Home / Arts and Entertainment / Docs Vie for Oscars at Poland's Millennium Festival
Docs Vie for Oscars at Poland's Millennium Festival
10 Apr
Summary
- Twelve films compete for the Grand Prix, earning Academy Award qualification.
- Festival runs May 8-17 in seven Polish cities and online.
- Films explore themes of searching, identity, and connection to landscapes.
Poland's Millennium Docs Against Gravity (MDAG) festival has announced its main competition, featuring twelve films competing for the Grand Prix – the Bank Millennium Award. This prestigious award grants the winner instant qualification for the Academy Awards. The festival, now in its 2026 edition, will take place from May 8 to May 17 in seven Polish cities: Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Łódź, and Bydgoszcz. An online continuation is scheduled from May 19 to June 1.
The selected documentaries delve into universal themes of searching, identity, and the profound relationship between people and their environments. Artistic director Karol Piekarczyk noted the persistence of 'searching' as a central motif, whether it's a father looking for his missing son in 'Closure,' a quest for home in 'A Fox Under a Pink Moon,' or a search for a unique bird in 'Whispers in the Woods.'
Films like 'Time and Water' explore Iceland's melting glaciers through the lens of author Andri Snær Magnason, while 'Mariinka' examines the human impact of the war in Ukraine. Other highlighted films include 'A Child of My Own,' by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi, which tackles societal pressure surrounding motherhood, and 'To Hold a Mountain,' a story of female resilience against the militarization of their land.
