Blog & nowości

This year’s 45th edition of the Koszalin Film Debuts Festival Młodzi i Film once again confirmed its position as one of Poland’s most important events dedicated to emerging filmmakers. From 7–13 June 2026, Koszalin once again became a meeting place for young cinema, audiovisual industry professionals, and audiences interested in the newest voices of Polish filmmaking.

A Festival Connecting Filmmakers and the Industry

For many years, Młodzi i Film has remained a unique platform for exchanging experience between emerging filmmakers and representatives of the professional film industry. Alongside competitions for feature-length, documentary, and short films, the festival programme traditionally includes networking events, industry meetings, workshops, and panel discussions.

As a Festival Partner, we particularly value those moments when technology meets creativity and professional expertise can be passed on to the next generation of filmmakers.

The Traditional Heliograf Cocktail Reception and Cinematography Award Nominations

One of the highlights of the festival week was the traditional industry gathering organised by Heliograf. The cocktail reception, which has long been an integral part of the Młodzi i Film programme, once again brought together filmmakers, cinematographers, producers, and members of the film community.

It was during this event that the nominations for the Award for Cinematography in Short Fiction Debuts were announced. The gathering provided another opportunity to discuss cinematography, emerging talents in the field, and the challenges of contemporary audiovisual production. As every year, there was no shortage of inspiring encounters, valuable exchanges of experience, and conversations that often become the starting point for future film projects.

Cinematography Workshops – A Hands-On Approach Above All

Under the guidance of DoP Anna Malatyńska, participants produced a promotional spot for the festival. As co-organisers, we provided two vans fully equipped with camera and lighting gear. At the heart of the package was the RED Raptor camera paired with a complete set of Atlas Anamorphic lenses and a Preston Wireless Follow Focus system.

This allowed young filmmakers to work with equipment commonly used on professional film and television productions. Participants also had access to a comprehensive lighting package featuring, among others, Astera Helios, Astera Titan, Dyna 1200, Nanlux Evoke 1200, Nanlux 900 RGB, Nanlux 500B, and CLRS Light Bridge systems.

This configuration enabled a wide range of cinematographic approaches and provided ample opportunities to experiment with different lighting techniques and workflows. The technical side of the workshops was overseen by gaffer Mateusz Kuźniak, lighting technician Arek Kłos, and camera assistant Jakub Harycki. The workshops were coordinated by the indispensable Patryk Brzeskot.

We would like to thank the entire team for the excellent atmosphere, the wealth of knowledge they shared, and the energy they dedicated to working with the participants.

Closing Gala and Major Awards

The festival week concluded with the official closing gala, during which the winners of the 45th Młodzi i Film Film Debuts Festival were announced.

This year, the Heliograf Award (PLN 5,000 for the cinematographer and PLN 10,000 allocated for lighting and camera equipment for their next film project) was awarded to DoP Sebastian Weber for Krótki film o wojnie, which received the JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST SHORT FICTION FILM.

This year’s verdicts once again confirmed the high artistic standard of young Polish cinema and the creative courage of filmmakers making their debut in both fiction and documentary filmmaking.

Major Festival Awards

GRAND JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST FEATURE FICTION DEBUT

Nie ma duchów w mieszkaniu na Dobrej

Directed by Emi Buchwald

JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST DIRECTOR (FICTION)

Robert Kwilman for Capo

JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST DIRECTOR (DOCUMENTARY)

Weronika Milczewska for Dziecko z pyłu

JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST SHORT ANIMATED FILM

Kosmogonia

Directed by Karolina Chabier

JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM

Nadia Szymańska and Sara Szymańska for directing Twin Days

JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST SHORT FICTION FILM

Krótki film o wojnie

Directed by Nadim Suleiman

GRAND JANTAR 2026 FOR BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY DEBUT

Natalia Koniarz for directing Silver

The full list of award winners is available at:

https://www.mlodziifilm.pl/wydarzenia,29,1981,1,Laureaci-45-KFDF-Mlodzi-i-Film.html 

We extend our sincere congratulations to all nominees and award recipients.

We would like to express our gratitude to the Festival Directors, Paweł Strojek, Anna Serdiukow, and Monika Modła, as well as to all the organisers, filmmakers, participants, and everyone we had the opportunity to meet during the 45th Young and Film Debut Film Festival.

As a partner of the festival, we are proud to support initiatives that contribute to the growth of the Polish film industry and to help foster meaningful dialogue and knowledge sharing between established industry professionals and emerging generations of filmmakers.