Wojciech Smarzowski and his dark, disquieting drama about domestic violence, Home Sweet Home, have emerged as the big winners of the 26th Polish Film Awards, aka the Eagles. When the winning names in the final categories – Best Actor (Tomasz Schuchardt), Best Actress (Agata Turkot), Best Director (Wojciech Smarzowski), Best Film and Best Music (Mikołaj Trzaska) – were announced, the audience reacted with a huge round of applause. The film stoked a nationwide debate about the abuse of women, was a box-office hit and proved to be the most popular local title of 2025 (see the news).

Smarzowski is a very popular figure in the industry, and both leading performances were highly praised by the audience and critics alike, garnering many accolades – including a shared one for Turkot and Schuchardt at the Warsaw Film Festival, where Home Sweet Home was shown in the International Competition. There is an additional context to this enthusiasm: the film won nothing at the previously held 50th Polish Film Festival, which many deemed unfair. Traditionally, the Polish Film Awards are considered by part of the industry to be a form of compensation for being overlooked by the festival’s jury. In his acceptance speech, Smarzowski announced that he was currently working on a project about the Slavs.

One of the other main winners of the night was Chopin, A Sonata in Paris, which snagged four Eagles in the “aesthetic categories”: Best Costumes (Magdalena Biedrzycka and Justyna Stolarz), Best Production Design (Katarzyna Sobańska and Marcel Sławiński), Best Make-up (Dariusz Krysiak) and Best Sound (Marcin Matlak, Marcin Kasiński and Filip Krzemień). The Altar Boys [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Piotr Domalewski
scheda film] took home Best Screenplay (Piotr Domalewski) and the Audience Award, while the Polish Oscar entry, Agnieszka Holland’s Franz [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Agnieszka Holland
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intervista: Maciej J. Drygas
scheda film] went home clutching awards in the same categories as it did at the Amsterdam-based event: Best Documentary (Maciej J Drygas) and Best Editing (Rafał Listopad). Actor Andrzej Konopka, who was also hosting the show and is well known for his theatre and cabaret persona, pocketed Best Actor in a Supporting Role for LARP. No Ghosts on Good Street [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], the impressive debut by Emi Buchwald, which opens locally on 13 March after screening at Kino Pavasaris in Vilnius, left with two Eagles: Discovery of the Year for the director and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Karolina Rzepa).

Sirāt [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Óliver Laxe
intervista: Sergi López
scheda film] by Oliver Laxe was given the title of Best European Film, while veteran Polish actress Krystyna Janda, who won a Palme d’Or in 1990 for her performance in Ryszard Bugajski’s Interrogation and is most widely known for working with Andrzej Wajda, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Film
Home Sweet Home - Wojciech Smarzowski (Poland)

Best Director
Wojciech Smarzowski – Home Sweet Home

Best Screenplay 
Piotr Domalewski – The Altar Boys [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (Poland)

Best Actress 
Agata Turkot – Home Sweet Home

Best Actor
Tomasz Schuchardt – Home Sweet Home

Best Supporting Actress 
Karolina Rzepa – No Ghosts on Good Street [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (Poland)

Best Supporting Actor 
Andrzej Konopka – LARP (Poland)

Best Sound 
Marcin Matlak, Marcin Kasiński, Filip Krzemień – Chopin, A Sonata in Paris (Poland)

Best Cinematography 
Tomasz Naumiuk – Franz [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Agnieszka Holland
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Best Editing
Rafał Listopad – Trains [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Maciej J. Drygas
scheda film] (Poland)

Best Music 
Mikołaj Trzaska – Home Sweet Home

Best Costumes
Magdalena Biedrzycka, Justyna Stolarz – Chopin, A Sonata in Paris

Best Make-up
Dariusz Krysiak – Chopin, A Sonata in Paris

Best Production Design 
Katarzyna Sobańska, Marcel Sławiński – Chopin, A Sonata in Paris

Audience Award 
The Altar Boys - Piotr Domalewski

Best Documentary 
Trains – Maciej J Drygas

Discovery of the Year
Emi Buchwald – director of No Ghosts on Good Street

Lifetime Achievement Award
Krystyna Janda

Best European Film ​
Sirāt [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Óliver Laxe
intervista: Sergi López
scheda film] – Oliver Laxe (France/Spain)

Best TV Series
Heweliusz – Jan Holoubek (Poland)