On the occasion of the upcoming Christmas holidays, we wish you peace, rest from everyday duties, and many good, warm moments spent in the company of your loved ones.
May this special time bring joy, hope, and a moment of reflection, and may the coming New Year bring prosperity, good health, and the fulfillment of plans and dreams.
With best wishes,
Prof. Krystyna Doktorowicz,
Dean of the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School
at the University of Silesia in Katowice,
together with the faculty members, staff, and students.
Due to the holiday period and planned vacations, we would like to inform you that during the pre-holiday and post-holiday period the Department will operate with a reduced staff. Therefore, we kindly ask you to contact the relevant organizational units directly in order to handle your matters. Thank you for your understanding.
Our films are shining at the 29th Film Festival ZOOM – Zbliżenia Film Festival! ✨
In the fiction films category:
Dad’s not home
Director: Jan Saczek | Cinematography: Patryk Roman | Production Manager: Lidia Le Thanh
Wiraż
Director: Piotr Szubra | Cinematography: Jakub Kaźmierczak | Production Managers: Oskar Sapeta, Oliwia Cofała
Coldness
Director: Lena Jaworska | Cinematography: Daniel Le Hai | Production Manager: Kamil Warszawski
The competition also features SLAP!!, directed by our graduate Mikołaj Piszczan.
In the documentary films category:
Repetitions
Director: Maciej Czuchryta | Cinematography: Maksymilian Łobaczewski
I’m Recording!
Director & Cinematography: Ina Knap | Production Manager: Paulina Tura
It is also worth mentioning the independent (non-school) production by our student Filip Szela, titled Grandpa, which has also been selected for the documentary competition.
Warm congratulations to all the filmmakers, and we keep our fingers crossed for festival success!
We are delighted to share some fantastic news: our short film, directed by student Jan Saczek, after winning the Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards gala in October this year, now has a real chance to be selected among the top five live-action short films nominated for the 98th Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Dad’s Not Home | directed by Jan Saczek | cinematography by Patryk Roman | production management by Lidia Le Thanh | produced by the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia in Katowice, 2025.
Two underage brothers hide from the world the fact that their father suffers from frontotemporal dementia. They must take care of him and manage the household in order to stay together.
Big congratulations to all the filmmakers involved! The shortlist is available via the link.
The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. From the 15 shortlisted live-action short films, the final five will be revealed—those that will truly compete for the award every filmmaker dreams of.
The Academy’s official announcement is available via the link.
Happy Birthday with its world premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival!
We are delighted to announce that the short feature directed by our student, Aleksander Pakulski, has been noticed by the festival’s selectors and included in the programme of next year’s edition!
The film will be screened as part of the section DIFF Shorts 3: Isn’t It Fantastic?
The screening will take place on Friday, 27 February 2026, at 3:30 PM.
Happy Birthday | directed by Aleksander Pakulski | cinematography Daniel Le Hai | production management Kamil Warszawski | produced by the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia in Katowice, 2026.
Since the death of his child, Bogdan, seeing his grieving wife, suppressed his emotions so that he could be the strong support she needed. At the suggestion of Wiktoria's therapist, he helps her organize a birthday party for their deceased son so that his wife can come to terms with the loss. The husband, believing that this is the best way to help his beloved, agrees to this plan, hiding his own pain of longing for the child. While preparing for the party, the situation gets out of control for Bogdan.
A huge round of applause for the creators!
The Dublin International Film Festival will run from 19 February to 1 March 2026.
The film is supported by the Krakow Film Foundation.
