Another year, another record-breaking number of submissions. The creators of more than 2,800 documentary and short films from across the globe dream for a place in the programme of the 66th Krakow Film Festival. The titles selected by the programming team and artistic director Anita Piotrowska will be screened in Krakow’s cinemas and available online in May and June.
Although submissions have now closed, our selection teams are still watching films. A good number of productions have already been chosen, but final decisions will take a little while yet. We’re very happy with the level of interest in the festival, both internationally and at home – the number of Polish submissions also grows every year, comments Patrycja Czarny, selection coordinator at the Krakow Film Festival.
Where from?
Poland, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Iran – these are the countries we received the greatest number of submissions from. We received 420 Polish productions or co-productions, 373 from France, 285 from Germany, 205 from Spain, 141 from the US, and 127 from Iran ones. There were also numerous entries from Italy, China, Ukraine, and Canada alongside titles from countries with smaller film industries, such as Cambodia, Morocco, Somalia, and Nepal.
How many?
As ever, live-action short films account for the largest share of submissions. A six-person selection team is responsible for viewing 1,500 titles. Choosing the most compelling short fiction films is the duty of film scholar and critic Magdalena Nieświec, director and journalist Kamil Czudej, film scholar and historian Jarosław Grzechowiak, film scholar Anna Maria Piskorska, director Jakub Radej, film scholar Karolina Hołub, director Elżbieta Benkowska, and film critic and journalist Mateusz Demski.
Director Anna Konik and film critic Michał Piepiórka have over 400 short documentaries to watch. Award-winning animators Marta Pajek and Zbigniew Czapla will select just a handful from among 323 animated film submissions.
Over 570 feature-length documentaries are being viewed by film critic Barbara Kosecka, director Grzegorz Pacek, film critic and journalist Marcin Stachowicz, director Grzegorz Zariczny, film scholar Jędrzej Kościński, and director Edyta Wróblewska.
Several hundred additional titles have also been viewed at major film festivals around the world.
When?
The final shape of the programme will be determined by Anita Piotrowska following consultations with the selection team and discussions with short film curator Bartosz Tesarz. Final decisions will be taken by mid-April. We are going to learn which films will be presented across the four equally ranked competitions — three international ones: Documentary, Short Film, and DocFilmMusic – and the National Competition.
Fascinating stories from around the world will also be featured in the festival’s special sections. Among them is Focus on the Balkans, a review of the latest films from the region, as well as a new proposal called Masters in Shorts, presenting short films by masters of contemporary cinema who began their careers at the Krakow Film Festival. As every year, the finest science-themed films will be showcased in the Docs+Science programme, curated by Karol Jałochowski – journalist, physicist, and documentary filmmaker. The Kids & Youth Fest section, curated by Magdalena Walo, is also returning this year.
Insider Passes for the 66th Krakow Film Festival are now on sale!
The Krakow Film Festival is on the exclusive list of film events qualifying for the Academy Awards® in short film categories (fiction, animation, documentary) and feature-length documentary, the European Film Awards in the same categories, and serves as a qualifying event for the BAFTA Awards.
The Krakow Film Festival is organised with financial support from the City of Krakow, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Polish Film Institute, and the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme. The Polish Filmmakers Association serves as co-organiser.
The 66th Krakow Film Festival will be held in cinemas from 31 May to 7 June 2027 and online on KFF VOD from 5 June to 19 June 2026.