Eight Polish projects will be presented in at Sunny Side of the Doc 2025, four of which are competing across Sunny Side’s themed pitch sessions. The other four are at various stages, from development through to post-production. The projects are represented by Polish Docs Pro which delivers wide‑ranging promotion of the Polish documentary scene at a slew of international events.
Women and War, directed Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski, and produced by Maciej Kubicki of powerhouse production company Telemark will during the Current Affairs & Investigation Pitch (June 24). In the film, three Ukrainian women, survivors of captivity, torture and sexual violence, undergo therapy for war trauma. Through their courageous struggle to heal, the film shows a powerful female perspective on resilience, strength and reclaiming life from the lasting scars of war. Currently in production, the 82-minute project has a mooted delivery of January 2027.
In Nature & Environment Pitch session (June 25), director Natalia Dołgowska and producer Marta Szymanowska of Kijora Film will present the 75-minute project On the Way, which has been picked up for sales by The Party Film Sales. Amid the serene beauty of Polish Tatra mountains, an asphalt road leads to a picture‑perfect yet heavily overcrowded mountain lake. Generations of hikers shift as the seasons change, treading the same path – much to the animals’ dismay. By reversing the gaze, the film tries to look at humans from nature’s perspective. Delivery on the project is expected 3rd Quarter 2026.
Ghetto Classic, meanwhile, directed by Katia Priwieziencew and produced by Lila Truskolaska of Dynamo Film will be presented in Arts & Entertainment Pitch. In Nairobi’s biggest slum, 15‑year‑old James trains in ballet under Joanna, a retired Polish ballerina. Battling the odds, he follows his dream across Africa, the USA, Europe, and Canada — a story of struggle, hope, and the power of art. The 80-minute English/Swahili-language film has an expected delivery date of December 2026. Confirmed partners on the project are the Polish Film Institute and Spanish co-producer WKND.
The final project in Sunny Side selection is the VR Channelers, directed by Jakub Wróblewski and produced by Anna Szylar of Monster Mind Studio. The project will present in Innovation Lab Showcase. Set in a 1970s brutalist building, Channelers offers a unique VR experience where non‑human guides help you escape oppressive reality and lead you from concrete prison to spiritual freedom. An electrifying blend of supernatural with anthropological. Currently in development, producer Szylar is looking for co-production and funding partners.
Elsewhere at Sunnyside, director Maciej Cuske and producer Ewa Hoffmann will be taking meetings on their Candidates of Death, in which the decade‑long process of creating an amateur horror film by a group of friends becomes the starting point for discreet observation of their growing up, their first successes, as well as their failures. The film, at rough cut stage, has a running time of 90 minutes and is close to completion on its budget. The filmmakers are looking to entice a sales agent in La Rochelle, as well as pre-sales and broadcaster deals.
Freak Show, by Łukasz Ronduda and Filip Pawlak is in post-production ahead of a mooted February 2026 release. The film tells a cinematic tale about a group of diverse young artists with disabilities who challenge expectations and aesthetics — reality blends with art, fiction, and provocation, leading to a surprising finale…The producer on the film is Kinga Tasarek of Madants who will be looking to close the budget at Sunny Side, as well as secure sales, distribution, broadcast and festival interest.
Two further Polish docs in development are Snowflakes, by Marcin Sauter and produced by Ewa Hoffmann, and Maciek Bochniak’s The Lawyer, produced by Kinga Tasarek. Snowflakes explores the dreams, fears and hopes of 16‑19 year olds globally as they envision their future in a rapidly changing, uncertain world, while The Lawyer tells how, when an incredibly talented Kenyan lawyer, Brian Mwenda, wins a seemingly impossible case, someone decides to investigate him. The truth surprises everyone.
