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Polish director honoured at Fantastic Fest in the US

25.09.2025 13:45
Polish filmmaker Bartosz M. Kowalski has been named Best Director at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, an annual gathering of genre film enthusiasts from around the world.
Bartosz M. Kowalski
Bartosz M. KowalskiPhoto: Polish Radio/PR2

Kowalski was praised for his latest movie, 13 Days Till Summer, a horror story in which a teenagers’ party turns into a fight for survival.

The film received rave reviews, with Eventive’s critic Annick Mahnert describing it as “a gripping tale of teenagers stalked by a relentless killer while simultaneously confronting deeper questions about violence and the forces that drive it.”

She added: “The result is a powerful slasher that both thrills and provokes, cementing Kowalski’s place as one of the most compelling Polish genre filmmakers in recent years.”

🥁 ... the results are in! Huge shout out to our Fantastic Fest MAIN COMPETITION Winners! 🏆 Best Picture: THE PLAGUE,...

Opublikowany przez Fantastic Fest Wtorek, 23 września 2025

Grant Wilson wrote on fictionmachine.com: “This is not 1980s America, mind you, but 2020s Poland. Director Bartosz M. Kowalski has crafted a self-aware, knowing work of pastiche that not only echoes and replicates elements of the genre but also incorporates many aspects of post-1980s horror film.”

Polish slasher flick 13 Days Till Summer (2025) is having its international premiere at Fantastic Fest. It's a...

Opublikowany przez FictionMachine Sobota, 20 września 2025

Kowalski, 40, studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles and at the École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation in Paris. His credits include documentaries My Will and Unstoppables, and feature films Playground and Night Silence.

Fot. Cezary Stolecki

Opublikowany przez Bartosza M. Kowalskiego Poniedziałek, 23 marca 2020

(mk/mp)