Sections
American Indies
American cinema has always been very much about stories. Stories that stimulate the imagination, are bold and, above all, diverse. Sometimes tongue-in-cheek, at other times a little more serious, they portray characters entangled in various traps, the ups and downs of life overseas. Although the protagonists’ reality is changing as dynamically as the American landscape, they will not hesitate to fulfil their dreams, cross borders and live their own lives.
A list of films – coming soon!
Boys Will be Boys
“Boys will be boys.” This well-known American saying is the perverse inspiration for a new Mastercard OFF CAMERA section, prepared in cooperation with the SEXEDPL Foundation, founded by Anja Rubik. After all, it has been used to trivialise and tacitly condone various types of toxic behavior among boys. This stems from a patriarchal system in which characteristics such as aggression, lust for power and constant activity are organically linked to boyhood. Needless to say, the last decade has seen rapid cultural and social change, and there is increasing awareness and discussion of toxic masculinity and how to deal with it. The films shown in this section demonstrate that the oppressive gender norms that affect boys are still very much present in the world. Moreover, they challenge these norms and illustrate their harmfulness, both for the boys themselves and for the rest of society. Viewers will have an opportunity to embark on a journey through alternative male models of growing up, right alongside the film characters. At the same time, they can find inspiration for ways to break with traditional patterns and educational models that define the patriarchal order. And maybe even come to the conclusion that boys don’t have to behave like boys at all?
A list of films – coming soon!
Best of Fests
In this section, we will see the latest films by recognised directors, but also productions of budding filmmakers who captured the attention of audiences and critics around the world. These films, highly appreciated by our programmers, often combine commercial potential with an independent, creative spirit and rebellious nature.
A list of films – coming soon!
Main Dramatic Competition “Making Way”
The international competition for the Andrzej Wajda Krakow Film Award is the main section of the Mastercard OFF CAMERA Festival. Festival audiences will be the first in Poland to see the debuts and second films of the most talked-about artists from around the world. These are the films that delighted audiences at the biggest film events, including festivals in Toronto, Locarno, Rotterdam and Sundance.
Polish Feature Film Competition
Our Polish Feature Film Competition is dedicated to those Polish titles that opened throughout the past year and stroke us as most interesting, original and universal. Ten feature films will compete for the Dominika Kulczyk & dFlights Award in the Polish Feature Films contest: PLN 100 000.
A list of films – coming soon!
Love Wins
The reality of the last few years has been exceptionally difficult and complicated. It’s no surprise, therefore, that both viewers and filmmakers are looking to the cinema more than ever for hope and answers to the moral, existential and life questions that torment us all. In this year’s special section of Mastercard OFF CAMERA, we will set off with the protagonists of the selected films in search of new possibilities of how to be in the world, through the prism of one of the most primal and highly cinematic emotions: LOVE. We’re not talking about melodramas or an assortment of “love stories” in the conventional sense, but rather about specific models of how to talk about love and the on-screen relationships it defines, and the opportunity to consider new experiences and ways of thinking. From romantic love, through friendship, parental love, and finally self-love, we will spend ten festival days exploring intimate feelings and the energy they generate. All this has an enormous power to transform people, their worldview, and life itself. Above all, we will look to the future with hope for a better tomorrow. Both our viewers and the characters on screen, who are often lost in the meandering reality of everyday life, deserve nothing less.
A list of films – coming soon!
Eye For An Eye
In tracing the history of literature and cinema, we can observe how the theme of revenge has nearly always been prevalent. It has often been used as a key narrative element, giving characters the motivation to take action and the determination to achieve their goal. This is unsurprising because revenge, defined as a desire to bring fundamental justice, is linked to the history of mankind, regardless of whether it had an individual and personal dimension or was related to a broader context – political, social, or religious. According to one interpretation, which is symbolic, the coronavirus pandemic we experienced a few years ago was nature’s revenge for how mankind had mistreated it over the years. We can read about revenge in Greek mythology; it propels Shakespeare’s works and it’s the driving force behind the plot of Alexandre Dumas’ novels.
It’s also an extremely rewarding subject for filmmakers. One only has to think of Quentin Tarantino and his excellent Kill Bill diptych or the cult-classic Vengeance Trilogy directed by Park Chan-wook. And although today it’s considered its own subgenre, the concept of revenge goes way beyond that. It’s widely used by the creators of thrillers and detective stories, as well as costume dramas, melodramas, horror films, and even comedies. Revenge knows no boundaries, including geographical ones. In the special section of the Mastercard OFF CAMERA festival, we will look at the many faces of this phenomenon. We will consider its prevalence in today’s troubled times, as well as whether revenge is always sweet, and whether it can bring any kind of relief.
A list of films – coming soon!
Stay Sane
Mental health issues have increasingly become a topic of discussion in modern times. Some of these issues are genetic, some are acquired and related to our modern lifestyle, and some have certainly been exacerbated by the pandemic. Anxiety, worry and depression are a common part of everyday life for many of us. After all, we live in a time in which we’re bombarded with information at every turn, and there’s no way to process it all; overstimulation inevitably has a significant impact on our psyche. Fortunately, it’s no longer a taboo subject or a reason to be ashamed. Depression, disorders and a variety of neuroses are being discussed more and more openly in the public sphere as diseases of modernity, and when well-known and respected figures come out with their struggles in this arena it helps a lot. Cinema has long been fond of neurotic, complex characters. Although heightened sensitivity may seem like quite a cross to bear, it’s often portrayed in a positive, compelling way — full of humanity, warmth, and empathy. This year’s Mastercard OFF CAMERA festival section will reflect on the importance of mental health in these difficult times and show that perceived weaknesses can be transformed into genuine strengths.
A list of films – coming soon!
