The Script Fiesta (25-29 March) has announced the winners of its 14th edition, once again reaffirming its position as Poland’s only film festival dedicated exclusively to screenwriting. Held at Warsaw’s Elektronik cinema, the event gathered industry professionals and audiences for a programme of screenings, discussions and meetings centred on the craft of writing for the screen.

The main competition jury, composed of filmmaker and producer Maciej Ślesicki, screenwriter Michał A Zieliński, director and screenwriter Maria Zbąska, Academy Award-winning production designer Allan Starski, director and screenwriter Anna Kazejak, novelist Łukasz Orbitowski, and actor and musician Piotr Rogucki, granted the Best Produced Screenplay Award, accompanied by PLN 50,000 (approximately €11,650), to Mary Tamkovich for Under the Grey Sky.

The script, which marks the director’s feature debut, follows a journalist arrested after livestreaming protests in Belarus and draws inspiration from real events surrounding the repression of independent media following the 2020 elections. The film premiered internationally at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In the festival’s competition for TV series concepts, the jury comprising producer Izabela Łopuch, director and screenwriter Kinga Dębska, and actor Michał Sikorski awarded the PLN 20,000 (€4,650) prize to Jarosław Murawski for Neptun. Special Mentions were given to Polaczek by Daniel Sołtysiński, Posucha by Hubert Napierała and Wielki Mistrz Ulrich by Łukasz Wasilewski.

The Audience Award for Best Music Video Screenplay, presented during the festival’s Music Video Night, curated by Katarzyna Rodek and accompanied by a PLN 3,000 (€700) prize, went to Julia Pośnik, Dima Zinych and Bartek Kwapiński for Warszawska fantazja.

Meanwhile, the “Your Screenplay on the Big Screen” competition, organised in collaboration with Movies Room, was won by Zofia Węgrzyn for her project One More Time. The award includes a PLN 3,000 prize and the production of a short film based on the winning script, to be directed by Tomasz Rewers.

As part of a tradition introduced in 2022, Script Fiesta also awarded honorary cinema seats at the Elektronik cinema to figures recognised for their contribution to Polish cinema and the development of the film community. This year’s recipients included filmmakers Magdalena Łazarkiewicz, Janusz Kijowski and Janusz Zaorski, alongside Mary Tamkovich. Additional honours went to documentary filmmaker and Warsaw Film School vice-rector Barbara Pawłowska, and Polish Film Institute director Kamila Dorbach. A special seat was also auctioned off for charity in support of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP); Tomasz Rewers made the winning bid.

Script Fiesta is organised by the Warsaw Film School. The event is co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Polish Film Institute and the City of Warsaw. The partner of the event is the Mazowieckie Voivodeship Self-Government.

Here is the list of winners of the 14th Script Fiesta:

Best Produced Screenplay
Under the Grey Sky - Mary Tamkovich (Poland)

TV Series Concept Competition
Neptun - Jarosław Murawski (Poland)

Special Mentions (TV Series Concept Competition)
Polaczek - Daniel Sołtysiński (Poland)
Posucha - Hubert Napierała (Poland)
Wielki Mistrz Ulrich - Łukasz Wasilewski (Poland)

Best Music Video Screenplay (Audience Award)
Warszawska fantazja - Julia Pośnik, Dima Zinych, Bartek Kwapiński (Poland)

Your Screenplay on the Big Screen
One More Time - Zofia Węgrzyn (Poland)