The festival’s first New York screening featured “Chopin, Chopin”, directed by Michał Kwieciński, setting a strong tone for the celebrations.
Zygmunt Rygiel, founder of PFFNA and a long-time distributor of Polish films in the U.S., explained that the idea for the festival grew out of a need to preserve and strengthen Polish film presence across North America.
"For 30 years, I've worked in entertainment and film distribution. I might be the only distributor of Polish films in the United States, and partly in Canada as well," Rygiel told PAP. "In recent years, especially after COVID, I noticed many festivals across various cities beginning to decline or disappear entirely. It seemed the only way to keep this alive was to create a festival that would initially connect several major cities with strong Polish communities… and then grow from there."
The first edition has launched with an impressive lineup. Alongside "Chopin, Chopin," audiences will see Agnieszka Holland’s "Franz Kafka," Wojciech Smarzowski’s "Dom Dobry," and many more. In total, 30 films are included in the program.
The festival began on November 7 in Chicago and will continue to Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, and finally Hollywood, California.
The launch of PFFNA marks a significant effort to expand the reach of Polish cinema across North America, offering audiences a diverse and powerful selection of contemporary Polish filmmaking.