Top left: Opening Gala – Ashes and Diamonds (Andrzej Wajda, 1958); Top right – The Good Boy (dir. Jan Komasa, 2025)
Bottom right: Letters from Wolf Street (Arjun Talwar, 2025); Bottom left: Franz (Agnieszka Holland, 2025)
Taking place in London and select cities across the UK from 4 February to 29 March 2026, the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival, organised by the Polish Cultural Institute in London, is back with a stunning line-up of the best of contemporary and classic Polish cinema, documentaries and special events, as well as a retrospective of films by Andrzej Wajda coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the iconic film director’s birth.
ANDRZEJ WAJDA: PORTRAITS OF HISTORY AND HUMANITY
In 2026, the festival continues its tradition of retrospectives of grand film directors, celebrating the centenary of Andrzej Wajda’s birth with a retrospective taking place at BFI Southbank, ICA and Ciné Lumière that spans six decades of the filmmaker’s work. Encompassing film screenings, Q&As, talks and an exhibition, Andrzej Wajda: Portraits of History And Humanity will present and analyse the Academy Award-winning director’s politically engaged filmmaking career from his early years making films under post-war communism to his work during the Solidarność movement.
‘The films I make come from my need to communicate with the audience. I don’t make films for myself and the point is not that a film satisfies me alone. The key thing is that it meets the audience, whether they were expecting this film or not.’ – Andrzej Wajda
‘Wajda had a long, creative career and left behind an extraordinary legacy. His works were inspiring around the world.’ – Martin Scorsese
Kinoteka begins on 4 February 2026 with an Opening Gala screening of Wajda’s revered Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament, 1958) at BFI Southbank, showing from a 35mm print. On the final day of WWII, a young Polish Resistance fighter is ordered to assassinate a Communist official. With his target being a former comrade-in-arms, this triggers a moral dilemma, calling into question all that was fought for. Defined by an electrifying, iconic performance by Zbigniew Cybulski, this depiction of Poland, poised between the horrors of WWII and an uncertain future, is arguably Wajda’s greatest achievement, and a landmark of international cinema.
Highlights during the season include the director’s celebrated first feature A Generation (Pokolenie, 1955); his acclaimed drama which foretold the Polish Solidarity movement, Man of Marble (Człowiek z marmuru, dir. Andrzej Wajda, 1977); French revolution drama Danton (1983), and the Oscar-nominated Katyn (2007) about the execution of 22,000 Polish army officers by the Soviets in 1940, during WWII.
Ciné Lumière also presents a series of double-bills that highlight the myriad ways Andrzej Wajda’s body of work co-exists in dialogue with, orgiastically merges with and violently clashes with his student-turned-filmmaking rival Andrzej Żuławski. Films screening: The Wedding (Wesele, dir. Andrzej Wajda, 1972) and The Devil (Diabeł, dir. Andrzej Żuławski, 1972); Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza, 1981) and Possession (dir. Andrzej Żuławski, 1981); The Possessed (dir. Andrzej Wajda, 1988) and The Public Woman (dir. Andrzej Żuławski, 1984)
CLOSING GALA
Taking place at Cine Lumière on 29 March 2026, the Closing Gala of Kinoteka 2026 is Brother (Brat, dir. Maciej Sobieszczański, 2025), a powerful coming-of-age drama focused on a family where violence and manipulation is always simmering under the surface. Dawid is a young man who loves his brother and judo training but he struggles to meet his own and his family’s expectations at home, at school and at the gym. Filip Wiłkomirski plays fourteen year old Dawid and Agnieszka Grochowska (In Darkness) shines as his demanding mother, dreaming of independence and freedom from the influence of his imprisoned father. Jolanta Dylewska’s (In Darkness) camera emphasises the tight spaces, adding to the tension as each struggles with making sacrifices and taking opportunities. Acclaimed at festivals, Filip Wiłkomirski received the Award for Best Acting Debut at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia in 2025 and at the Warsaw Film Festival 2025, Brother received the Ecumenical Jury Award.
NEW POLISH CINEMA
In a period punctuated by difficulties and disasters, the New Polish Cinema strand explores community interaction and the potential of working together. The programme endeavors to illustrate the importance of human connection and how this leads to understanding between groups and individuals. Two of Poland’s leading filmmaking names spearhead this year’s programme. Kinoteka is delighted to screen two films from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jan Komasa (Corpus Christi). The Good Boy (2025), a Polish-British co-production, is the director’s first English language film, a dark, genre-blending fable starring Anson Boon as transgressive bad boy Tommy who wakes up far away from home as the subject of a ‘rehabilitation project’. Starring Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough as the psychotic couple enacting his redemption plan, this is sharp social commentary full of unexpected tonal shifts. Komasa’s follow up to The Good Boy is Anniversary (Rocznica, 2025), a dystopian thriller with modern-day relevance starring Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Phoebe Dynevor and Dylan O’Brien that shows a family caught in the turmoil of a controversial new political movement called ‘The Change’, as the country teeters on the brink of collapse. Agnieszka Holland’s Franz (2025) is a bold, dynamic portrait of young Franz Kafka and is Poland’s official submission to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film that explores the essence of Kafka (brilliantly portrayed by Idan Weiss) as he navigates institutions of family, business and state. Agnieszka Holland will present the UK Premiere gala screening of Franz at BFI IMAX on 3 March, followed by an onstage Q&A. Taking another brilliant historical figure as its subject, Chopin, A Sonata in Paris (Chopin, Chopin!, dir. Michał Kwieciński, 2025) is a dazzling interpretation of the Polish composer’s life. However, behind the brilliance and wit, the 25 year old celebrity is battling illness and inner conflict while composing the works that we celebrate today as poetic genius. Home Sweet Home (Dom dobry, dir. Wojciech Smarzowski, 2025) similarly examines domestic life, and asks the question, ‘how well do we know the person we love?’. From the director of Clergy (Kler, 2018) and Rose (Róża, 2011), this is an intense psychological drama that uncovers issues of domestic violence within Polish society. In Laws 3 (Teściowie 3, dir. Jakub Michalczuk, 2025) is the highly anticipated third instalment of the hit comedy in which the Chrapek and Wilk families reunite, this time in the peaceful countryside, for a christening. A smart script, full of razor sharp observations of family dynamics, delivers many shifting moods as old conflicts re-emerge and new ones add surprises. LARP: Love, Trolls and Other Quests (LARP: Milosc, trolle i inne questy, dir. Kordian Kadziela, 2025) is an action-packed comedy following the story of Sergiusz, whose passion for LARPing (live-action role playing) makes him a victim of bullying until a new student arrives at school. Photosensitive (Światłoczuła, dir. Tadeusz Śliwa, 2024) stars TV actor Matylda Giegżno in her first film lead as a dynamic, fulfilled social worker who is blind and whose life changes following a meeting with a more reserved photographer (rising star Ignacy Liss). Simple and intimate, this romantic drama shows how moving outside our comfort zones can be empowering.
DOCUMENTARY & A TRIBUTE TO MARCEL ŁOZIŃSKI
Continuing its commitment to showcasing thought-provoking and topical documentary film, the festival presents three films in its Documentary strand. Letters from Wolf Street + director Q&A (Listy z Wilczej, dir. Arjun Talwar, 2025) documents the Warsaw street where Indian filmmaker Arjun Talwar lives. Talking with neighbours and seeking to understand their experience, Talwar offers a unique, personal view on his adopted country. Enthusiastically received at the Berlin Film Festival, this is an intimate and often humorous film offering opportunities to connect outside the confines of national identity. Powerful and haunting, Trains + director Q&A(Pociągi, dir. Maciej J. Drygas, 2024) won the top prize at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival and is crafted entirely from international archive footage. With its humanitarian eye, it reveals both the joyous anticipation and the profound tragedy associated with 20th century train travel as everyday moments of commuting and tea-time contrast with the tragedies of wartime and displacement. Lastly, Mr. Olbrychski + Daniel Olbrychski Q&A (dir. Robert Wichrowski, 2025), examines the persona of revered Polish actor Daniel Olbrychski, thought of as one of the greatest Polish actors of his generation, who often performed in Andzrej Wajda’s films. Olbrychski’s professional successes are intertwined with his personal failures and the film features interviews with Krystyna Janda and Andrzej Seweryn among many others. The festival will also honour the legacy of Marcel Łoziński, one of the most influential voices in world documentary cinema who passed away last year. A master of ethical provocation and humanist observation, Łoziński reshaped the language of non-fiction film by questioning the boundaries between truth, manipulation, and authorship. Films screening: The Visit (1974, 15 mins), Workshop Exercises (1986, 12 mins), 89mm from Europe (1993, 12 mins), Anything Can Happen (1995, 40 mins).
KINOTEKA ON TOUR
Following the Andrzej Wajda season BFI Southbank, ICA and Cine Lumière, the Polish Cultural Institute in London is pleased to support a UK tour of seven key titles directed by Andrzej Wajda, from March 2026. These include Ashes and Diamonds, The Maids of Wilko (Panny z Wilka, 1979) and his last film, little seen in the UK, Afterimage (Powidoki, 2016). Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle and The Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford will be taking part in the tour programme. More venues are to be confirmed soon.
A TRIBUTE TO KIEŚLOWSKI: CINEMA, PERFORMANCE, TECHNOLOGY
Kinoteka will mark the 30th anniversary of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s passing, with a programme featuring his early documentary shorts, alongside landmark feature films A Short Film About Killing (Krótki film o zabijaniu, 1988), A Short Film About Love (Krótki film o miłości, 1988) and The Double Life of Veronique (Podwójne życie Weroniki, 1991). Audiences can take part in the world premiere of Call Kieślowski, an innovative AI project that allows attendees to engage in conversation with Kieślowski, and Kieślowski collaborators and actors will also join for a Q&A reflecting on his artistry and impact on cinema.
UNTOLD WAJDA: BLOKOWISKO AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE
Inspired by the notes and interviews of Andrzej Wajda, BLOKOWISKO – the Polish term for a housing estate – fuses electro‑acoustic sound, socially charged choreography and immersive videography into a landscape of loss and resilience. The performance tells of an actor who meets a woman, they share a single day, and the next morning he cannot find his way back to her through the endless housing blocks of an unforgiving city. By giving form to a story Andrzej Wajda imagined but never filmed, the work honours his legacy while insisting on its relevance today – resonating through the anonymous apartment blocks of contemporary cities and the fragile bonds strained by scarcity, migration and the vastness of urban scale.
KINOTECHA – AI IN THE FILM INDUSTRY CONFERENCE – SAMSUNG KX
Hosted at Samsung QX, Kinotecha is a full-day conference that examines how artificial intelligence is transforming the film industry. In ‘Design & AI’, poster artists Andrzej Klimowski and Tomasz Opasiński explore how machine learning is reshaping visual storytelling and its use in PR & Marketing. Other sessions include ‘Audiences & Ethics of AI’ and ‘Sound, Marketing & AI’.
PIXELS & PIEROGIES: POLISH & UKRAINIAN MASHUP OF CINEMA, ART & FOOD
Kinoteka is once again partnering with KX Coal Drops Yard for a series of events, 2-29 March. The event will include daily screenings of award-winning films from Warsaw’s Wajda School; an AI project dedicated to the iconic Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski; Ukrainian fashion and jewellery; charity haircuts by former Ukrainian soldiers; as well as ‘Food Wars: Pierogies vs Dumplings’. Celebrate the richness of Ukrainian and Polish culture with a vibrant mix of culture, cuisine, creativity and occasional drag performances.
FAMILY SCREENING
Following the festival’s 2024 screening of The Dog Who Travelled by Train (O psie, który jeździł koleją), this year’s family screening is the hotly anticipated sequel The Dog Who Travelled by Train 2 (O psie, który jeździł koleją 2, dir. Magdalena Nieć, 2025), which picks up with Zuzia preparing to return to Poland after her surgery and her life at the station where Lampo the white Swiss Shepherd dog lives. Retaining the spirit of the original book by Roman Pisarski this is a heart warming, adventure packed tale for the whole family to enjoy.
Kinoteka 2026 takes place 4 February – 29 March in venues across London and select UK cities
London venues: BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, ICA, Ciné Lumière, Barbican, Southbank Centre, The Garden Cinema, Bertha Dochouse, Coal Drops Yard Kings Cross, Samsung Kings Cross, Ognisko Polskie – The Polish Hearth Club
UK Venues: Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle; The Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford. More cities and venues to be announced soon.
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