Polish Film Academy at the “Niebieski Kocyk” Cinema in Toruń

Toruń has joined the Polish cities hosting the Polish Film Academy programme organised by the National Film Archive. The screenings and lectures take place on Tuesdays at the “Niebieski Kocyk” student cinema on Gagarina Street.

“The Polish Film Academy is a nationwide educational programme designed to promote knowledge of the history of Polish cinema. It is run by the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute. Its core component is APF Fabuła, a course on the history of Polish feature films, which was launched in 2009. The classes are taught by leading film scholars from academic institutions across the country. Each session combines an academic lecture with a film screening, showcasing the achievements of Polish cinema through a wide range of filmmakers, genres and themes,” the organisers explain.

In the 2026/2027 academic year, the Polish Film Academy is visiting Toruń for the first time. The theme of the first semester, “In Search of Identity: Polish Cinema up to 1956,” focuses on the development of cinema in Polish lands, from pioneering productions to the first works of the Polish Film School.

The inaugural APF session took place on 6 October at the “Niebieski Kocyk” student cinema at the Od Nowa Academic Cultural and Arts Centre (ACKiS). Audiences watched two films: The History of Cinema in Popielawy, directed by Jan Jakub Kolski, and Prussian Culture, a 1908 film by Mojżesz Towbin. They also attended a lecture by Dr Sylwia Kołos of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

The next session is scheduled for 13 October. The programme features screenings of two silent films: The Beast (1917), directed by Aleksander Hertz and starring Pola Negri, and The Miracle on the Vistula (1921), a war drama directed by Ryszard Bolesławski. The latter is set in 1919 – 1920, against the backdrop of the Polish – Soviet War.

It is worth noting that The Beast is the only surviving complete film featuring Pola Negri that was made in Poland. In the years that followed, the actress, who was born in Lipno, went on to achieve international success in Germany before becoming a star in Hollywood, the legendary “dream factory.”

Read also: Pola Negri Had Great Talent and Charisma

The event begins at 7:15 p.m. Following the screening, a lecture will be delivered by Dr Habil. Mariusz Guzek of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz.

See the Polish Film Academy programme in Toruń

Dariusz Czołgowski
Department of Promotion

8 October 2026