The Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School possesses a broad potential for collaboration with external partners, both within the Silesian Voivodeship and across Poland, in areas encompassing cooperation with industry, cultural institutions, public organizations, non-governmental entities, employers, and local governments.
The University of Silesia has signed an agreement with Telewizja Polska S.A. (Polish Television) concerning cooperation in the field of education, recognizing it as one of the significant employers of the School’s graduates (Agreement dated 8 November 2013 on didactic cooperation).
Under this Agreement, joint educational and programmatic initiatives are planned, including the launch of professionally oriented degree programs and an MBA programme. The School also cooperates with other higher education institutions, particularly those offering programs in the arts.
The School’s engagement in research activities related to new information and communication technologies for the cultural and audiovisual industries will entail collaboration with technical universities. Furthermore, the School will continue its advisory and collaborative work with public institutions such as the police, museums, cultural centers, municipal cultural institutions, schools, foundations, and associations.
Cooperation with External Partners – Operational Objectives:
- Joint educational and program initiatives with Telewizja Polska S.A.
- Fostering positive relationships between the School and its external environment.
- Making the School’s artistic potential available for regional and national initiatives.
- Organization of festivals for students of art schools.
- Cooperation with national and international institutions, organizations, and business entities.
- Collaboration with film and cultural institutions to enable students to carry out high-level artistic projects and to promote their creative work.
- Cooperation with television broadcasters to air the best student short films.
- Organization of events promoting artistic achievements (film screenings, photography exhibitions).
- Participation in national and international film festivals and film markets.
- Cooperation with the Polish Film Institute (PISF) to obtain funding for film production.
- Collaboration with public, local, and regional entities, such as the police and local governments.
- Cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź, and the Stanisław Wyspiański Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków, aimed at integrating student artistic communities and enabling joint artistic projects.
- Cooperation with third-sector organizations.
- Cooperation with secondary education institutions.
Additionally, the School collaborates with the following entities:
Film Institutions:
- Polish Film Institute (PISF)
Technology Companies:
Heliograf Sp. z o.o., Focus Nordic, Sony Polska, ATM System Sp. z o.o., Black Photon, and others.
Television, Streaming, and Radio Broadcasters:
TVN Warner Bros. Discovery Group, Telewizja Polska (TVP), Polish Radio Katowice, and others.
Cultural Institutions:
Stanisław Wyspiański Silesian Theatre, Teatr Korez, Teatr Mały in Tychy, Silesia Film Cultural Institution, BWA Contemporary Art Gallery in Katowice, Ars Cameralis Silesiae Superioris Cultural Institution, Silesian Library, Wojciech Korfanty Regional Cultural Institute, and others.
Associations, Organizations, and Guilds:
CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Écoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), Polish Filmmakers Association (SFP), Polish Audiovisual Producers Chamber of Commerce (KIPA), National Guild of Producers (within KIPA), ZAIKS, Polish Directors’ Guild, Polish Scriptwriters’ Guild, Casting Directors Guild (GRC), and others.
Higher Education Institutions:
Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, Stanisław Wyspiański Academy of Theatre Arts, Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Leon Schiller National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź, Institute of Creative Photography in Opava, Munk Studio, and others.
Other Partner Institutions:
Silesian Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs (ŚFPP), Łukasiewicz Research Network – EMAG Institute of Innovative Technologies, Local Development Agency (ARL), Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice (RIG), Association of Polish Architects – Katowice Branch (SARP), University of the Third Age (UTW), and the Metropolis GZM (Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis).
Special Area of Cooperation – Węgiel Film Festival
A particularly significant area of collaboration is the Węgiel Film Festival, an international student film festival organized by the School’s students. The event serves as a meeting place for young filmmakers and representatives of the film industry.
Participation of Guild members in the jury, expert panels, and consultation sessions enables students to establish professional contacts, receive constructive feedback, and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of the audiovisual market. In this way, the festival acts as a bridge between film education and professional practice.
Notable Guests of the Festival
During the last three editions of the Festival, the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School of the University of Silesia has hosted numerous directors, presidents, and key representatives of major industry institutions, including:
- Marcin Pieńkowski – New Horizons Film Festival
- Szymon Witkowski – Małopolska Fund for Small Form Films
- Joanna Szymańska – Shipsboy
- Joanna Łapińska and Agata Kozierańska-Burda – Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
- Sławomir Salamon – boxoffice.pl
- Grzegorz Łoszewski – Polish Filmmakers Association (SFP)
- Jerzy Kapuściński – Munk Studio
- Maciej Sobczyk – Polish Scriptwriters’ Guild
- Marcin Mikołajczyk – ATM System
- Inga Kruk – Wonder Films
- Dorota Eberhardt – HBO Max
- Dorit von Scharpen – ARTE (Germany)