Warsaw Film Festival bets on discovery with 190-film edition

Warsaw wants to be the place where audiences find film-makers first.

That was the message from the team behind the 42nd Warsaw International Film Festival, which opened on Oct. 9 with Jesse Eisenberg's film The Debut, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 10-day event screened 190 films, including 132 features.

The scale is large. The programme included 102 world, international or regional premieres, the Reporter said. That mix of first looks is central to how Warsaw positions itself among autumn festivals.

General director Joanna Szymańska-Szcześniak and program director Bartek Pulcyn discussed the festival's identity and future plans in an interview with the Reporter. Pulcyn said Warsaw wants to be a place of major discoveries.

That focus shows in the competitions. The 1-2 Competition is dedicated to first and second features, a slot for directors early in their careers. It gives new names a main-stage showcase alongside more established titles.

Short films get a clear pathway too. The Short Film Competition offers four Oscar-qualifying awards, which means winners become eligible for consideration for the Academy Awards in the United States. For emerging directors, that eligibility can open doors far beyond one festival screening.

There is also a business side. Eliza Subotowicz heads Warsaw Industry Days, the festival's meeting point for producers, sales agents and buyers. She told the Reporter that a new format for the industry section launched last year, and that this year the Warsaw Co-Production Forum received twice as many submissions.

What makes this stand out for regular moviegoers is simple. Festivals like this decide what gets made next. A co-production forum is where producers from different countries meet to package future films, two years before they reach cinemas.

The festival has named What Belongs to Others as the winner of the Warsaw Grand Prix at the 42nd edition, according to the Warsaw International Film Festival. It closed a programme that festival leaders say is built on discovery, new voices and films audiences have not yet had a chance to see.