribution to the preparation and production of the Festival, to participate in the Festival organisation.

§ 3.

The Honorary Committee of the Festival comprises:
a) the Minister of Culture and National Heritage – the Chairperson of the Honorary Committee,
b) the Governor of the Pomerania Province,
c) the Mayor of the City of Gdynia,
e) the President of the Polish Filmmakers Association,
f) the representatives of the Co-organisers,
g) other eminent public figures.
The Chairperson of the Honorary Committee of the Festival applies to the high representatives of the State for the patronage over the Festival.

§ 4.

The producer of the Festival is the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia.
Works related to the preparation and the course of the Festival are managed by the Directors of the Polish Film Festival.
The Directors of the Festival are:
a) the Director of the Festival,
b) The Artistic Director of the Festival
Directors of the Festival are appointed for a 3-year term and dismissed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage at the request of the Organising Committee.
The Organising Committee applies to the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to appoint the Director by a resolution passed by a simple majority of votes. The resolution shall include a justification for the candidate’s nomination.
The Artistic Director is selected in competition announced by the Organising Committee, in accordance with the publicly available rules and regulations accepted by the Committee.
The Chairperson of the Programme Council invites 4 members, selected by the Programme Council, in accordance with the procedure described in Article 5 clauses 5–6, from among the previous winners of the Golden and Silver Lions, to join the Competition Committee responsible for the selection of the Artistic Director. The other 4 members of the Competition Committee are selected by the Organising Committee.
The remuneration paid to the Directors of the Festival shall be determined by the Organising Committee.
Every year, after the closing of the Festival, the Director of the Festival provides the Organising Committee with a written technical report. If the report is not accepted, the Committee may request the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to dismiss the Director of the Festival, giving reasons for the request.
Every year, after the closing of the Festival, the Artistic Director provides the Organising Committee and the Chairperson of the Programme Council with a written report on his/her activity. If the report is not accepted by the Organising Committee, the Committee, having consulted its decision with the Chairperson of the Programme Council, may request the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to dismiss the Artistic Director, giving reasons for the request.

§ 5.

The Programme Council of the Festival (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) comprises renowned Polish filmmakers who represent various film professions, film aesthetics and different generations. The Organising Committee, after consultation with the Chairperson of the Programme Council, invites new members to join the Council. The current composition of the Council is published on the Festival website.
The Programme Council of the Festival, being an advisory body to the Directors of the Festival and the Organising Committee, provides opinion on the technical preparations for the Festival.
The Chairperson of the Council is selected by the Council members in an open vote, by a simple majority of votes, as stipulated in clauses 5–6 below. The term of office of the Chairperson of the Council is three years.
Each year, the Organising Committee invites after the Festival the recent winners of the Golden Lions, the Silver Lions and the Sapphire Lions, and the Andrzej Żuławski Golden Claw Award to join the Programme Council, provided that these persons are not already members of the Programme Council, and with the reservation that in case of each film only 1 person can be appointed. A person who becomes entitled to be a member of the Programme Council shall provide a written confirmation of joining the Programme Council within 30 days from the day of acquiring such an entitlement. If such a confirmation is not provided, the person is no longer entitled to be a member of the Programme Council.
The Programme Council makes decisions in the form of resolutions passed by an absolute majority of votes in an open vote during Council meetings organised by the Chairperson of the Council. Each member of the Council has one vote.
The Programme Council shall meet at dates agreed on at meetings or on an ongoing basis, on-site or online via a selected communication platform. The proceedings of the meetings of the Programme Council can be recorded, subject to the consent of people participating in the meeting.
Under special circumstances, the Programme Council may pass a resolution by circulation, by e-mail, outside the meeting. Such a resolution is valid, if at least half the members of the Council participated in voting, within no more than 5 working days.
The following shall fall within the competence of the Programme Council:a) electing 4 members of the Competition Committee responsible for the selection of the Artistic Director,
b) suggesting artistic events to be included in the Festival programme,
c) suggesting candidates for the Platinum Lions award for lifetime achievement, in consultation with the Polish Filmmakers Association,
d) suggesting candidates for the Main Competition Jury and the Perspectives Competition Jury,
e) assisting in Festival promotion and in shaping the Festival’s image,
f) submitting requests and suggestions as to the organisation of the Festival,
g) nominating candidates for the Selection Board and the Qualification Team.
Each member of the Programme Council is obliged, within 110 days in 2025, and within 30 days in each subsequent year, counting from the beginning of a new calendar year, to declare via e-mail: biuro@festiwalgdynia.pl or in writing to the following address: Pomorska Fundacja Filmowa w Gdyni, 81 -372 Gdynia, Pl. Grunwaldzki 2, their further willingness to participate in the work of the Council. It is also possible for members of the Council to make a declaration as to their further membership to the Council via computerised tools (e.g. web survey). A failure to confirm the willingness to participate in the work of the Council is tantamount to a resignation from participation in such work and results in removal of that person from the list of the Programme Council members.
A decision on resignation from further participation in the work of the Council can also be provided at any other time, also via e-mail: biuro@festiwalgdynia.pl or in writing to the following address: Pomorska Fundacja Filmowa w Gdyni, 81 -372 Gdynia, Pl. Grunwaldzki 2.
A current list of the Programme Council members shall be verified by the Festival’s Office.
Each member of the Programme Council is obliged, within 30 days from the day of any change to his or her e-mail address or telephone number, to inform the Festival’s Office about such a change. In the absence of information about any change in contact details, sending correspondence to the known e-mail address or telephone number and receiving no reply, is considered effective. A lack of reply in such case is tantamount to a resignation from participation in work of the Programme Council and results in removal of such a person from the list of the Programme Council members.
The Programme Council can select among themselves the Presidium of the Programme Council made of up to 4 members. The Presidium of the Programme Council is selected for the period of 1 year, i.e. 12 months, counting from the date of election which cannot take place later than within 110 days in 2025, and within 30 days in each subsequent year, from the beginning of a new calendar year.
The Presidium is obliged to cooperate with the Chairperson of the Programme Council, including in particular as regards fulfilment of obligations set out in Article 5 clause 7.
Election of the Presidium of the Programme Council can be held via computerised tools or at the Council meeting. Council members select members of the Presidium of the Programme Council by a simple majority of votes in an open vote, as stipulated in clauses 5–6.
The Chairperson of the Programme Council is obliged to inform the Organising Committee about the composition of the Presidium for a given year during the term of office and to notify each time members of the Presidium are replaced.

§ 6.

The Festival programme comprises:

a) the Main Competition presenting full-length feature films,
b) the Perspectives Competition presenting full-length feature films,
c) the Short Film Competition presenting short films and graduation films by film school students, as well as other short feature films,
d) other out-of-competition film sections and accompanying events proposed by the Directors of the Festival and approved by the Organising Committee.
The Artistic Director of the Festival proposes the composition of the Juries of the Main Competition (up to 7 people), the Perspectives Competition (3 people), the Award for directing debut or second film (3 people) and the Short Film Competition (3 people), then approved by the Organising Committee. Juries can comprise creators and representatives of film industry from Poland and abroad.
The Artistic Director is obliged to organise at the Festival a discussion aimed at assessing the current state of Polish cinema and the attitudes, topics and aesthetics that define its shape.
The Artistic Director is obliged to create at the Festival a meeting platform for filmmakers, providing conditions for discussion on key topics related to Polish cinematography.
The Directors of the Festival invite interested entities to organise meetings and seminars, screenings, exhibitions and other events at the Festival, aimed at developing Polish film culture.
In consultation with the Organising Committee, the Directors of the Festival decide on the dates and formula of presenting awards in the Main Competition, the Perspectives Competition and the Short Film Competition.

§ 7.

No more than 16 films can qualify for the Main Competition.
The selection of a maximum of 12 films for the Main Competition is made by the Artistic Director who may appoint the Selection Team as an advisory body.
The Selection Team shall comprise no more than 5 people.
A list of films qualified by the Artistic Director is final. As soon as the Organising Committee is provided with the list, it is made public together with the titles of films added to the Main Competition pursuant to clause 5 below.
The Organising Committee may add a maximum of 4 films to the Main Competition.
No more than 8 films can qualify for the Perspectives Competition.
The Artistic Director selects films for the Perspectives Competition from the titles submitted to the festival and not qualified for the Main Competition. The Artistic Director may follow the recommendation given by the Organising Committee.
The Artistic Director selects films for the Short Film Competition. The Artistic Director may appoint the Qualification Team of a maximum of 3 people, and follow the recommendation given by the Team.

§ 8.

The Schedule of Works on the 50^th PFF is appended to the Rules and Regulations. The key point of the Schedule is the selection of competition films by the Artistic Director (item 4 of the Schedule).
Should the Artistic Director fail to perform the task specified in Article 8 clause 1, and should the Programme Council fail to perform the task referred to in Article 5, clause 8, item a) within the time frame stipulated in the Schedule, these tasks will be carried out by the Organising Committee responsible for the organisation of the Festival.

§ 9.

Eligible for the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition are Polish feature films produced between 1^stSeptember 2024 and 30^th August 2025, which constitute a separate artistic whole, the minimum running time of which is 70 minutes, and which meet technical and artistic requirements for cinematic distribution. Films should be delivered for screening as DCPs. In exceptional cases, it can be possible to admit to selection films produced in the preceding selection year, provided that such films have not passed the selection process or were withdrawn from it at an early stage due to the impossibility of transferring the film for selection or due to the fact the film was not finished on time, or due to other justified circumstances.
Eligible for the Short Film Competition are Polish short films produced between 1^st September 2024 and 30^th August 2025. Films should be delivered for screening as DCPs (preferred), ProRes files or DNxHD files.
Eligible for the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition are films that meet at least one of the following requirements:

a. the leading producer is a Polish citizen whose contribution accounts for at least 51% of the film budget and who owns at least 51% of the author’s economic rights to the film,
b. the director of the film is a Polish citizen, and the co-producer of the film is an entity with a seat on the territory of the Republic of Poland whose contribution accounts for at least 20% of the film budget and who owns at least 20% of the author’s economic rights to the film,
c. the original language version of the film is Polish.
Only films submitted on time and in accordance with the rules defined in the present Rules and Regulations, the Rules for Submitting Films to the Festival Competitions and the Technical Appendix thereto: the two documents approved annually by the Organising Committee at the request of the Director of the Festival, will be considered. Screening copies of Polish-language films submitted to the Main Competition and to the Perspectives Competition must have English subtitles. If the dialogue track includes languages other than Polish, the applicant must cover the costs of translation and screening of Polish and English subtitles.
Producers of films qualified for the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition assume full legal and financial responsibility for them. This also means that they must not withdraw films from the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition after 31^st July 2025. Withdrawal of films after that date is considered ineffective and has no legal consequences for the Festival.

§ 10.

Awards in the Main Competition are granted by the Main Competition Jury.
The Directors of the Festival can participate in the deliberations of the Main Competition Jury without the right to vote.
The Main Competition Jury grants the awards – the Grand Award of the Polish Film Festival “Golden Lions” and the Award of the Polish Film Festival “Silver Lions” – taking into consideration professional level of the production and its artistic value.
The Main Competition Jury grants individual awards to filmmakers taking into consideration the following criteria:

a. the filmmaker’s outstanding achievements in the film,
b. the highest level of professionalism,
c. complexity and level of difficulty in the artistic assignment,
d. precision and power of the applied forms of expression.
Awards in the Perspectives Competition are granted by the Perspectives Competition Jury.
The Award for directing debut or second film is granted by the Jury of the Award for directing debut or second film to one of the debut or second films presented in the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition.
The Artistic Director, taking into consideration the boldness of form and content, grants the Andrzej Żuławski Golden Claw Award to one of the films presented in the Main Competition and the Perspectives Competition.
Awards in the Short Film Competition are granted by the Short Film Competition Jury.

§ 11.

The statutory awards* in the Main Competition are as follows:

a) the Grand Award of the Polish Film Festival “Golden Lions” and PLN 300,000 granted to the film’s producer and director (PLN 200,000 for the director and PLN 100,000 for the producer). The leading producer of the film awarded with the “Golden Lions” PFF Grand Award is entitled to a subsidy from the Polish Film Institute in the amount of PLN 200,000 for the development of their next film or PLN 250,000 for a historical film,
b) the Award of the Polish Film Festival “Silver Lions” and PLN 150,000 granted to the film’s producer and director (PLN 100,000 for the director and PLN 50,000 for the producer). The leading producer of the film awarded with the “Silver Lions” PFF Grand Award is entitled to a subsidy of PLN 200,000 from the Polish Film Institute for the development of their next film.
Individual awards* for filmmakers in the Main Competition are as follows:

a) directing: PLN 30,000
b) screenplay: PLN 25,000
c) actress in a leading role: PLN 15,000
d) actor in a leading role: PLN 15,000
e) professional acting debut: PLN 15,000
f) cinematography: PLN 15,000
g) music: PLN 15,000
h) art direction: PLN 15,000
i) actress in a supporting role: PLN 15,000
j) actor in a supporting role: PLN 15,000
k) sound: PLN 15,000
l) film editing: PLN 15,000
m) costume design: PLN 15,000
n) make-up: PLN 15,000
The individual awards in the Main Competition should, above all, reflect professionalism and significance of each filmmaker’s contribution.
The statutory awards* in the Perspectives Competition are as follows:

a) the Award of the Polish Film Festival “Sapphire Lions” and PLN 50,000 granted to the film’s producer and director (PLN 30,000 for the director, PLN 20,000 for the producer),
b) the Award for an outstanding artistic contribution and PLN 15,000 granted to the filmmaker (representative of film professions other than a director or producer), whose contribution to the final form of the film the jury considers outstanding.
The cross-section awards granted to films from both competitions presenting full-length feature films, pursuant to Article 10 clauses 6 and 7 respectively, shall be as follows:

a) the Award for directing debut or second film: PLN 15,000,
b) the Andrzej Żuławski “Golden Claw” Award and PLN 30,000 granted to the producer and director (PLN 20,000 for the director, PLN 10,000 for the producer).
The statutory awards* in the Short Film Competition shall be as follows:

a) best film: PLN 15,000,
b) special award: PLN 10,000,
c) special mention: PLN 5,000.
The Organising Committee of the Festival may grant the “Platinum Lions” PFF Award to a filmmaker for lifetime achievements. The winner of the award is nominated by the Programme Council in agreement with the Polish Filmmakers Association. The winner is presented with a statuette and PLN 30,000.
Taking into account the generic and thematic variety of competition films, the Jury can expand the scope of award categories, however, this should not lead to an increase in the overall amount allocated for the statutory awards. In exceptional cases, the Jury may refrain from granting an award in any of the above-mentioned categories, except for those specified in Article 11 clause 1 a) and b) and in Article 11 clause 4 a).
The Organising Committee may decide to increase the amounts allocated for the statutory awards.
The Audience Award of PLN 15,000 will be granted by Festival audience to a director of a film presented in the Main Competition, through a vote held in festival cinemas.

* value before tax

§ 12.

Films to be presented in the Main Competition, the Perspectives Competition and the Short Film Competition shall be submitted by their producers. For the Short Film Competition films may also be submitted by film schools.
Films shall be submitted according to the Rules for Submitting Films to Festival Competitions announced annually by the Directors of the Festival.
Application for participation in the Festival means that the applicant accepts the Rules and Regulations and the Rules for Submitting Films to Festival Competitions.

THE SCHEDULE OF WORKS ON THE 49^TH POLISH FILM FESTIVAL

Fixing the date of the 50^th PFF by the Organising Committee: until 30^th December 2024.
Approving the Rules and Regulations of the 50^th PFF by the Organising Committee: until 15^th March 2025.
Admitting submissions for the Main Competition, the Perspectives Competition and the Short Film Competition: until 31^st May 2025.
Completing the selection for the Main Competition and the Short Film Competition: until 15^th July 2025.
Completing the selection for the Perspectives Competition and approval of the programme of the 50^th PFF by the Organising Committee: until 31^st July 2025.
Selecting the Main Competition Jury, the Perspectives Competition Jury and the Short Film Competition Jury: until 20^thAugust 2025.
Opening Ceremony of the 50^th PFF: 22^nd September 2025.
Closing Ceremony of the 50^th PFF: 27^th September 2025.
Providing a summary of the 50^th PFF by the Organising Committee: until 30^th November 2025.

To download: Rules and Regulations of the 50^th PFF