Agnieszka Smoczyńska

A graduate of cultural studies at the University of Wrocław and film directing at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School and the Wajda School. Her feature film debut, *The Lure* (2015), received the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and *Fuga* (2018) won five awards at the Gdynia International Film Festival (FPFF). Smoczyńska’s first English-language feature film, “Silent Twins” (2022), based on the story of sisters June and Jennifer Gibbons, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Golden Lions in Gdynia. In 2026, she directed Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Simon Boccanegra” at the Grand Theater – National Opera in Warsaw, as well as Alek Nowak’s opera “The Voice of the Monster,” an adaptation of Agnieszka Holland’s film “Europa Europa.” She is currently working on the English-language feature film “Hot Spot” (2026). Her work is distinguished by a bold approach to form, originality, and visual sophistication, as well as a blend of elements from fairy tales, horror, and social drama.

Ph.: Mikołaj Zacharow

— Guest at the post-screening discussion for “Hot Spot”