The Polish Film Festival in Gdynia – the most important event in Poland dedicated to national cinema – will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. This milestone offers a unique opportunity to look back at its history, recall groundbreaking moments, and reflect on the spirit and character of the festival. There are many ways to tell the story of the festival – through different perspectives, vibrant memories, and powerful images.

As part of the nationwide project “50 for 50” project, film screenings featuring highlights from the festival’s past editions will take place in 34 cities across Poland – including Gdańsk, Warsaw, Kraków, Sejny, Hrubieszów, Bolesławiec, and Lubomierz.

In total, 57 institutions will take part in this nationwide celebration of Polish cinema.

“I warmly invite everyone to join the celebration of the Polish Film Festival’s 50th anniversary. We’ve decided to mark this special occasion throughout the entire year – not only in Gdynia, because it truly is a celebration for all of us. I’m very proud of the ‘50 for 50’ program, which is so diverse and multifaceted. My heartfelt thanks go to our wonderful partners – cultural centres, film societies, cinemas, festivals, and film schools. Thanks to their support, we’ll be reaching audiences all over Poland – from Sejny to Sucha Beskidzka,” says Joanna Łapińska, Artistic Director of the Polish Film Festival.

The organiser of the “50 for 50” project is the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia – the producer of the Polish Film Festival. The project was co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage and the Polish Film Institute.

The main partner of the “50 for 50” project is the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute.

The project is organised in partnership with the Documentary and Feature Film Production Company and Telewizja Polska [Polish public broadcaster TVP].

The media patrons of the projects are: Telewizja Polska, Polska Press Grupa, naszemiasto.pl, Program 1 Polskiego Radia, Program 3 Polskiego Radia, Magazyn Filmowy SFP, Filmweb, Interia, Miesięcznik KINO.

The jubilee edition of the Gdynia Polish Film Festival will be accompanied by the exhibition “On the Wave of Time”, hosted by the Museum of the City of Gdynia from 22 September 2025 to 6 January 2026.

The exhibition tells the story of fifty years of Poland’s most prestigious film event – the Gdynia Polish Film Festival. It is a narrative journey beginning with the passion for cinema of the Festival’s first Director, Lucjan Bokiniec, and the community around the Żak Film Discussion Club in Gdańsk. From its grassroots beginnings to its current role as a key meeting place for filmmakers, audiences, and critics, the Festival has remained a vital forum for dialogue, artistic freedom, and the promotion of new generations of talent.

Through twelve thematic modules, the exhibition brings together iconic figures, award-winning films, and defining moments from the Festival’s history. Visitors are invited to step behind the red carpet glamour to discover both the triumphs and the challenges that shaped Polish cinema over five decades. Multimedia installations, archival documents, photographs, and original artefacts – including the evolving Golden Lions statuette – create a rich and immersive experience.

As curator Agata Kozierańska-Burda notes, the concept of the exhibition allows for future reinterpretations: “We wanted to extend the 50th anniversary celebration, so that individual modules can be presented in new forms, offering varied recollections of the Festival.”

“On the Wave of Time” is not a chronological account but a thematic exploration of memory, culture, and the Festival’s impact. It highlights the encounters, conversations, controversies, and emotions that continue to define the Festival as a unique cultural phenomenon. Above all, the exhibition is a nostalgic journey into the world of people and places whose passion for cinema has shaped the event for half a century.

Venue: Museum of the City of Gdynia, ul. Zawiszy Czarnego 1A, Gdynia
Dates: 22 September 2025 – 6 January 2026