POLISH ANIMATED FILMS WINS AT BLACK MOVIE FESTIVAL IN GENEVA
Polish animated films were among the winners of the 27th edition of the Black Movie International Independent Film Festival, one of Europe’s most significant showcases for independent cinema. Held in Geneva from 16 to 25 January 2026, the festival presented a total of 104 films from across the globe.
The standout success for Polish animation was Autokar, directed by Sylwia Szkiłądź, which received the Prix Payot Petit Black Movie – the Jury Award in the Black Movie for Kids section. The jury – composed of Cécilia Bovet, Lea Favre, and Maurane Mazars – praised the film for its perspective, which approaches the experience of migration through a child’s eyes. They highlighted that the story of eight-year-old Agata, a young protagonist navigating an adult world – opens onto broader political questions, guiding the viewer on a poetic, visual, and initiatory journey into the unknown, marked by courage, curiosity and tenderness.
The Geneva prize represents another major accolade for Autokar, which had previously been shortlisted for the Academy Awards and received the Special Jury Prize of the Generation International Jury for the Best Short Film in Generation Kplus section (the Crystal Bear) at the Berlin International Film Festival.
A special mention (Mention Spéciale Prix Payot Petit Black Movie) went to Birds of Paradise, directed by Tomek Ducki. The film tells the story of a flock of birds whose droppings – regarded by humans as a nuisance – forms the very foundation of life. The delicate balance of their world is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious object, heralding a profound social shift and the arrival of a new cultural and technological era. The film poses questions about the cost of leaving a ‘state of nature’ behind and the consequences of civilisational progress.
This year’s edition of the Black Movie Festival attracted 25,750 viewers, offering film screenings, debates, meetings, and numerous accompanying events. The programme comprised 11 thematic sections dedicated to independent cinema from around the world, with the diversity of countries matched by a breadth of forms, genres, and topics.
You can read more about the awarded films here.