GET TO KNOW US

News

POLISH FILM FESTIVAL
29 September 2024

WINNERS OF THE 49th PFF

We now know the winners of the Golden and Silver Lions, the individual awards of the Main Competition, as well as the winners of the Perspectives Competition and the Short Film Competition, all announced at the Closing Gala of the 49th Polish Film Festival on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Musical Theatre in Gdynia.

GDYNIA FILM CENTER
10 November 2023

Gdynia Korean Film Festival 2023

At the Gdynia Korean Film Festival in the Gdynia Film Center, you have a unique opportunity to see the latest and iconic Korean film productions. See our program and buy tickets - available at the GCF cinema box office or online.

UNESCO COOPERATION
26 October 2023

Gdynia at the opening of the National Center of Film Culture in Łódź

On the occasion of the opening of the National Center of Film Culture, we had the pleasure to visit Łódź - our sister city within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Alongside the Gdynia delegation, representatives from Galway, Ireland; Potsdam, Germany; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Terrassa and Valladolid, Spain; and Katowice, Poland, visited Łódź.

See more

Gdynia the City of Film for decades

Here, since 1987, the Polish Film Festival is held – an annual celebration of Polish cinematography and the most important competition of the City’s newest achievements.
It’s the place where Gdynia Film School, which educates film directors, is located. Short films by the graduates have won numerous prizes at the festivals both in Poland and abroad.
It’s the city in which Gdynia Film Centre was created – a local cultural institution focused around the art of cinematography and film education.

Gdynia has a very dynamic film life

Film is one of the pillars of the municipal cultural policy. It is included in Gdynia Development Strategy 2030 and continuously supported by the City.
Film activities of non-governmental agencies and bodies in Gdynia are based on strong creative sector, which gathers creators, cultural animators and private companies.



We want to move forward in this direction in the following year

Mainly, we want to broaden the access to the cultural offer, especially for marginalised groups.
We want an intense cross-sectoral cooperation and increasing synergies between activities.
We want to increase creative potential of the citizens by including them in the creation process of film activities in the coming years.

Gdynia lives and breathes cinematography

Film is one of the most active areas of the municipal cultural sphere, so in 2021 we decided to apply for admission to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the “City of Film” category.

Thanks to the membership in this elite organisation we will have a unique opportunity to establish contacts, share experience and partner up with other similar cities active in the field of film from all around the world.

This is an amazing chance for us to stimulate and integrate the local creative sector, as well as support it in the process of establishing international cooperation.

Thought exchange about good practice and the realisation of international projects means a stronger creative sector.
Gallery
Strong creative sector is beneficial to the whole society – to Gdynia and other cities, which we will be cooperating with.
Gdynia loves film. Film loves Gdynia.
The city offers wide-ranging programme of events and film screenings for various target groups.
FESTIVALS AND REVIEWS
WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
FILM EDUCATION
MEETINGS WITH FILMMAKERS
NETWORKING AND RESEARCH
FILM PRODUCTION
  • Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
    Annual celebration of Polish cinema, during which Gdynia hosts 75,000 viewers: film industry representatives, journalists and critics, competition films creators, foreign guests, as well as young filmmakers, film school graduates and Polish cinema enthusiasts, including children and teenagers.
  • Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival
    Gdynia is one of the hosts of the biggest documentary film festival in Poland. Its last edition, held in 2020 in hybrid form, attracted over 170,000 viewers.
  • The Socially Sensitive Creativity Festival
    The festival hosts mainly reporters, journalists and documentalists, who watch the world carefully, find and tell true stories. Creators for whom truth, journalism ethics and sensitivity are real values. Festival income is donated to Children’s Home Hospices and their dependents.
  • NNW Film Festival
    A unique film event in Europe, addressed to creators and environments interested in recent history. The festival showcases world, European and Polish film productions, presenting different journeys towards freedom of nations and freedom of individuals.
  • Film Critics Day
    The aim of the review is to combine film screenings with lectures and discussions by cinema experts, at the same time giving the audience the opportunity to exchange views on film art. Its formula invites to conscious reception of film, its critical overview, polemics and creative discussion with critics.
  • Summer Cinema in Orłowo
    It is a series of holiday meetings with world cinema. Outdoor screenings are located on the beach in Gdynia Orłowo. Its 11th edition will be held in 2021.
  • EFA Young AudienceAward
    An international event aimed at young viewers aged 13-14 from all over Europe. Young viewers play the role of a professional jury and vote for the best film.
  • Focus on Fairy Tale
    A series for preschool children (4+). For many participants, taking part in various educational and artistic activities, the project is their first contact with film art.
  • Project "Show Document!”
    The aim of the project is to make young audience interested in a documentary film, a genre which, although very popular around the world, is still unappreciated by young people. The series is conducted in schools of Gdynia and designed for young people aged 10-16.
  • Ril Tok
    The aim of the project was to support young people going through periods of isolation using interdisciplinary activities. Teenagers participate in a series of cultural and educational activities concerning three issues of particular importance during quarantine: Knowledge vs emotions; Solidarity, empathy, heroism; Loneliness
  • Film Music Composition Workshops
    Workshops participants have a chance to work with one of the greatest Polish film music composer, an Oscar winner Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. Short films of Gdynia Film School graduates serve as workshops materials. As a result, sound track for some of them may be developed.
  • Cinema and film lessons at the Gdynia Film School
    It is a projects for 4 to 8 grade primary school students. Participants become familiar with issues related to creation and development of cinema, as well as forms, analysis and interpretation of film.
  • Film Masters
    Project addressed most of all to last grade primary school students and secondary school students. The series presents films of Polish Film School, the so-called Cinema of Moral Concern, French and Czech New Wave.
  • All-Poland Review of Amateur Student Films “Albatrosy”
    Film competition addressed to secondary school students. Students, accompanied by a teacher, develop their work – from script, through filming, directing, acting, editing and sound post production.
  • Film Thoughts. Cinema lessons
    The project combines a series of workshops and cinema lessons with meetings with renown Polish filmmakers, and webinars for teachers. Students learn about cinema development, analysis and interpretation of film, and the function of film industry in education together with the opportunities it creates.
  • Summer on the Patio
    Summer holiday series of film attractions for children, teenagers, their parents and carers. Film workshops, make-up classes, film music exercises, and many outdoor film screenings.
  • Pomeranian Film Workshops
    Participants take part in every stage of short feature film making, form screenwriting , through shooting with professional film crew and professional actors, editing and sound post production. Works are supervised by cinema practitioners and great lecturers.
  • Gdynia Film School Film and New Media Critics Workshops
    The project is to teach how to plan, develop and edit critical reviews (written and audiovisual) related to film and new media.
  • 10 screening rooms in the city
    Gdynia Film Centre, Helios Cinema, DKF “Żyrafa” Film Club
  • Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
    The Festival in Gdynia lasts 6 days and hosts nearly 2,000 filmmakers. Our guests: directors, actors and producers meet audience during many press conferences, debates and meetings. They also participate in media events such as: Festival Opening and Red Carpet Ceremony.
  • Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival
    This international event gives an opportunity to meet foreign guests whose films receive special mentions on festivals in Cannes, Venice and Toronto.
  • Gdynia Film School Club
    After film screenings, Polish filmmakers talk about their films and about the making of the productions.
  • meetings in the Gdynia Film Centre
    The cinema gives an opportunity to participate in many film series, combined with meetings with filmmakers, experts and special guests.
  • FilmNet – South Baltic Film and Culture Network
    The project connects institutions from the Southern Baltic region, operating in the field of film culture and education promotion. During study visits, project participants learn about the functioning of partner organisations and the shape of local film culture.
  • Forum Around Cinema
    Film industry event for film distribution and dissemination community, addressed to owners and operators of traditional cinemas, arthouse cinemas, multiplexes, and to film distributors, cinema equipment producers, and cinema related market service providers.
  • “Culture Connects” project
    During the pandemic, the Gdynia Culture Department, in cooperation with other institutions, prepared an online cultural offer – available on YouTube and Facebook channels of Cultural Gdynia.
  • Europa Cinemas
    Gdynia Film Centre is an active member of the European network of cinemas (1,216 cinemas) operating in 43 European cinemas.
  • UrbanLab Gdynia
    An open forum in the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park Gdynia for discussion, cross-sectoral cooperation, innovation and creative industry.
  • Gdynia Film School
    Thesis films of the school’s students and graduates have been shown, i.a. in Cannes (Olena directed by E. Benkowska, Time to Go directed by G. Mołda), and have also won prizes at the international festivals in Cottbus, Monterrey, and Busan.
  • the “Treflik family” animated series
    Polish musical puppetoon animated series for children, adored all around the world. It was directed by Marek Skrobecki, who won an Oscar in 2007 for Best Animated Short Film.
  • Gdynia Film Fund
    It’s an important local help for the film industry. The city distributes PLN 450,000 annually to support films, whose creators come from the vicinity of Gdynia and films which are important for the local identity.
  • film The Amateurs directed by I.Siekierzyńska
    This project constitutes an important voice in the matter of the social perception of persons with disabilities and presents their activity and work in an authentic and non-stereotypical way. Intellectually disabled actors of the Teatr Biuro Rzeczy Osobistych (Personal Belongings Office Theatre) performed in this production.
  • Maj Film Film Production
    An independent film producer, who works with Gdynia Film School’s graduates of directing on the execution of documentaries and feature films.
  • Panika Studio
    The biggest film producer in Northern Poland. Apart from a huge shooting hall, it has the newest film equipment, i.a. Red and Sony film cameras, as well as Arri, KinoFlo and Dedolight lighting.
  • “Gdynia. My City” Project
    A film created from the archival filmstrips from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. It’s about our city and its citizens. This project was realised for Gdynia’s 90th birthday.
  • social campaigns organised in cooperation with film institutions in the city.
FESTIVALS AND REVIEWS
WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
FILM EDUCATION
MEETINGS WITH FILMMAKERS
NETWORKING AND RESEARCH
FILM PRODUCTION
Under theUNESCO Creative Cities Network we plan to develop the following projects
LOCAL INTERNATIONAL

  • Cyber Film Centre
    An Internet space for the citizens, teachers, students, tourists, as well professionals, which encompasses all activities of the film sector in Gdynia. This portal will also be a digital film repository, which will develop the idea of accessibility to film for all audiences, including the blind and visually-impaired. (goals 4, 9, 11, 17)

  • Gdynia Animation Centre
    A new place on the map of Gdynia and a special way to promote Polish animation both in Poland and abroad. A unique offer for families with children, teachers, as well as lovers of the art of stop motion animation and puppetoon animation. In the GAC’s offer you will find permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as a large selection of activities for children and youth: learning stop motion animation, creating puppets for animated films, dubbing and musical activities.

  • Culture+senior
    The goal of the activities based on film education, cinema therapy, as well as creative workshops and themed walks is to improve the activity levels of the older generation. The project promoting the participation of seniors in culture is also an activity aimed at the popularisation of the idea of volunteering in cultural institutions. Educating the employees of film and cultural institutions located in the city can support broader activities conducted in this regard both in Poland and abroad. As a part of this project, a series of publications supporting the seniors’ access to culture will be held. (goals 3, 4, 10, 11)

  • Researching Film Sector
    Understanding the mechanisms and rules of how film sectors function in the creative economy is an important aspect of the development of film market. The analysis of value and supply chains at all stages of film production will be exemplified by empirical data. This practice is also good for other UNESCO cities. It will help to realistically estimate the film sector’s influence on the city’s economy. (goals 8, 9,11 ,17)

  • Green festivals
    Sustainable cultural events are one of our priorities. Thanks to the support of the member cities of UNESCO, especially Krakow and Idanha-a-Nova, Gdynia will apply good practice to the organisation of sustainable festivals. Studying the events’ CO2 emissions, water and waste management, and logistics will help to create a guideline for the organisers of cultural events – film events in particular. It will also be important to include youth in the process of education about the sustainable development. (goals 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)

  • Residential cooperation of educational units
    Studio visits and networking of students and youth between member cities of UNESCO is the most efficient way of professional development. Moreover, the exchange of staff, educators and lecturers is a chance to strengthen transitional cooperation between the cities. Gdynia Film School, as well as the Pomeranian Film Foundation in Gdynia, Dom Filmowy, KazStudio and the Experyment Science Centre have unique knowledge and competences, which will allow other UNESCO cities to gain experience in new areas. (goals 4, 11, 17)

Our activities will also include online projects:
  • open conferences and seminars in English regarding green film production for the representatives of the non-governmental and private film production sectors;
  • online lectures with translation to English regarding film education at all levels of education (for children and schoolchildren, students and teachers).
We want to strengthen bonds between local institutions functioning in the cultural sphere and to support their activities by:
  • organising regular meetings of the film sector and establishing a network of contacts and communication for the film industry on the Film Centre’s digital platform;
  • encouraging film producers who want to execute their film projects in Gdynia;
  • supporting educational activities of the non-governmental sector in the realisation of film activities in schools and educational institutions as a part of the basic learning provision.