The Last Three Days of Spektrum!

We’re entering the final three days of the 11th Spektrum Film Festival! What can’t you miss in Świdnica during this festival weekend? The audience can look forward to films, Q&As with filmmakers, and even a trip to the Vesmir Cinema in Trutnov, Czech Republic.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24

Screening of Loss of Balanceand Q&A with director Korek Bojanowski and actress Nel Kaczmarek

Loss of Balance marks the feature debut of Korek Bojanowski, starring Nel Kaczmarek in the leading role. The film, which won four awards at the 2024 Gdynia Film Festival, follows a group of acting students preparing their graduation play under the guidance of a charismatic, passionate director. It’s a story about ambition, dreams, and boundaries — both artistic and moral — exploring the timely issues of abuse in art schools, creative pressure, and the ethical limits of art itself.

Special screening: VHS Hell – Ator (dir. Joe D’Amato)

Since 2010, the VHS Hell collective has been archiving and celebrating the Polish VHS era and the wild world of 80s and 90s pop culture. They’re bringing their flagship event to Świdnica: a screening of a cult B-movie with a live, improvised voiceover — making it even funnier. This year’s pick is Ator, one of the most hilariously bizarre titles from the “conansploitation” wave inspired by Conan the Barbarian.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

Screening of Growing Down(dir. Bálint Dániel Sós)

Growing Down is one of the standout titles from Berlinale’s Perspectives section — a gripping Hungarian debut that blends moral drama with thriller elements. When a tragic accident forces Sándor to choose between protecting his son or telling the truth, he faces a profound moral dilemma. Sós turns everyday parental struggles into modern Greek tragedy, exploring the fragile balance between love, trust, and moral responsibility.

Awards Gala and screening of The Queen and the Smokehouse(dir. Iga Lis)

Saturday night will bring the Awards Gala for the The Youth Perspective Competitions — Fiction, Animation, Documentary, and Amateur — as well as the Audience Award in the 1,2 Competition. The ceremony will conclude with a screening of The Queen and the Smokehouse, a documentary by Iga Lis. The film offers a bittersweet and warmly humorous portrait of Miecia, a woman who’s spent her life caring for others and is now rediscovering herself. Miecia has been running a beloved fish smokehouse in Łeba for over 40 years. After the screening, join the evening party at Klub Bolko featuring bingo games and a DJ set.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26

On the festival’s final day, Świdnica’s audience will head to Trutnov!

Festival buses will take film lovers from Świdnica to the Vesmir Cinema in Trutnov, where they’ll enjoy a screening of Franz Kafka — Agnieszka Holland’s Silver Lions–winning film from this year’s Gdynia Festival. Sign up for the trip at the Festival Center (I Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Świdnica). Tickets for the screening can be purchased at the Vesmir Cinema (free for festival pass holders).