POLISH ANIMATIONS AT FEST – NEW DIRECTORS NEW FILMS FESTIVAL IN PORTUGAL
Five Polish animated films have been selected for the programme of the 22nd edition of FEST – New Directors New Films Festival in Portugal. The competition line-up will include “Beetles” by Piotr Chmielewski, “Birds of Paradise” by Tomek Ducki and “Can You Hear Me?” by Anastazja Naumenko, while audiences will also have a chance to see “Love Me Tender” by Betina Bożek and “The Pool or Death of a Goldfish” by Daria Kopiec in the festival’s screening programme. This year’s edition will take place from 20 to 28 June 2026.
FEST – New Directors New Films Festival is a Portuguese event dedicated to new cinema and the work of emerging filmmakers. The festival is not only a space for film screenings, but also a platform for industry meetings, exchange of experience and conversations about contemporary cinema and the audiovisual arts. Its programme combines competitive and non-competitive sections with conferences, workshops, masterclasses and networking events.
The festival’s competition programme includes “Beetles”, directed by Piotr Chmielewski – an animated film that opens up a space for conversations with children about privilege, empathy and attentiveness to the experiences of others. The story of the titular beetles encourages reflection on how we respond when someone faces a difficulty that we ourselves do not experience as a problem.
Also competing for awards is “Birds of Paradise” by Tomek Ducki. The film offers a playful and thought-provoking story about a flock of birds whose harmonious world is transformed by the arrival of a mysterious object. It is an animated parable about development, community, technology and the price of leaving the state of nature behind.
The competition will also feature “Can You Hear Me?” directed by Anastazja Naumenko. The film follows Nastia, who, while living abroad, begins teaching her mother how to use the internet. Technology becomes a starting point for a story about intergenerational tensions, family memory and the difficult path towards closeness.
The screening programme includes “Love Me Tender” by Betina Bożek – the story of an introverted man emotionally attached to his vacuum cleaner, who enters the world of online dating only to discover that technology does not always bring people closer together, while real intimacy may appear in the least expected place.
FEST audiences will also see “The Pool or Death of a Goldfish” by Daria Kopiec – an animated film about growing up, unexpressed emotions and reclaiming agency. The titular swimming pool becomes a metaphor for the feelings overwhelming the protagonist, while the goldfish symbolises her constant adjustment to the needs of others.
The presence of five Polish animated films in the programme of FEST – New Directors New Films Festival confirms the diversity and strength of Polish animation, which increasingly combines distinctive visual form with social, psychological and existential themes. The Polish titles presented in Portugal show animation as a sensitive, bold and open medium, able to speak to audiences of different ages.
More information can be found on the festival website.