The First Edition of the KF Washington DC Polish Film Festival

The Kościuszko Foundation Washington DC Polish Film Festival concluded with resounding success, marking a significant milestone in the celebration of Polish cinema in the heart of the nation’s capital.

From sold-out screenings to thunderous audience applauses, the festival garnered public acclaim, reaffirming its position as a premier showcase of Polish cinematic talent. 

Under the expert guidance of esteemed filmmaker Jan Komasa and a distinguished jury comprising filmmakers Robert Tutak, Sławomir Grunberg, actress Liliana Komorowska, and film critic Michał Oleszczyk, this year’s festival witnessed the recognition of outstanding contributions to the art form.

The festival jury announced the following winners:

Short Film: “My Old Gals” (Moje “Stare”) Directed by Natasza Parzymies

Best Actor: Jakub Gierszał for his captivating performances in “Doppelgänger”(“Sobowtór”) and “Ultima Thule”

Best Actress: Joanna Kulig for her remarkable portrayal of Iza – the wife of the main character – in “Woman Of” (“Kobieta z”)

Best Director: Jan Holoubek for his masterful directing in “Doppelgänger” (“Sobowtór”)

Best Feature Film: “Scarborn” (“Kos”) directed by Paweł Maślona

The report of the jury was announced by Ms. Komorowska who attended the closing ceremony and read a brief statement from the jury explaining each of its awards.

In addition to the jury selections, the festival also celebrated the audience favorites. The festival audience determined the following awards:

Best Short Film: “Eden” (“Do raju”)

Best Feature Film: “The Feast of Fire” (“Święto ognia”)

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming support and enthusiasm from filmmakers, audiences, and sponsors alike,” said Barbara Bernhardt, the Festival’s Executive Director. “The success of this inaugural edition underscores the richness of Polish cinema and the significance and need to share it with international audiences”, she added.

The Kosciuszko Foundation Washington DC Polish Film Festival looks forward to building upon this success in future editions, continuing to promote excellent Polish cinematography in the US capital, films that simultaneously entertain and educate and so beautifully fulfill the mission of almost 100 years old Kosciuszko Foundation.

The KF Washington Polish Film Festival  featured the best new Polish films presented at the annual Gdynia Film Festival in Poland.

Please visit Festival Website:https://www.dcpolishfilmfest.org

The Honorary Patron of the KF Festival is filmmaker Agnieszka Holland

Chairman of the Jury: Polish film director Jan Komasa

Festival Board of Directors:

Martin Kabat, Chair

Barbara Bernhardt, Executive Director

Anna Tarnawska, Artistic Director

John Frendak, Secretary and Treasurer

Izabela Eisemann, Assistant to the Executive Director

Members:

Peter Cipkowski

Klaudia Lewis

Teresa Lyson

Krzysztof Lyson

Bill Rich

Zbigniew Kantorosinski

Agata Peszko

Anna Van Matre

Malgorzata Schwab

Krystyna Szymczyk