For the 23rd time, students of the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School invite audiences to an international short film festival — the Węgiel Film Festival. This year, the event will take place in Katowice from 22 to 25 April. The festival is a student-run, industry-oriented event featuring an international competition of short films, aimed at young filmmakers who are at the beginning of their professional careers.
The artistic director of the 23rd edition is director Paweł Maślona. The festival will open with a screening at Kino Światowid, and the opening film will be the Cannes-awarded “Sirât” directed by Oliver Laxe.
This year’s competition will feature over 20 short films from around the world. The productions will be evaluated by a jury composed of Joanna Łapińska, director Kuba Czekaj, and editor Magdalena Chowańska. The programme also includes a panel discussion dedicated to whether there is space for short films and young creators at major festivals. The conversation will feature Joanna Łapińska (FPFF) and Bartek Pulcyn (WFF). The festival will also be accompanied by a series of workshops aimed at people planning their film debuts, both short and feature-length.
The Węgiel Film Festival is a space for industry networking, showcasing new talent, and exchanging experience between students, young filmmakers, and film professionals. Admission to festival events is open to the public. The opening film screening is by invitation only — interested individuals can register at: wff@us.edu.pl.
The 23rd Węgiel Film Festival is organised by students of the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia, the Artifices Artificibus Association, and is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Cultural Promotion Fund and the Polish Film Institute.
