Between September 6 and 14, 2025, Olsztyn became a hub for emerging filmmakers during the 11th Polish-Ukrainian Krystian Dulewicz Film Workshops. Over nine immersive days, young creators from Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and Lithuania collaborated on original short films—sharpening their craft, building on-set experience, and discovering new artistic perspectives.
The workshops gave rise to four short films, crafted under the artistic mentorship of Jakub Bastkowski, Konrad Miklaszewski, Marek Pawlikowski, and Karim Kourani. Each work reflects a fusion of personal expression and collective storytelling, capturing contemporary concerns through both poignant narratives and witty genre-inspired reinterpretations.
“UNBOUND” – dir. Jakub Bastkowski’s group
“A story older than time itself. Uncertainty masked by hatred.” The first short film, created under Jakub Bastkowski’s guidance, is an intriguing crime story set in the mysterious spaces of Olsztyn.
A divorced detective with extraordinary abilities investigates a case of broken relationships. Will he uncover the secrets of the city of sin?
Created by: Kateryna Boiarchuk, Vladyslav Fedorovych, Maksym Honcharuk, Friedrich Jaeger, Julia Knet, Julia Kopka, Aleksas Koreiva, Anna Mazurkevich, Ervinas Naujokas, Benjamin Ndukwe, Viktoriia Petrusha, Kamila Reznichenko, Oliwia Rychlik, Nino Skrago, and Karol Vullo.
“For Free” – dir. Konrad Miklaszewski’s group
Under Konrad Miklaszewski’s guidance, the group created a subtle coming-of-age story about self-discovery.
Franz, a student accustomed to coldness and social awkwardness, finds himself in a vibrant new environment that begins to reshape his view of the world.
Created by: Kristina Attalakh, Johan Bendler, Viktoriia Bondar, Noah Carstensen, Anastasiia Fomenko, Victor Herrmann, Greta Klimaitė, Alisa Koteliuk, Arnas Puodziunas, Grigory Shilov, Zuzanna Szpakowska, and Iga Zaczkowska.
“Wamapires” – dir. Marek Pawlikowski’s group
The group led by Marek Pawlikowski created a comedic parody of horror cinema, described as “the funniest vampire film of the year.”
In Olsztyn—a city where vampires and humans once lived in harmony—a tragedy disrupts the fragile peace. The vampires unite to seek revenge—but not everything goes according to plan.
Created by: Auguste Augustaityte, Artur Bednarczyk, Michelle Bernot, Denys Bohdan, Tymoteusz Brzozowski, Dominik Dudzicki, Bori Feledy, Jakub Kostiukevič, Anastasiia Kovalenko, Mateusz Leksy, Loretta Martini, Mykola Movchan, Melaniia Rybalko, Ema Stančiauskaitė, Gerda Verseckaite, and Greta Wolny.
“Olsztyn’s Eleven” – dir. Karim Kourani’s group
The final short film, created under Karim Kourani’s supervision, is a dynamic metaphor for unity and cooperation beyond divisions.
Will Ain, the villain, kidnaps a key figure of the WAMA Film Festival. A group of young people from Poland, Germany, Lithuania, and Ukraine—Olsztyn’s Eleven—stand up to defend shared values. United by courage and strengthened by their differences, they fight to save the festival and prove that diversity is not a weakness, but the greatest strength.
Created by: Noureddin Alkhaled, Tim Buchmann, Szymon Chmielewski, Mariia Irchak, Gabija Juozapaitytė, Tinn Lechovic, Alina Novikova, Michał Ring, Ugne Sabaliauskaite, Polina Shchutska, Greta Siniūtė, Kateryna Srhieieva, Tymon Szymański, and Lena Wronka.
Beyond practical filmmaking experience, the workshops became a platform for intercultural dialogue. Bringing together young people from four countries, they demonstrated how film can connect across differences as a truly universal language.
The project “Polish-Ukrainian Krystian Dulewicz Film Workshops (11th edition)” is funded by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the National Centre for Culture program “Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange 2025.”
The project is co-financed by the European Union.
Organizer: FILMFORUM Association (Poland)
Partner: CinemaHall (Ukraine)
Cooperating partners: Offener Kanal Magdeburg (Germany) and Tavo Europa (Lithuania)