The KINOTEKA Polish Film Festival returns to serve you an annual dose of Poland’s diverse film culture.

Organised by the Polish Cultural Institute and supported by the Polish Film Institute, the KINOTEKA Polish Film Festival will return to cinema screens for its 22nd edition from 6 March to 28 March 2024. For the 22nd edition this year, we are proud to showcase a particularly diverse range of films focused on a variety of themes and in a variety styles.

Kicking off this year’s festival, an Opening Night Gala screening of Green Border at the BFI Southbank. A highly anticipated film from acclaimed filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, the film is inspired by real events that took place on the Polish-Belarusian border and is focused on the topical issue of immigration. It will be followed by a Q&A with the director.

Our New Polish Cinema strand this year is comprised of nine films which explore the opportunity for new beginnings and a reappraisal of identity. Among them, you can find though-provoking works inspired by true stories (Green Border), dramas (Ultima Thule, Feast of Fire, Woman of…), thrillers (Doppelganger, Saint, The Secret of Little Rose), comedies (Horror Story) and some, like Scarborn (Kos), which straddle different film genres. Making their way to the UK or London for the first time, many of the titles have already received recognition and awards at international film festivals.

The programme continues with Documentaries, with the Oscar shortlisted In the Rearview and hard-hitting Danger Zone, which delves into the stories of ‘war tourists’ who travel to the frontlines of conflicts. The strand is topped off by arthouse documentary Home which attempts to answer one of the most vital, existential questions: what is the meaning of home?

Another permanent fixture of the Kinoteka programme, Polish Cinema Classics, will feature one of the greatest directors in Polish cinema, Krzysztof Kieslowski and his 1979 Camerabuff alongside The Story of Sin and The Great Way.

As part of our commitment to interactive events that push the boundaries of film, we return with a second edition of the XRossspace Showcase, which focuses on the most innovative, immersive XR works from Poland.

New for this year, Polish animation will be presented though A Short Story of Women at Ciné Lumierè comprised of nine short films made by Polish female animators born between the 1970s - 1990s.

Our Closing Night Gala will bring this year’s festival to a close with a very special screening of The Peasants featuring a musical accompaniment from live musicians. The film will be followed, on the 4^th of April, with an immersive dinner inspired by the film.

Combining a range of avant-garde works side by side with more traditional films, this year’s programme will also offer numerous opportunities to meet with film directors, actors and experts. KINOTEKA will also be accompanied by side events, including a unique chance to dance the night away at a Rave at London’s Southbank Centre. This remarkable concert will draw from a screening of short films exploring the advent of the Polish Rave Scene in the 1990s.

While putting this year’s programme together, we were hoping to end up with an offer that will be versatile, inspiring and inclusive. So regardless if you are already a devoted Polish cinema connoisseur, or just starting out and curious to try a new cinematic experience, join us as we set off for yet another journey into Polish film.

Let KINOTEKA 2024 begin!