The exam

Poland, 2019 | Director: Bartosz Paduch | 27 min

The story of Bastek, a teenager who paints graffiti and deals drugs to earn a living. The boy dreams of a different future. He wants to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. His ambitious plans may become a reality but the price he will have to pay for it is huge. A film about moral choices and their consequences.

Tumble

Poland, 2019 | Director: Milena Dutkowska | 30 min

The main strengths of Milena Dutkowska's film are both the concept and the assumed way of presenting the change that takes place in the everyday rituals of Adam, a thirty-year-old living with his overprotective mother. A guardian angel, sent to earth with a mission, unexpectedly enters the man's world. Will the mission be successful, given that the guardian angel is extremely clumsy? Does the relationship between man and guardian angel have to be based on trust and care? How will Adam deal with a man in a grey suit following him step by step?

Hi, how are you

Poland, 2019 | Director: Michał Chmielewski | 25 min

A story of a meeting of Sławek, an unemployed fifty-year-old man played by Jacek Poniedziałek, and his remarkable young neighbour, Kamila. The story is told "between the lines" and is a portrayal of people who cannot find themselves in their immediate surroundings, but who experience a different dimension of their existence in a garden nearby. The film, a serene look at a person freed from their trivial duties, changes the color of filters through which we look at others.

Marcel

Poland, 2019 | Director: Marcin Mikulski | 26 min

Nobody notices Marcel, as if he was invisible and had disappeared from the social radar. In his intriguing film, Marcin Mikulski explores the experience of a person's (un)belonging to the world. The character of Marcel seems to be an allegory of mediocrity. Nobody pays attention to him since his childhood, nothing depends on him, but also nobody expects anything from him. Other people have to face social pressure, while he leads a blissful life without any duties until he finds himself “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

My heart

Poland, 2019 | Director: Damian Kocur | 30 min

Rozalia is a professional actress. She loves her work and cares about self-development, but she knows that it's difficult to achieve success in her profession. At the same time, all by herself, she raises a seven-year-old Kazik, who has problems at school. Rozalia decides to move to Walbrzych, where she gets a job in the theater. The heavy burden of duties in her new job and the challenges of raising her son sometimes overwhelm the woman. However, her natural optimism does not allow her to give up.

Not a fairytale

Poland, 2019 | Director: Zuzanna Karpińska | 21 min

The story of two teenagers who are entirely different in terms of looks, popularity, and financial situation. Shy Paula is enthralled by the confident and hard-charging Natalia. Her fascination borders on obsession. The addiction leads to a tragic experience in Paula's life. The girls overcome the trauma together and establish a closer relationship.

View to the wall

Poland, 2019 | Director: Kobas Laksa | 29 min

Kobas Laksa's debut film, featuring the outstanding Fatima Gorbenko and Artem Manuilov, presents the life story of Ukrainian immigrants. Larysa is a flutist and is applying for a job at the local philharmonic, and Boris works as a street mime. Together they make a great couple and take good care of their son Mitia. The unique dramaturgy of the film, well-thought-out camerawork as well as the non-literal presentation of the characters and their story provoke a vast array of emotions.

Ondine

Poland, 2019 | Director: Tomasz Śliwiński | 40 min

Twenty-something Czarek would like to live a normal life like any of his peers. And apparently, everything seems to be in order; the boy spends his evenings having fun in clubs and at concerts, and his relationship with Emilia is flourishing. Czarek's girlfriend would like him to stay for the night, but she's afraid that he's lying to her. However, she doesn't know why Czarek didn't tell her whole truth about himself. It turns out that he suffers from a very rare, serious disease, which may never let him fall asleep peacefully in his girlfriend's arms.

A problem

Poland, 2020 | Director: Tomasz Wolski | 15 min

A dramatic story precisely told by documentary director Tomasz Wolski in a single shot. An unexpected event causes the residents of a block of flats, passing by one another outside every day, to break out of their daily routine and struggles. Everyone has their problems and urgent matters on their minds, everyone is in a hurry, while the titular “problem” — an unconscious man — is lying on the sidewalk. This is a bother not only for bystanders, but also for the service workers. This short story may be seen only as efficient execution of a formal task for the operator and director, but it turns into a tense socio-philosophical reflection on confronting tragedy.

Vacancy

Poland, 2019 | Director: Agata Trzebuchowska | 29 min

Anna is seemingly an indistinguishable woman, living with her husband and children in a closed housing estate. Her life goes by slowly and she focuses on her daily duties. One day, however, an unexpected breakthrough occurs. Anna walks into the unfinished building in front of her house and decides to stay there. Her loved ones do not know what happened to her or what caused the sudden disappearance. Thanks to long moments of solitude, Anna learns a lot about her neighbors and family, but even more about herself.

Restart

Poland, 2019 | Director: Julian Tałandziewicz | 20 min

An intrigue combining a crime with a drama film about life choices and unfortunate decisions determining human fate. A young doctor, Janek, is an intern in the hospital and dreams of specializing in cardiology. A day before the interview concerning his future residency, he makes a decision that may have a negative impact on his professional career

Ricochets

Poland, 2019 | Director: Jakub Radej | 30 min

Jakub Radej's film references real events that took place in Lubin in 1982. There is martial law. The oppression of the communist regime is causing more and more opposition among the citizens. The main characters of “Ricochets” are two brothers miners who have two different attitudes towards contemporary reality. That leads to a conflict in which balancing moral reasons proves to be extremely difficult.

Close2u

Poland, 2019 | Director: Marek Głuszczak | 26 min

A world of Internet secrets. Shy Franek starts an unusual job to pay the rent for his room. He poses as attractive girls on a dating portal. He also dreams about having an affair with his manager, who likes decisive and confident guys. Accidentally, he discovers a sad secret of Mr. Bronek, an older man who is his landlord. “So. Close” is a film about human loneliness and unfulfilled expectations.

It's good like that

Poland, 2019 | Director: Marcin Sauter | 23 min

The visually intriguing debut of Marcin Sauter, an acclaimed photographer, documentary filmmaker, and camera operator. The main character of the film is Nikodem, a professional nature photographer. We observe the man at work and learn about his thoughts and — through retrospection — his personal tragedy. The harsh landscapes of Spitsbergen, vast, empty spaces, and loneliness make the protagonist recall difficult events from his life.

Within me

Poland, 2019 | Director: Maria Wider | 21 min

Everything was supposed to be fine: Sandra's friends planned her hen party, everything is prepared for the wedding, and Dawid has already bought a crib for the baby. However, this plan is not coming into life because of a difficult diagnosis. Due to the genetic defects of the fetus, the pregnancy must be terminated. This experience will put Sandra and Dawid's relationship to the test. Did Dawid ask Sandra to marry him only because of the baby? Will they still want to be together after all this?