Film Fund: Our Film Earns Five International Festival Nominations

Sebastian Kwidziński’s film Mother has received its fifth nomination at the Independent Shorts Awards, an international film festival that will take place on September 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. The film will compete in the following categories: Best Student Short, Best Student Male Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Young Actor. The production was co-financed by the Kujawy Pomorze Film Fund.

Mother “Matka” marks an important milestone in Sebastian Kwidziński’s artistic journey. The film’s director, screenwriter, and editor is a graduate of both Wajda School and the Warsaw Film School, where he studied film directing. Mother “Matka” was created as his graduation film at the Warsaw Film School. Filming took place in Toruń and the Osie municipality, among other locations. The project is another example of a production demonstrating that the region can serve not only as a filming location but also as an important hub for emerging filmmakers and auteur cinema.

There are stories in which returning home does not mean returning to normality. On the contrary, it can become the beginning of a confrontation with the past, guilt, and the consequences of decisions that can no longer be undone. This is precisely the story of Mother “Matka”, Sebastian Kwidziński’s 29-minute narrative short film, which explores an attempt to rebuild the relationship between a woman and her eleven-year-old son.

Paulina is 35 years old. After serving a six-year prison sentence, she returns to her hometown. The main reason for her return is her desire to reunite with her son, Nikodem. However, the boy is in the care of Jadwiga, the mother of Andrzej – Paulina’s late husband. Her mother-in-law refuses to allow the meeting. Still grieving the loss of her son, she is unable to forgive Paulina for what happened.

The role of Paulina is played by Magdalena Maścianica, whose performance earned her a Special Acting Award at the Tony Curtis International Film Festival in 2025. Maria Pakulnis portrays Jadwiga.

The film has already received numerous accolades, including the Cinema Without Borders Special Award at the Los Angeles Polish Film Festival. It has also been selected for Euroshorts and the Zoom Zbliżenia Film Festival. The production has continued to collect further recognition: Magdalena Maścianica was honored for her performance at the Tony Curtis International Film Festival, while the film itself received awards at the Złoty Samorodek  Dolnośląskie Film Festival and at the Fresco International Film Festival in Armenia, where it was recognized for its powerful message about motherhood.

Still from a movie Mother "Matka"

Department of Promotion
Paweł Jankowski

August 19, 2026