Just as the Gdynia Film Festival prepares to celebrate its 50th edition (22-27 September), the milestone is marked with a series of anniversary programmes and nationwide initiatives under the “50 on 50” project. Joanna Łapińska, the festival’s artistic director, shares some insights on the jubilee exhibition, the commemorative album and the Perspectives Competition. She also reflects on the evolving landscape of Polish cinema, and explains how Gdynia is strengthening its role as both a national platform and an international window for filmmakers.

Cineuropa: The Gdynia Film Festival is celebrating its 50th edition this year. How are you approaching this anniversary, and what kinds of special programmes or curatorial choices will mark the occasion?
Joanna Łapińska: It’s a very important moment for us, which is why a wide range of events will refer to the anniversary this year. What we’d like to do is to take our audience through the past five decades and bring them closer to the history of the festival. In this spirit, we have prepared a jubilee exhibition which, in 12 modules, will tell people about the important and often difficult moments, the most important people, films, and behind-the-scenes stories of the festival. A similar formula, a non-chronological, broad narrative, will be used in the jubilee album, which will tell the story of the festival through 50 entries. And most importantly, we will celebrate with a large group of filmmakers, friends of the festival, the audience and the film community. Because the festival is about meetings, conversations and people, we wanted this to be strongly emphasised this year.

It is also worth mentioning that we are celebrating the festival's anniversary practically all year round. We have our “50 on 50” project, which happens from March to December in almost 60 cinemas in Poland, both in big cities and in small towns. Each of them hosts events related to the 50th anniversary of the festival. When we put it all together, we get a diverse, multi-voiced story about the festival and, more broadly, about Polish cinema and the shared history embedded in it.

You are now in your third year as artistic director. From your vantage point, how has Polish cinema been evolving during this period, both thematically and structurally, and in what directions do you believe it should develop?
It has been a time of diversity in Polish cinema – stylistic, thematic and generational. I’m particularly pleased with the expressive voices of young filmmakers of both feature and short fiction films, and their strong representation in the festival programme. This period has also seen a record number of submissions for our competitive sections. That’s why it was so important for me to create a second competition for feature films in order to complement the main competition programme. The Perspectives Competition is back for its second edition, allowing us to discuss the most interesting phenomena and the state of Polish cinema more broadly and deeply in Gdynia. Another important issue that comes up during each of these editions is the strong ties between Polish and international cinema – an element that is extremely important for the development of our industry.

Strengthening international ties is crucial for national film industries. How is Gdynia fostering international collaborations and positioning Polish cinema within the wider European and global context?
We are consistently and mindfully building strong international partnerships. This year, we’re once again joining forces with the European Film Academy, which will be reflected in both the film programme and the industry activities. The CICAE jury will once again be working at the festival. We are also preparing an event with FIPRESCI – at the festival's opening gala, Jerzy Skolimowski will receive the jubilee FIPRESCI 100 Lifetime Achievement Award, which commemorates their 100th anniversary. Also, this year, for the first time, we are joining forces with FestivalScope. The foreign industry and international perspective are present in the Gdynia Industry programme as well.

The industry programme has become an increasingly strategic part of the festival. What new initiatives or highlights are you introducing this year to support filmmakers and industry professionals?
Gdynia Industry is undoubtedly the driving force of the festival. We have prepared a strong programme of discussion panels that will address the most pressing industry issues – from financing, through support for reaching audiences after theatrical release, to issues of accessibility. We also devote a lot of space at Gdynia Industry to projects for emerging filmmakers, including Gdynia Campus, a full-day workshop for film-school students, and mentoring programmes involving one-on-one meetings with experienced professionals, which is a new addition to this year's edition, called Gdynia Pro.

Beyond the 50th edition, what is your long-term vision for Gdynia as a platform for Polish cinema, and how do you see its role in shaping not only national film culture, but also its international visibility?
I’m glad that we’re talking at a time when the festival is in good shape. It’s a good moment to emphasise how much has been achieved over the past three years. The event is a brand that is capable of working even harder outside the dates of the festival itself, both throughout Poland and on the international map. I see potential in increasing the presence of the foreign industry at the festival, as Gdynia can be an important platform for meeting Polish cinema. Over the last three years, we have been working on building a festival that is attentive and sensitive to the world around it. I would like it to remain that way.