The third edition of Pop Up Film Residency Visegrad wrapped this week in Wrocław during the New Horizons Polish Days industry event. The programme, which ran from 4-25 July, first in Warsaw and then in Wrocław, previously unspooled in Bratislava in 2021 and in Budapest in 2022. The initiative, spearheaded by Tatino Films and directed by Matthieu Darras, featured the collaboration of Polish producer Iza Igel and was coordinated by fellow Polish producer Marta Lewandowska.

The Pop Up Film Residency Visegrad is a rotating programme that welcomes emerging filmmakers from Central Europe and Ukraine. It offers a three-week creative haven to talented filmmakers from the four Visegrad countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). This year marked a new milestone, as the residency expanded its scope to include a project from Ukraine. Designed to cater to the unique needs of each feature-film project, the event provided mentoring from renowned script consultants, directors and producers.

Participants were selected through partnerships with leading film events in each country, including the Karlovy Vary IFF's Eastern Promises Industry Days platform in the Czech Republic, Febiofest Bratislava in Slovakia, the Budapest Debut Film Forum in Hungary, the Terrarium Platform for Scriptwriters in Ukraine and the New Horizons Film Festival in Poland. The residency concluded in Wrocław during the New Horizons Film Festival, where the five feature-film projects were presented as part of the Polish Days.

Against the Grain (Poland) by Katarzyna Trzaska delves into the life of Gaba, a nail specialist residing in the city of Łódź. Her days revolve around tending to clients at the beauty salon, and spending time with her working-class family and friends. However, her life takes a transformative turn when she crosses paths with Zocha, a radical feminist activist hailing from a wealthy background. Zocha is determined to bring about positive change in the world, and their encounter sets the stage for a captivating story of personal and societal evolution.

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf (Czech Republic/Slovakia) by Terézia Halamová, produced by Natalia Pavlove, vividly portrays the wild journey of 25-year-old Rudo and four other male strippers as they embark on their annual tour through the Czech Republic, passing through Poland and Slovakia. Their busy nightly performances are juxtaposed with the mundane reality of the small towns they encounter along the way. Amidst wild parties, Christian kitsch and rampant drug abuse, the film explores the fundamental question: why can't a man find happiness from the moment he wakes up until he falls asleep?

Lady Sunshine (Hungary) by Anna Korom, co-written by András Soós and produced by Anna Szijártó, follows the story of Mária, a reclusive beautician who spends all of her money on plastic surgery. She resides and works in a run-down district of Budapest. One day, she appears on a talent show on TV and unexpectedly reunites with the love of her youth, Kálmán. However, he fails to recognise her. Desperate to avoid exposure, she becomes increasingly obsessed with undergoing more surgery, which only brings her closer to the risk of being revealed.

Mother (Ukraine) by Alina Matochkina is set in 2016 in Kyiv. Lidia relocated to the capital seven years ago from a provincial town in eastern Ukraine, where her parents still reside. Her relationship with her mother is highly complex – they struggle to accept each other's lifestyles, communicate in different languages and only see each other on New Year's Eve. This strained relationship takes a toll on Lidia's self-acceptance and self-actualisation. Seeking improvement, she turns to psychology podcasts for guidance in dealing with her mother. Through a new acquaintance, Lidia discovers that the key to changing the situation lies not in altering her relationship with her mum, but in transforming her own attitude towards her. Now, Lidia must undergo a personal reboot.

Finally, My World Upside Down (Slovakia) by Daniel Rihak, co-written by Peter Gašparík and Ján Štiffel, and produced by Martina Saková, is a comedy centring on 12-year-old Miško, an altar boy from a small, conservative village in Slovakia. Miško faces a complicated problem as he yearns to be like his older brother Lukáš – big, strong and rational. However, he remains small and naive, and harbours a secret crush on his brother's girlfriend, Linda. In his attempts to impress her, a misunderstanding occurs, leading the entire village to assume that Miško is gay. Desperate to clear his name, Miško's efforts to dispel the accusation prove futile as nobody wants to interact with him or even talk to him any more. The only companion left for him is Jesus. Together, they embark on a journey to overcome the prejudices and misconceptions that have engulfed the village.

The mentors for this edition were well-known figures in the regional film industry. Among them were Polish directors Anna Jadowska (Woman on the Roof [+lee también:
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entrevista: Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk
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entrevista: Marija Kavtaradze
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The Pop Up Film Residency Visegrad is supported by the International Visegrad Fund, Eurimages, the Mazovia Film Commission and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.