The Young Horizons Main Award and the ZAiKS Award for the Best Polish Film at the 11th edition of Young Horizons IFF

At this year’s Young Horizons International Film Festival, selected Polish films will compete for special awards for the first time. The Young Horizons Main Award will go to the director and producer of the winning production, and its scriptwriter will receive the ZAiKS Award.

Since the very beginning of Young Horizons, we have supported the development of quality Polish productions. At this year’s festival, the audience will be able to watch 12 Polish films – out of these, four titles will compete for the Young Horizons Main Award and the ZAiKS Award. For the first time in the festival’s history, we are going to award three filmmakers: a director, a producer, and a scriptwriter.

The promotion of Polish productions addressed to young audiences is an important part of our activities as part of the festival and other initiatives. Polish films are conceived at the Young Horizons Lab development workshop – this is where filmmakers can work on their scripts. Then, the films are featured in the Young Horizons IFF programme. Later on, they are distributed in cinemas across Poland. The Young Horizons Industry international co-production forum is an opportunity for filmmakers to present their ideas to the representatives of the global film industry and to launch production and distribution partnerships. The following films were pitched as part of the industry event, among other titles: Diplodocus; Kitty Kotty; Lampo. The Travelling Dog; Too Old for Fairy Tales; and Basia. The next edition of the forum will take place this year, from 30 September to 2 October.

Three awards: scriptwriter, director, producer

The idea behind the Young Horizons and ZAiKS Awards is to recognise high-quality Polish films – films that not only attract young viewers to cinemas but also teach them to understand themselves and their reality. The Young Horizons Main Award for the best Polish production (30,000 zloty net) will go to the director and producer of the winning film and the ZAiKS Award (15,000 zloty net) will go to its scriptwriter. The jury members are outstanding experts, journalists, and filmmakers. Just like the Young Horizons team, they are happy to award Polish creators who address young people in their art. There are four candidates for the awards. 

The power of imagination – Diplodocus (6–10; dir. Wojtek Wawszczyk; Poland 2024)

This impressive and innovative Polish animation shows the great power of imagination and self-belief. Diplodocus is inspired by the comic books by the legendary Tadeusz Baranowski Adventure-seeking Diplodocus wants to add some colour to his life. His bog home is grey and dull. When his uneventful existence is disturbed by the appearance of a mysterious fog, he sets out on an unforgettable journey to find his lost family and restore his peace. With a clumsy wizard, a quirky professor, and a clever pilot, Diplodocus visits magical lands and discovers that their reality is actually a comic book page created by Ted, an artist going through a creative slump. 

A sequel of a hit – Too Old for Fairy Tales 2 (9–12; dir. Kristoffer Rus; Poland 2024)

This is a story about connection and seeking the truth – and a memorable holiday adventure. The famous gamer trio – Waldek, Staszek, and Delfina – must leave their laptops for a while. The esports pros are going to the mountains! What’s in store for them there? Hikes with Aunt Mariolka, watching the views, and tasting local delicacies. For Waldi, this is going to be a game-like quest: he wants to meet his father, who left years ago and apparently lives in the Tatra Mountains. Delfina is trying to hide the boy’s expedition from his mum, while he and Staszek set off on the trail. They meet a bear, an old shepherd, and an eccentric naturalist. Waldi will get what he wanted, but with a big surprise.

A humour-filled story – Basia. I Can Do This! (4–6; dir. Marcin Wasilewski, Łukasz Kacprowicz; Poland 2024)

The children’s favourite character from the popular books by Zofia Stanecka and Marianna Oklejak is back with her new film adventures. The clever 5-year-old girl, loved by all preschoolers, has captivated the audience with her positive vibe and bright outlook on life. Basia is a series full of warmth, fun, and children’s sensitivity. Basia is a feisty girl. She says what she thinks. She says what she feels. And she always hits the nail on the head! You can be in a good mood or in a bad mood. I am usually in a mixed mood. Basia is funny and cute. She loves jelly gums and animals. She dreams of having a dog. She also loves her friends, her brother, and her teddy bear, who is always at her side. 

A new take on a classic – Kleks Academy (8–12; dir. Maciej Kawulski; Poland 2024)

This is a magical story about a place where imagination can work miracles. Teenage Ada lives an ordinary life in New York. Everything changes on her birthday, when she is visited by Mateusz – half-man, half-bird. He invites her to a school of magic, headed by the eccentric Professor Ambroży Kleks. The girl joins a group of talented kids from all over the world to learn how to use the power of her imagination. Unfortunately, the Academy is attacked by a band of grim wolf-like creatures who are hunting down Mateusz. What do they want from him? Will Ada protect her school and her friends? The new adaptation of Kleks Academy is a nostalgic and colourful journey back to the Polish popular culture of the 1980s.

Other Polish films that will be screened as part of the festival programme are:

• Echo (12–∞; dir. Emi Buchwald; Poland 2023)
• Sister of Mine (16–∞; dir. Mariusz Rusiński; Poland 2023)
• Kitty Kotty at the Kindergarten (3–5; dir. Marta Stróżycka; Poland 2024) 
• I Love This Job (4–6; dir. Kasia Wilk, Arina Sizova; Poland 2024)
• The Treflix: Christmas Special (4–7; dir. Piotr Ficner; Poland 2024)
• Reksio (4–6; dir. Józef Ćwiertnia, Lechosław Marszałek, Halina Filek-Marszałek, Marian Cholerek, Edward Wątor; Poland) 

Society of Authors ZAiKS is Poland’s largest collective copyright management organisation and one of the largest patrons of art and culture in Poland. The organisation brings together creators of all types of art and music publishers. Every year, ZAiKS transfers to them due remuneration calculated in millions of zlotys. For over a hundred years, the Society has been building a world that values culture, creativity, and imagination.