12/05/2025 - Love Letters, Lessons from "Chemistry", Closure and Becoming Christine Granville have emerged as the main winners of the fourth edition of the Polish industry event

The fourth edition of MDAG Industry, held from 8-12 May during the 22nd Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival, served as a key hub for connecting Polish filmmakers with international festival programmers, distributors, producers and sales agents. On Sunday 11 May, the edition drew to a close with an awards ceremony hosted in Kino Kultura, Warsaw.

Anna Szczypińska, head of MDAG Industry, stated: “This year’s MDAG Industry featured four pitching sessions, 42 projects and over 340 one-on-one meetings. Thank you to all participants, partners, mentors, experts, decision makers and our audience – it is thanks to you that MDAG Industry continues to grow in an atmosphere of freedom, creativity and inclusion. We’re proud to support these outstanding projects at every stage of their journey. With such bold voices and powerful stories, we truly believe the films developed here will resonate with audiences around the world.”

Love Letters, a project directed by Paweł Ziemilski, received the Canal+ Poland Main Award, worth €3,000. Set in Verona’s Juliet Club, where for over 50 years people from around the world have sent letters of longing, heartbreak and hope, the film intertwines the lives of present-day Erasmus students with the wisdom of the club’s longtime secretaries. It blends archival letters with contemporary stories to explore how love evolves across generations. Presented among ten projects in the Progress Pitching Session, it is being produced by Alicja Gancarz, Paweł Ziemilski and Mateusz Wajda for MX35 Wajda Ziemilski sp j. Love Letters also won the Visioni dal Mondo Award, which includes an accreditation and participation in the Visioni dal Mondo pitching forum in Milan this September.

The Polish Filmmakers Association awarded its cash prize, valued at 10,000 PLN (€2,300), to Lessons from "Chemistry", directed by Magda Grudniewska. The documentary follows Belarusian activist Levon, who lost everything in his home country and, after emigrating to Poland, is trying to rebuild his life and repair his relationship with his family. The film is being produced by Karol Zagórski and Konrad Zagórski for ZIZUFilms Sp z oo.

Furthermore, the SMAKJAM Award, which includes a colour-grading service valued at 15,000 PLN (€3,500), was presented to Closure, directed by Michał Marczak. The film follows Daniel, who tirelessly searches the Vistula River after his 16-year-old son vanishes from a Warsaw bridge. As his wife clings to hope, Daniel fears a darker outcome. The project is being produced by Monika Braid for Braidmade Films.

Soundmind awarded its prize, comprising sound post-production services valued at 10,000 PLN (€2,300), to Becoming Christine Granville, directed by Sylwia Rosak. The film centres on the reconstruction of Krystyna Skarbek’s final moments as a way to explore the identity behind the legendary spy. As an actress is cast to portray her, the preparation process gradually transforms into a personal investigation. The project is being produced by Justyna Kluczewska and Maciej Ostatek for Raban.

The best project presented in the Short Pitch Programme, organised by Millennium Docs Against Gravity and the Institute of Documentary Film, was deemed to be Eyelashes and Sand Crystals by Daryna Mamaisur. The film explores the "herbarium in exile" – a rare botanical collection evacuated from Kherson to Ivano-Frankivsk – and the dedication of scientists who continue their work despite displacement. Produced by Olha Tuharinova, the project won the Silver Eye Award, which includes festival distribution support through East Silver Caravan.

Finally, the Andrzej Wajda Centre for Film Culture organised the sixth Documentary Film Forum for Young Audiences, where the Best Project from Millennium Docs Against Gravity was judged to be Spiky Stories, directed by Maciej Gryzełko; Best Project from the LET’S DOC Festival was How to Get a Whale’s Tooth, directed by Ignacy Ziarkiewicz; and Best Project from the Polish Filmmakers Association was Stay Toxic, helmed by Paweł Olearczyk.

MDAG was organised in cooperation with Canal+ Poland and was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. Its development is supported by the MEDIA strand of Creative Europe.

Here is the full list of award winners at the fourth MDAG Industry:

Progress Pitching Session

CANAL+ Poland Main Award
Love Letters – Paweł Ziemilski (Poland)
Producers: Alicja Gancarz, Paweł Ziemilski, Mateusz Wajda (MX35 Wajda Ziemilski sp j)

Polish Filmmakers Association Award
Lessons from "Chemistry" – Magda Grudniewska (Poland)
Producers: Karol Zagórski, Konrad Zagórski (ZIZUFilms Sp z oo)

SMAKJAM Award
Closure – Michał Marczak (Poland)
Producer: Monika Braid (Braidmade Films)

Soundmind Award
Becoming Christine Granville – Sylwia Rosak (Poland)
Producers: Justyna Kluczewska, Maciek Ostatek (Raban)

Visioni Dal Mondo Award
Love Letters – Paweł Ziemilski

Short Pitch Programme awards

Silver Eye Award
Eyelashes and Sand Crystals – Daryna Mamaisur (Ukraine)
Producer: Olha Tuharinova (Kshtalt Productions)

Sixth Documentary Film Forum for Young Audiences

Millennium Docs Against Gravity Award for Best Project
Spiky Stories - Maciej Gryzełko (Poland)

LET'S DOC Award for Best Project
How to Get a Whale’s Tooth - Ignacy Ziarkiewicz (Poland)

Polish Filmmakers Association Award for Best Project
Stay Toxic - Paweł Olearczyk (Poland)