During this year’s ToruńCAMERIMAGE Festival, we invite audiences on an extraordinary cinematic journey in the footsteps of filmmakers, artists and visionaries whose sensitivity, imagination and passion have shaped the way we see the world. As part of the Filmowe Kujawy i Pomorze section, we will present exceptional films inspired by the idea of the Year of Film People, established by the Regional Assembly of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship to highlight the importance of filmmakers and their contribution to the development of culture.
This year’s programme will pay tribute to the people who, through images, words and emotions, capture human experiences, explore the complexity of human nature and bring the world around us into focus. Cinema has always brought together different fields of art, perspectives and sensibilities, creating a space for encounters, reflection and dialogue. With its history, landscapes and rich cultural heritage, Kujawy and Pomerania continue to serve as an important source of inspiration for generations of filmmakers.
That is why the Filmowe Kujawy i Pomorze section will feature both documentaries and fiction films by filmmakers fascinated by our region - films shot in Kujawy and Pomerania and produced with the support of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Film Fund. These diverse stories reveal a region that is much more than a backdrop: it helps shape the atmosphere, gives each story a distinctive character and allows audiences to see familiar places from a new perspective. Each film is also a testament to the work and imagination of the people who come together to create cinema.
The Filmowe Kujawy i Pomorze section reminds us that behind every cinematic story are people - their ideas, experiences, emotions and desire to share their unique perspectives on the world. This year’s programme offers an opportunity to rediscover the region through cinema while recognising the universal dimension of local stories. It is also a chance to appreciate the people who bring these stories to life, demonstrating that the power of cinema lies both in the stories it tells and in the people who create them.
CANDIDATES OF DEATH
ORIGINAL TITLE: Kandydaci Śmierci
DIRECTOR: Maciej Cuske
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tomasz Pawlik
PRODUKCJA: Fundacja Bydgoska Kronika Filmowa
KRAJ I ROK: Poland, 2026
Over a dozen years ago, Maciej took his son and two of his young friends on holiday, during which they filmed an amateur horror movie together. Little did he know then that it would turn into one of the greatest adventures of his life, lasting over a decade. Candidates of Death is a film about the power of great friendship, growing up, the changes we go through, our fears, dreams and plans, set against the backdrop of a grand cinematic adventure spanning decades.
DUST TO DUST
ORIGINAL TITLE: Całopalenie
DIRECTOR: Krzysztof Zanussi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Piotr Niemyjski
PRODUCTION: Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych (WFDiF)
COUNTRY AND YEAR: Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, 2026
Zofia, Paweł and Ignacy are brought together by a series of seemingly chance circumstances: missionary work in India, a serious illness resulting from a tragic accident and a decision to join a religious order in search of inner peace. At a certain point, their paths cross, creating a complex web of mutual expectations, needs and desires. The resulting network of relationships confronts them with fundamental questions about the meaning of suffering, free will and the existence of forces beyond human understanding.
GOOD BOY
DIRECTOR: Jan Komasa
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michał Dymek
PRODUCTION: Skopia Film
COUNTRY AND YEAR: Poland, UK, 2025
Nineteen-year-old Tommy enjoys his carefree life of drugs, alcohol and reckless violence. One night, he is abducted by a stranger named Chris. Waking up in the basement of a secluded house, Tommy finds himself caught up in a deeply dysfunctional family dynamic. Chris and his mysterious wife Kathryn are determined to turn him into a ‘good boy’ through their own peculiar form of rehabilitation. This darkly ironic tale of freedom and control follows Tommy as he is forced to read books and learn good manners, while all he can think about is how to escape.
HOME SWEET HOME
ORIGINAL TITLE: Dom Dobry
DIRECTOR: Wojtek Smarzowski
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Paweł Tybora
PRODUCTION: Lucky Bob
COUNTRY AND YEAR: Poland, 2025
When Gośka meets Grzesiek online, she is convinced that he is finally ‘the one’. He is crazy about her, showers her with flowers and eventually proposes in Venice. It must be love, right? But cracks soon begin to appear in this perfect picture. Before long, their shared home becomes the most dangerous place for Gośka. Good Home is a film about the limits of love that is impossible to forget.
MURDER AT THE PHILHARMONIC
ORIGINAL TITLE: Morderstwo w Filharmonii
DIRECTOR: Maciej Hydr
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Aleksander Krzystyniak
PRODUCER: Maciej Hydr
COUNTRY AND YEAR: Poland, 2026
During a concert at a philharmonic hall, a member of the audience is murdered. Inspector Wróbel is assigned to the case and begins his investigation by questioning musicians, conductors and members of staff. Each has secrets of their own, and the clues he uncovers lead to surprising conclusions. In a world of rivalry, ambition and unfulfilled dreams, almost anyone could have a motive for murder. The film explores not only the search for the killer, but also the price of success and the lengths people are willing to go to fulfil their desires.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
ORIGINAL TITLE: Droga rzadziej przemierzana
DIRECTOR: Zuzanna Grabowska
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anka Malatyńska
PRODUCTION: Golden Hour Production
COUNTRY AND YEAR: Poland, 2026
Julia and Weronika, 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 catalyst for a journey filled with twists and turns. What was meant to be a brief encounter soon evolves into a series of unfortunate yet humorous events, forcing the former friends to confront their shared past, unresolved emotions and difficult life choices.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT, GAŁUSZKO?
.jpg&w=3840&q=90)
ORIGINAL TITLE: I co wy na to, Gałuszko?
DIRECTORS: Maciej Cuske, Marcin Sauter
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Maciej Cuske, Marcin Sauter
PRODUCERS: Maciej Cuske, Marcin Sauter
COUNTRY AND YEAR: Poland, 2000
A mysterious stranger arrives in a sleepy fishing village in Kashubia. The chief of the local police station dreams of solving a real criminal case. His chance finally comes when a series of mysterious murders shakes the village. Chief Sawicki sets out to track down the killer with the help of his assistant, the titular Gałuszka. Who will emerge victorious from this tangled web of intrigue? This dark comedy, shot on film by independent filmmakers between 1997 and 2000, returns in a remastered version.