|
Thursday,
November 12th
The
Grand Opening Gala & Award Ceremony of 2026
OBTAIN
YOUR PASS HERE
.
.
Thursday,
November 12th,
9:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION
2026,
El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd, N. Hollywood.
.
MYSTERY
OF THE STARRY SQUADRON* by Jan Borowiec, documentary 75 min.
.
"Mystery
of the Starry Squadron” tells the story of the search for the lost
Polish blockbuster from 1930,
“The
Starry Squadron”, directed by Leonard Buczkowski — a film that
disappeared during World War II.
The
director follows various leads in an attempt to uncover its fate and
explore its connection to Merian Cooper.
The
investigation spans continents and historical archives, resulting in a
tale full of secrets and unexpected twists.
Will
the truth ever be revealed?
.
.
Friday,
November 13th
DONATIONS
ARE WELCOME
PFFLA
Screening Room, 117 Linden Ave, Long Beach.
12:45
PM
LADY
OF THE FROZEN LANDS*
by Kuba Witek, documentary, 52 min.
.
A
hidden pioneer of polar exploration.
Icebreaker
is a documentary portrait of Professor Maria Agata Olech – a woman who
spent her life choosing places
where
maps end. A nature researcher and the first Polish polar lichenologist,
she discovered and named nearly
one
hundred new species for science. A mountaineer and sailor, she
participated in dozens of polar expeditions.
In
Amundsen's footsteps, she traversed the legendary Northwest Passage.
She
is the first woman to head the Henryk Arctowski Polish Polar Station in
Antarctica.
Despite
an achievement that could fill several biographies, Professor Olech
remains a little-known figure. She operated away
from
the spotlight – modest, avoiding media exposure, focused on her work and
journey, not on talking about them.
Icebreaker
tells the story of the quiet strength, determination, and courage that
paved the way for subsequent
generations
of female researchers, in difficult polar conditions and in an environment
dominated by men.
.
2:30
PM
.
MAMA’S
VOICE by Ganna Yarovenko, documentary, 86 min.
.
In
the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, film director Ganna
flees with her children and elderly mother
from
Russian gunfire near Kyiv. Amidst the chaos, they find shelter in Poland
with Kaja, an artist, singer,
and
mother of five, who welcomes them as a family. Despite the language
barrier, the Ukrainian and Polish
mothers
form a deep bond that helps Ganna confront trauma, loss, and the
terrifying new reality of war.
Ganna’s
family is torn between those who left and those who stayed. Her father,
Petro, refuses to abandon
his
land near Bucha, surviving the Russian occupation while stubbornly tending
to his garden. Her young daughter
Malva
quickly adapts to life in Poland, while her teenage son Orest struggles
with loneliness. Meanwhile,
Malva’s
father—a renowned folk musician—promises to reunite with them at a
music festival in Poland, though wartime
restrictions
rarely allow Ukrainian men to leave the country. What will it take for
this family,
fractured
by war, to come together again?
Told
through the lens of a refugee, the film captures the experiences of
Ukrainian women
and
children in Poland during the early months of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
.
4:00
PM
.
THE
WAY OF THE PILGRIM by Karol Pawłowski, documentary, 69 min.
.
“The
Way of the Pilgrim” is a feature documentary about faith, endurance,
community, and inner transformation.
Following
participants of the International Walking Pilgrimage from Suwałki to
Vilnius, the film accompanies pilgrims
over
ten days and hundreds of kilometers on their journey to the Shrine of the
Mother of Mercy. Along the way,
it
captures moments of physical struggle, reflection, and unexpected human
connection, including encounters between
Polish
pilgrims and Polish communities in Lithuania, for whom this annual meeting
has become a cherished tradition.
.
.
5:30
PM
.
IT’S
ALL BECAUSE OF HER* by Daria Kopiec, short, 30 min.
.
“It's
All Because of Her” is a film about the relationship between mother and
son. About emotional hunger,
role
confusion and hierarchy in the family. The abuse, secrecy and
transgression that can happen when we run away
from
the truth. It's a film about the nagging female loneliness that comes from
lies and denied feelings.
When
the lie comes to light, Maria loses her son on some level.
.
5:30
PM
.
NAJA -
A MESSAGE FROM ANOTHER WORLD* by Jacek Kościuszko, documentary, 65
min
.
Haunted
by chronic migraines since childhood, Ania begins to experience visions
and symbols she cannot explain.
What
seems like illness slowly transforms into a spiritual quest, leading her
from Poland to the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
As
she encounters rituals, landscapes, and voices that echo her inner world,
the boundaries between pain
and
revelation begin to blur. Is she searching for healing — or answering a
message from another world?
.
.
7:00
PM
.
UNDER
THE SKY by Marta Skiba, short, 13 min
.
An
old man in a twilight of his life longs for his greatest passion - flying.
He does not remember people or events
from
the past anymore, but his feelings remain the same when he looks up at the
sky.
The
former ace, now all that he has left are memories.
.
.
7:00
PM
.
GOD
HAS GONE SILENT by Janusz Dariusz Bojański, feature, 82 min.
.
Haunted
by the demons of his past, a priest searches for a lost connection with
God. When he shelters a fugitive
hunted
by a dangerous man, violence and doubt close in. The priest reaches out to
God - but God has gone silent.
.
.
9:00
PM
.
250
YEARS OF AMERICA: THE POLISH CONTRIBUTION by Joanna Dudzik-Kalemba &
Anna Grabowski, 25
min.
.
THE
VANISHING OF DOLORES WULFF by Paul Sadowski, documentary, 90 min.
.
Imagine
losing your mother as a kid... suspecting a loved one had taken her life,
but never
finding
out the truth. This is the story of Paul, Tom, Carl Jr., Anna Marie Wulff
and their dogged
extended
family - as they go through extreme measures to piece together a mystery,
only to find out what really happened, forty-one years later.
.
.
Saturday,
November 14th ADMISSION $17
Laemmle
Theatre, 17200 Ventura Blvd, #121, Encino.
1:00
PM
.
NOT
TO COME BACK by Katarzyna Lewek, short, 18 min.
.
This
is their first meeting in a long time. The cramped space of the family
home witnesses the collision of reality and longing.
.
.
.
1:00
PM
.
THE
PORCELAIN
DOLL* by Maciej Bartoszewski, short, 14 min.
.
Thomas,
the commandant of a Nazi concentration camp, summons Hannah—a
prisoner
who
has just lost her child in the gas chamber—for a private and unsettling
conversation.
What
begins as an encounter defined by power and devastation gradually
transforms into an intimate and emotionally charged exchange.
As
their dialogue unfolds, layers of guilt, grief, and psychological tension
surface, revealing a fragile
and
unexpected human connection beneath the brutality. Anchored by raw,
restrained performances,
Porcelain
Doll is a performance-driven character study exploring trauma, moral
conflict, and the fleeting possibility of forgiveness.
.
.
.
1:00
PM
.
HE
WILL BE THE CITY* by Magdalena Juszczyk, documentary, 37 min.
.
It
has always been here. Waiting. „The Old Man at the Parish Church,” as
those
who
came here used to call Him. Sometimes just for a moment. Just to
glance.
To
make sure He was still there. And then back on the road. He was with them.
They were for Him.
Together,
they lived through the drama of dying Warsaw. He lifted them up; they
lifted Him.
„He
will be the City” („On będzie Miasto”) is the story of the
Baryczka Crucifix
told
by the people for whom His journey is their journey.
.
.
.
1:00
PM
.
NO
SONG IN THE AIR by Joanna Różniak, short, 20 min.
.
Marek,
a middle-aged forensic technician, is recently divorced and he shares
custody
of
his five-year-old son with the boy’s mother. One night, accompanied by a
trainee technician,
he
receives a call that breaks his work routine.
.
.
1:00
PM
.
STEPMOTHER*
by Adam Porębowicz, short, 30 min.
.
Zuza
starts a new relationship with Kuba, and his six-year-old son, Franek,
becomes part of her life.
She
forms a unique bond with the boy, but trouble arises when her relationship
with Kuba begins to fall apart.
.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
GLASS
NEGATIVES* by Jan Borowiec, short, 40 min.
.
During
the renovation of a house in Lublin in 2010, the workers discovered a wall
that was not marked in the building’s blueprints.
Behind
it, they found a collection of photos on glass plates. The collection
consists of over 2,700 glass negatives portraying
people
who lived in Lublin almost 100 years ago. The author of the film joins Tal
Schwartz, a voluntary
in
the Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre Centre, in search for the answers to such
questions as: Who made the photos?
Who
were the people captured in them? Their quest leads them to Israel where
they reach people who may help solve the mystery.
.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
CRAB*
by Grzegorz Zariczny, short, 23 min.
..
30-year-old
Basia lives in a detached house with a divorced man and his child. For the
moment, she is home alone,
as
her partner has gone away to spend time with his daughter. During this
time, she is unexpectedly visited by her childhood
friend
Mateusz, who, after breaking up with his boyfriend, has nowhere to stay.
They spend the day together, talking about
how
their lives have turned out. At one point, Basia learns that Mateusz’s
older brother—her former coach—will be joining them.
The
news unsettles her and sparks strong resistance.
Basia
is forced to confront an event from her past that she has never told
Mateusz about.
.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
THE LOTTERY by Filip Gąsiorowski,
short, 11 Min.
.
.The
world of the future shrouded in darkness, where time has frozen, and all
humans have one goal:
to
win in a lottery competition. Commercials encouraging people to download
lottery tickets can be heard
and
seen everywhere. The protagonist is a young conductor who decides to
participate. Along his way, he runs into a troublemaker,
convinced
to be the one who deserves the prize.
The
combination of circumstances leads the conductor to embark on a path of
crime.
.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
NOTHING
ELSE* by Jakub Prysak, short, 28 min.
.
It’s
the middle of summer. The sun shines brightly as a carefree dog runs
through the garden of a modern house.
In
the living room, Antek and Wera, a married couple in their thirties, sit
together, their eyes fixed on Wera’s medical exam results.
They
both know that her diagnosis might shatter their private paradise.
Soon,
the threat becomes even more real when objects in the house begin
mysteriously disappearing.
.
.
5:15
PM
.
WOMEN
IN THE SEA* by Dominika Gnatek Niemczyk, short, 23 min.
.
A
woman in her thirties heads to the seaside. Tired of work and
disillusioned with her personal life, she wants to pour
all
her sorrows into its depths. Unexpectedly, she finds much more than she
expected – she falls in love with the sea...
and
the feeling is mutual. One day, however, she decides to end the
relationship. She returns only out of
sentimentality,
to say goodbye to her former lover. However, the jealous sea refuses to
accept another breakup...
.
.
5:15
PM
.
LACHTARA
– LONGING* by Sebastian Chondrokostas, feature, 127 min.
.
2015.
Europe is overshadowed by financial crisis and growing migration. Piotr, a
Polish stockbroker at a turning point
in
his life, reunites after many years with his father, Jorgos—an eccentric
Greek musician. Together,
they
set off in an old car from Greece to Poland to settle a family
inheritance.
Everything
divides them: money, temperament, memory, and unspoken resentment,
echoing
the
characters of Alexis and Basil from the movie "Zorba the
Greek"...
Along
the way, the ghosts of the Greek Civil War, the migration of Greeks to
Poland, and their long-ago
separation
begin to resurface. When a young Syrian refugee crosses their path, the
journey takes on an unexpected new direction.
As
father and son draw closer to their destination, they must confront a
family secret rooted in events that took place
in
Poland in 1987. The closer they get, the harder it becomes to hide a truth
that could change their lives forever.
.
.
8:00
PM
.
BROTHER
IN LAW* by Szymon Jakubowski, feature, 105 min.
.
The
story follows Gajda family through a series of family gatherings over the
years. What begins as a hopeful wedding
quickly
dissolves into a cycle of abuse. The film shows the flaws of the judicial
system,
where
the perpetrator can indefinitely prolong the legal battle while the
victim
lives
in constant fear and danger.
.
.
.
Sunday,
November 15th
DONATIONS
ARE WELCOME
PFFLA
Screening Room, 117 Linden Ave, Long Beach.
12:00
PM
.
.BACK
TO ONE - RETURN TO GROUND ZERO by Sylwester P.
Łukasiewicz, documentary, 26 min.
.
An
intimate and reflective documentary about a former Windows On The World
restaurant employee
and
9/11 survivor as he returns to the rebuilt World Trade Center site for the
first time in 24 years.
.
.
12:00
PM
.
ANTONI
SZULCZYNSKI - A PAINTER FROM BIRTH* by Krzysztof Henryk Paluszyński,
doc. 41 min.
.
Antoni
Szulczyński (1877–1922) was one of the most talented, yet
completely
forgotten
painters of Polish Realism and the Young Poland movement.
Antoni
Szulczyński was born in Wilczyn, in the home of a miller. From an
early age, he was gifted
with
extraordinary talent that impressed professors at the Academy of Fine Arts
in Kraków. He created remarkable
polychrome
works in numerous churches—distinguished by their color and
narrative—which continue to captivate
with
their craftsmanship to this day. His brush produced outstanding portraits,
genre scenes, and landscapes
of
exceptional precision and psychological depth. His works are compared to
those of Wyspiański,
Józef
Mehoffer, Leon Wyczółkowski, and Jacek Malczewski.
The
film “Antoni Szulczyński – Born a Painter” is the first
comprehensive account of the life and work of an artist who,
despite
his immense talent, never received the recognition he deserved. Director
Krzysztof Paluszyński, in an effort
to
restore his rightful place in the pantheon of Polish painters, takes the
viewer on a journey from the provincial town
of
Wilczyn, through the Academy in Kraków, to the now-forgotten churches
where this self-taught, naturally gifted
painter
from the Greater Poland village of Wilczyn left a lasting mark—his story
as extraordinary as the man himself.
It
is a story of a genius born with a brush in his hand, of a passion
stronger than the place where he was born
and
raised—where the dream of becoming a great painter was as utopian as
rising to the ranks of aristocracy
in
his time. It is also a story about Poland, which has not always known how
to appreciate,
record,
and commemorate its greatest artists.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
KORPOWRONA*
by Jeremi Rządowski, animation, 4 min.
.
A
hypnotic story about burnout, a longing for freedom, and the thin line
between
reality
and what takes shape in our minds when we’ve had enough.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
TO
ASHES* by Konstancja Rawecka, animation, 8 min.
.
A
woman living in isolation tries to keep hostile forces out of her
house.
It
gets more difficult each time, as the world she knows starts to fall
apart.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
DEAR
LEO SOKOLOSKY* by Weronika Szyma, animation, 8 min.
.
This
poetic dialogue unfolds between a young girl and her deceased
great-grandfather,
intertwining
images from a German town where he was sent to a work camp during World
War II
with
a delicate narrative as the girl pens a letter. The past seamlessly blends
with the present,
and
flashes of memory mix with moments of oblivion. Leo Sokolosky, the
letter's intended recipient,
is
the ghost of her great-grandfather’s friend from the camp, serving as a
mystical link between
her
world and his. The film explores questions about ideals in today’s
world
and
expresses the longing for someone close who is no longer around.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
CENTRAL
MART* by Alicja Błaszyńska, animation, 12 Min.
.
Six
egoists
and one store. Central-Mart is a dark comedy telling a story of few
individuals who through their malice
and
ruthlessness fall into spiral of absurd events. Their lives entwine and
create a web of grotesque occurrences,
mostly
because of their egoism, slyness and ignorance. Regardless if they're too
picky, too cunning or too
self-
absorbed, every action pushes them
towards an inevitable catastrophe.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
OLONGHO*
by Anna Pyzik, animation, 4 min.
.
The
Olongho animation takes us on a distant journey, both geographical and
temporal.
The
opening shots depict a wild, frozen land, from which we are transported to
a warm, bustling home.
This
is a time of rest and immersion. Gathered villagers are listening
attentively to the olonkhosut story. The camera
passes
by mesmerized children and reveals a young girl sitting alone,
away
from the crowd. At this moment, she becomes the main character.
The
central story focuses on the young girl and her initiation as a shaman.
This time of trials and harsh experiences
will
forever alter her social status. From a quiet girl, avoiding attention and
hiding in a corner,
she
transforms into a mature woman, a guide, and a guardian of her people.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
THINGS
I KEEP DOING* by Natalia Kwasowiec, animation, 10 min.
.
Things
I Keep Doing is a stop-motion animation based on the observation
everyday
repetitive activities. The film focuses on gestures and actions performed
almost
automatically—those
that structure reality, shape the rhythm of the day, and fill the passage
of time.
Through
the repetition of simple situations, everyday life is presented as a space
where
routine
can take the form of a private ritual, and seemingly
mundane
actions acquire new meanings.
The
film reflects on the relationship between the body, time, and
repetition,
while
inviting the viewer to look at ordinary experiences with greater attention
and sensitivity.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
SHOPPING*
by Magdalena Kudel, animation, 5 min.
.
A
surreal, horrifying plunge into the anxious mind of a girl just trying to
buy clothes.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
REANIMATION*
by Magdalena Kudel, animation, 6 min.
.
On a desperate journey
home, a pilot depends on his sentient spacecraft,
unaware
of the toll his survival will take on it.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
FALSE
DOOR* by Oktawia Derybowska, animation, 7 min.
.
The
wanderer traverses a vast icy desert. He strives for a place that seems to
be merely an illusion,
like
a ghost seeking a return to the world of the living.
The
lynx follows him, awaiting a moment when the vagabond loses all his
strength.
.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
SPLIT
MYSELF IN TWO* by Aleksandra Gigiel, animation, 2 min.
.
The
body as a project, the mind as training. An endless movement toward an
ideal that keeps slipping away.
.
.
1:30
PM
.
PEARL
AGAINST THE SUN* by Karolina Walas, animation, 11 min.
.
The
film tells the story of two friends growing up in a small lakeside town.
Time passes by carefree, but they must be careful not to fall into the
Loop that engulfs the town's inhabitants.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
MIRROR
by Ula Zawadzka, short, 25 min.
.
When
a wife befriends her husband's lover to save her marriage...
This
film is dedicated to all women who were once cheated on. You can choose
your ending.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
DREAM
UP THE TITLE* by Klaudia Fortunak, short, 20 min.
.
Małgorzata
wanders through a city without rivers, seeking currents that no longer
flow. She moves as if her own vitality
has
run dry, mirroring the city’s quiet exhaustion. A quirky tribute to a
generation caught between youth and adulthood,
haunted
by the fear of missing the tide – and to the city of Łódź
(Polish for ‘boat’), once abundant with water, now consumed by
industry.
logline:
Łódź lies dry and riverless, and Małgorzata drifts into a
journey to seek the waters that once flowed there.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
BALLOONS
by Jakub Michnikowski, short, 30 min.
.
A
family lives in a small village in the middle of nowhere. The father (Maniek)
runs away from growing
financial
problems. He believes that trying to break the absurd world record could
solve them. His wife (Miłka)
carries
the burden of everyday life on her shoulders. Maniek, who cannot express
his feelings in words,
focuses
his attention on beloved pig. The increasing stress overwhelms parents,
and this affects the children.
Only
a strong event can bring about change. When the illusion bursts like a
balloon, it turns out that beyond
male
ambitions there is something much more important: the need for feelings
and true closeness.
.
.
3:15
PM
.
THE
SECRET LIFE OF FLOWERS by Jakub Wenta, documentary, 19 min.
.
Seventeen-year-old
Kamila is about to leave the youth education center. As the group's
leader, she has been like
a
mother figure to the younger girls. Now, they must find their own way and
find hope in the world around them.
.
.
5:10
PM
.
NEVERLANDEX*
by Agata Kapuscinska, short, 23 min.
.
Peter
lives with the belief that sooner or later, his allergies will be the
cause of his death.
His
overprotective father treats him like a child, bombarding him with
terrifying stories.
One
day, Peter stumbles upon an old crossword puzzle that sets him on a
journey toward independence.
.
.
5:10
PM
.
THE
MODERN SAMURAI by Michael Jacyna, short, 14 min.
.
A
violent robbery sends a
solitary man on a pursuit across Los Angeles, stirring memories
of
a woman from his past. As the night unfolds, the pursuit draws him deeper
into
a
world where memory, violence, and his own sense of justice begin to
collide.
.
.
5:10
PM
.
ROUNDELS
– THE 7000-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY* by Krzysztof Paluszyński, documentary,
54 min.
.
This
fictionalized document is a kind of story - a journey through the lands of
our country and Europe almost 7,000 years ago.
Thanks
to outdoor locations, scenography, reenactors, 3D animation, and precisely
focused frames, we see the world
that
has long ceased to exist. The foundation for the film are poorly
recognized and studied rondels, the oldest examples
of
monumental architecture in Europe, dating back 7,000 years. These circular
wooden-earth structures with a diameter
of
up to one hundred and several dozen meters were built using simple tools.
According to Professor Lech Czerniak,
rondels
were a new social institution in Central Europe, reflecting the formation
of a new social order after the collapse
of
the culture of the first farmers in the early 5th millennium BC. The film
also presents other
spectacular,
practically unknown facts of the ancient past of the lands of today's
Poland.
.
.
7:00
PM
.
LET’S
LEAVE IT UNTITLED by Mieszko Chomka, short, 15 min.
.
The
film follows a young man as he tries to preserve his everyday life in a
form of a video diary.
He
shares those important moments (both beautiful and trivial) with his
girlfriend and his best friend.
That
period of his life turns out to be the year of exploration, great changes
and even greater uncertainty.
.
.
7:00
PM
.
NOT
ONLY FOR THE LADIES: THE FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MISS CLEOPATRA by Piotr Gołębiowski, feature, 87 min.
.
An
incredibly intelligent 6-year-old girl named Cleopatra, who decides to run
away from an orphanage
to
find her real family. An unexpected chain of events will cause her life
path to intersect with those
of
Robercik "Roberto" Miętus (Piotrek Gołębiowski),
his
best friend Pablito (played by Artur Chamski), and Robercik's father (Włodzimierz
Matuszak).
.
.
9:00
PM
.
I
GAZE AT THE SKY* by Alexandra Stunin, short, 24 min.
.
The
early days of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian children displaced by the
conflict are brought
to
a Russian elementary school. One of them turns out to be the long-lost
nephew of Victoria, a music teacher
of
Ukrainian descent. Victoria awakens from the slumber of Russian propaganda
and begins a desperate fight to save the boy.
.
.
9:00
PM
.
GLORIOUS
SUMMER* by Ganjalyan, Bartosz Szpak, feature, 89 min.
.
In
a serene, sun-drenched world, three young girls spend their days in
carefree play, mindfulness exercises,
and
idle contentment. Their every need is meticulously cared for by an
all-encompassing, nurturing system
that
keeps their lives perfectly stable and predictable.
For
years, they've lived in this blissful, responsibility-free bubble, where
summer never ends.
But
cracks soon begin to appear in this idyllic picture. Lip-reading, because
some things can't be said out loud.
Secretly
practicing how to die, which is supposed to be the ticket to "another
place." Listening for explosions rumbling in the distance.
Beneath
the smiles and cheerful surface, anger and resentment that have been
suppressed for years start
to
surface. The wellness-focused daily routine begins to feel more like a
form of enslavement. Everything is heading toward inevitable catastrophe.
Will
the girls, raised in a state of perpetual immaturity, be able to cross the
boundaries imposed on them by the system?
.
.
~~~
*
(Asterisk) -
Films nominated to the 2026
Hollywood Eagle Award in feature, short, documentary and animation.
In
addition, all 47 films compete for the following awards:
Best
Actress, Best Actor
and Audience Appreciation
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