Among these, 23 are world premieres, with the festival bringing to screen a mix of feature-length, short films, and intriguing documentaries.
Opening the main competition is Uśmiech losu (Song of Goats), directed by renowned Polish filmmaker Andrzej Jakimowski.
The film narrates a tale of a young man from the Silesian region of Poland who journeys to a Greek island, having inherited a piece of land there. His romantic entanglement with a local woman, however, is shrouded in looming threats tied to unseen natural forces.
The festival's director, Stefan Laudyn, has highlighted Jakimowski's persistent theme: the dangers that humanity poses to its own existence.
Another opening feature is the short film Murale (Murals) by Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro. This artistic project offers a visual confrontation with war's ravages in Ukraine, focusing on artworks left by street artist Banksy amidst the ruins of homes and infrastructure.
The festival will conclude with Niezwyciężony (Defiant) by director Karim Amer, a documentary that chronicles a journey through war-torn Ukraine.
Laudyn emphasized the festival's stance on the ongoing war, noting, "As long as the war continues, we won't showcase any Russian films, and we will strive to present as many Ukrainian films as possible."
This year, the festival received a staggering 4,800 film submissions from 111 countries. Of these, 77 full-length films and 61 short films were chosen.
Laudyn emphasized the uniqueness of the annual event, saying, "We pay significant attention to the status of films showcased at the Warsaw Film Festival, as there are few festivals worldwide that present world premieres."
The festival will run from October 6 to 15, with screenings at the iconic Atlantic cinema and the audience-friendly Multikino Złote Tarasy venue.
The Warsaw International Film Festival is one of Poland's prominent film festivals, held annually in various forms since the mid-1980s, and attracting both local and international audiences.
For more details on the film lineup and ticketing, readers can visit the official festival website at www.wff.pl.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP