Film Fund: Our Films at BellaTOFIFEST

The 24th edition of BellaTOFIFEST will take place in Toruń from 27 June to 3 July. The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region Government is the festival’s main partner. This year’s theme is inspired by Terry Gilliam’s film 12 Monkeys. Screenings will be held at the Jordanki Cultural and Congress Centre, Cinema City, the Artus Court Cultural Centre, and the open-air cinema. Film enthusiasts will have an opportunity to watch a number of productions supported by the Kujawy and Pomorze Film Fund.

Fifteen films will compete for the Golden Angel Award in the From Poland competition at BellaTOFIFEST 2026, including three productions supported by our Film Fund.

On the second day of the festival, The Road Less Travelled, the directorial debut of Zuzanna Grabowska, will have its premiere. The film was shot in our region, in Górzno and Szubin. Julia (Zuzanna Grabowska) and Weronika (Agata Wątróbska), once inseparable friends, have not spoken to each other for three years. They reunite to attend the funeral of Karolina, whose unexpected death becomes the starting point for a journey full of twists and turns. What was meant to be a brief meeting soon turns into a series of unfortunate yet humorous events that force the former friends to confront their past, their emotions, and difficult life choices. Supporting roles are played by Andrzej Grabowski, Janusz Chabior, Mirosław Zbrojewicz, and Paweł Domagała.

Also entered into the competition is one of the most acclaimed Polish films of recent years, Wojciech Smarzowski’s The Good Home, which has already received numerous awards. Seen by nearly 2.5 million cinema-goers, the film won five Polish Film Awards (Eagles) 2026, including Best Film. Smarzowski received the Eagle for Best Director, Agata Turkot and Tomasz Schuchardt were honoured for their leading performances, and Mikołaj Trzaska won for Best Original Score.

The third Film Fund-supported production competing in the From Poland section is Maciej Cuske’s documentary Candidates for Death. The Bydgoszcz-based filmmaker worked on the project for almost two decades. The story begins with a holiday trip years ago, when Cuske took his son Staś and two of his friends on vacation and suggested making an amateur horror film to pull them away from their computer screens. Over time, the summer pastime evolved into a long-term creative ritual, and the documentary became a record of growing up, relationships, and personal transformation.

In addition to the competition titles, festival audiences will be able to see five more productions supported by the Kujawy and Pomorze Film Fund, including both feature films and documentaries.

The first two are works by filmmakers from the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region. The first, The Gingerbread Women, directed by Ryszard Kruk, had its pre-premiere screening just a month ago. The documentary tells the story of the gingerbread-making tradition of Toruń and beyond from a female perspective. The film follows a growing herstory trend, giving voice to women who preserve, develop, and promote the centuries-old heritage associated with Toruń gingerbread. Kruk chose to focus on women scientists, museum professionals, craftswomen, entrepreneurs, and members of rural women’s associations. They are united by a shared passion for tradition and their commitment to securing UNESCO recognition for Toruń gingerbread.

Three Songs marks the feature-length debut of Bydgoszcz director Krzysztof Nowicki. The film follows members of the Black Dwarf Choir of Bydgoszcz, individuals facing various personal challenges and crises who find support, energy, and a sense of community through singing. The documentary highlights the power of human relationships and the therapeutic dimension of music. Three Songs premiered internationally in June 2026 and received a distinction at the 45th “Youth and Film” Debut Film Festival in Koszalin.

The remaining three productions presented at BellaTOFIFEST are already familiar to festival audiences. Good Boy is the latest film and the first English-language feature by Jan Komasa, which has received enthusiastic reviews in the United States. The thriller was produced in cooperation with the Kujawy and Pomorze Film Fund.

Chopin! Chopin! by Michał Kwieciński takes viewers to Paris in the 1830s. Twenty-five-year-old Chopin (Eryk Kulm) becomes a favourite of Parisian salons and the King of France. While enjoying the pleasures of life, he also struggles with worsening tuberculosis and personal dilemmas.

The third title, Seasons, has the strongest connection to our region. Director Michał Grzybowski filmed the production in Toruń, including scenes shot at the Wilam Horzyca Theatre.

Festival-goers should also look out for another noteworthy title. In Łukasz Palkowski’s latest film, The Duel, three actors from Toruń appear on screen: Jakub Gierszał, Bogusław Linda, and Krystian Pesta.

Promotion Department
Paweł Jankowski

23 June 2026