Szklarnia 2026 National Film Festival | The road to debut – meeting with Mateusz Rakowicz

What does the first film journey look like – the one before the debut? As is tradition, as part of the Szklarnia 2026 National Festival, we invite you to a meeting devoted to the beginnings of the film journey and discovering your own creative language. It is a space where creators share their experiences gained at the intersection of dreams, trials, and first professional challenges.

During this year’s meeting, “The Road to Debut,” Mateusz Rakowicz will talk about his first steps in the industry, artistic decisions, and the dilemmas that accompanied him at the start. He will discuss both the films that were made and those that have remained only in the planning stages for now.

We will talk about the choice of themes and genres, the search for one’s own film language, inspirations and creative guides, as well as building one’s own “director’s decalogue.” Another important topic will be the role of the team—film as a collaborative effort and the importance of the atmosphere on set.

During the meeting, we will watch Mateusz’s short films (“Latarnik” and “Romantik”), selected music videos and commercials, as well as fragments from the making of feature-length productions, including “Najmro. Kocha, kradnie, szanuje” and “Dzień Matki.”

Mateusz Rakowicz – director, screenwriter, film producer, storyboard artist, and graphic designer. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Andrzej Wada’s Film School. He has been involved in film production continuously for over two decades. One of the screenwriters and directors of the feature film “Stacja Warszawa” (WFDiF 2013). Director and co-screenwriter of the hit films Najmro (TFP 2021) and Mother’s Day (Netflix 2023). Co-author of the concept for the Canal+ series Sortownia (2023). Co-author and director of the premium series “Bunt” (Netflix 2025/26). Creative producer of the films “Jeszcze Przed Świętami” (Netflix 2023), “Czarna Wołga” (Netflix 2026), and “Psoty” (distributed by Kino Świat 2026). Author of award-winning short films (“Latarnik,” “Romantik”), commercials, and music videos. Winner of the FRYDERYK award for directing the music video “Bang Bang” for Ania Dąbrowska. Author of storyboards for over twenty feature films and several hundred commercials. Member of the Polish Filmmakers Association and the Polish Directors Guild.

The partners of the Szklarnia National Film Festival are the Local Government of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province and NRD Klub.