Oh what a year it was!

During last year’s edition of Play Poland Film Festival (PPFF) we were almost hoping that the World would take a deep breath, scratch its head and get back on the right track… How naive! Leaving one crisis we stepped into another one and we keep tumbling around with more questions than answers filling our heads. Paraphrasing one Polish classic writer: Quo vadis, homine?

​

Let’s see this year’s edition of Play Poland Film Festival as a signpost or at least a serious attempt at creating one. In the comfort of your home (yes, the Festival will take on a virtual form this year) let us all think about the ideas presented by film creators and about their interpretation of the reality that surrounds us. Let’s navigate through dense layers of the present, constantly providing screenwriters and directors with new ideas, let us have a look into the past in search for universal values as well as into the future – as seen by the Polish artists – becomes alive with fascinating shapes and colours.
 
Just as it has happened so many times before – Poland’s placement on the map makes Polish film-makers’ voices very valuable, especially in the context of current political affairs. This year those voices should be amplified as they describe and interpret events that are key for the future world order. PPFF 2022 gathers the most valuable films that take a wide range of issues as their starting point: from social pressure to confronting small town hopelessness to human interaction with nature to exploring the possibility of a rebellion against the state tightening its grip on its citizens… And many other issues to which a modern sensitive person simply cannot stay indifferent.
 
We provide you with four categories, representing four different Polish film schools: Krzysztof Kieslowski Film School, Wajda School and Studio, Lodz Film School and Warsaw Film School, and addin a fifth one – Focus on Ukraine – that not only covers films dealing with ongoing war reality but also an exhibition: „Gardens of Sadness” by Kateryna Lysovenko, created after the artist fled besieged Kiev.
 
As the situation of cultural institutions in Scotland remains delicate – this year’s edition of Play Poland Festival will take place in cyberspace http://www.theblob.studio/vod being the best possible option to share the riches of the Polish film industry.
 
We also invite all visual content creators to participate in a unique prized competition http://www.theblob.studio/ai – together with you we want to face the new phenomenon, consequences of which may forever redefine the notions of the artist, the work of art and its authorship – AI generated art. Who knows where this new tool will lead us? What future awaits in the face of this Artificial Intelligence revolution happening as we speak?

Let Play Poland Film Festival take you on a journey through the worlds created by Polish artists. Let us join forces in figuring out where we are all heading – quo vadis?