Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Art of Acting for Jan Englert

The name of this year’s recipient of the Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of Acting is likely familiar to most Poles. Jan Englert is one of Poland’s most distinguished stage and screen actors, as well as a director, educator and Professor of Theatre Arts. His performances, from dramatic roles in Katyn and The Columbuses to his portrayal in Soccer Poker or comic turn in Marriage Comedy, have left a lasting impression on audiences. We are delighted to honour him at this year’s ToruńCAMERIMAGE.

Jan Englert, Photo by: Aleksander Salski

He studied at the Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Higher School of Theatre in Warsaw, graduating from its Acting Department in 1964. He remained closely associated with the institution for decades as a lecturer. From 1981 to 1987, he served as Dean of the Acting Department, before holding the position of Rector for four terms, from 1987 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 2002. In 1989, he was awarded the academic title of Professor of Theatre Arts. He has taught generations of artists, profoundly influencing acting education in Poland.

Englert began his career remarkably early, making his screen debut as a teenager in Andrzej Wajda’s Kanal (1957), playing a young messenger known as ‘Zefir’. He later worked with Wajda again on Katyn, Sweet Rush and a segment of the anthology film Love at Twenty. Over more than six decades, he has built an extensive body of work spanning numerous memorable roles. His theatre career included engagements at Warsaw’s Teatr Współczesny (1964–1981) and Teatr Polski (1964–1969, 1981–1994), while he was a member of the National Theatre ensemble from 1997 to 2003. Among his most notable screen performances are roles in Kazimierz Kutz’s Silesian dramas Salt of the Black Earth and Pearl in the Crown, as well as productions such as The Columbuses, Nights and Days, Doctor Judym, Operation Arsenal and the cult television series Dom. He is also widely remembered for his memorable comic portrayal of Senator Lipski in the Kiler film series.

As a director, he has staged dozens of theatrical productions, drawing on Polish and international classics, including works by Fredro, Wyspiański, Mickiewicz and Chekhov. Equally significant are his achievements in theatre management. From 2003 to 2025, he served as Artistic Director of the National Theatre in Warsaw for more than two decades, consolidating its position as one of Poland’s leading theatres.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Polish culture, he was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2001) and the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2005). He has also received prestigious honours from the theatre community, including the Gustaw Award (2014), the Zygmunt Hübner Theatre Man Award (2015) and the Lifetime Achievement Award (2025), in recognition of his lifelong artistic achievements.

We are honoured that Jan Englert, such a distinguished figure in Polish culture, has accepted our invitation and will receive the special Golden Frog Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of Acting at the Closing Gala of the 34th edition of ToruńCAMERIMAGE. This year’s Festival will take place in Toruń, in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, from 7 to 14 November.

Toruń – ready for the next take! The European Film Center CAMERIMAGE Studio is here.