The 23rd edition of the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival will showcase a mix of contemporary and classic Polish cinema across London from 6 March to 25 April 2025. This year's opening night gala also marks the start of the UK/Poland Season 2025, a cultural exchange programme featuring 100 multi-artform events in 20 cities.
For the first time, Kinoteka will expand beyond London, touring eight UK cities in partnership with Klassiki. The festival opens with “Under the Volcano” at BFI Southbank, exploring the refugee experience through a Ukrainian family's story. A Wojciech Has retrospective will highlight his surrealist masterpiece “The Hourglass Sanatorium”, with a closing gala at the ICA accompanied by a live musical performance.
The festival also features new Polish cinema, including historical dramas like “White Courage”, contemporary thrillers such as “Under the Grey Sky”, and socially relevant films like “It Is Not My Film”. The documentary strand includes “Silent Trees”, focusing on refugees at the Polish-Belarusian border, and “Wanda Rutkiewicz: The Last Expedition”, a tribute to the legendary Polish mountaineer. Audiences can also experience the Quay Brothers' adaptation of “The Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass" at BFI IMAX, alongside an exhibition of their intricate puppet film sets. Other highlights include a Polish film poster exhibition at King's Cross, a Komeda jazz tribute at Southbank Centre, and a fashion documentary on Polish designer Jerzy Antkowiak.
You can find out more about the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival and book tickets here.