Seattle Polish Film Festival (SPFF) is an annual event showcasing the best of Polish cinema since the early 1990s. The SPFF is produced and presented by the Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association.
Seattle Polish Film Festival (SPFF) is an annual event showcasing the best of Polish cinema since the early 1990s. The SPFF is produced and presented by the Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association.
We wanted to share that this year, due to a grant from the Polish Foundation, admission to the movie festival will be free of charge! We will be distributing free tickets to the movies and are working on the logistics with the SIFF, but rest assured we will have more updates soon. For those of you who have purchased passes already, we will be refunding you! We are extremely excited for this year's festival and…
Paris, 1835. At 25, Frédéric Chopin is the toast of Parisian high society, celebrated by aristocrats, adored by women, and admired by friends.
A retired art thief is savoring a quiet life on Spain’s Andalusian coast when an old associate shows up with an enticing offer: one final job in Poland.
The hit comedy beloved by audiences is back! In-laws 3 proves that a christening can spark more family drama than anyone bargained for and that even infidelity doesn’t stir up as much chaos as… a holy sacrament!
“The Assassination of the Pope” is a tense thriller inspired by true events surrounding the 1981 attempt on John Paul II’s life. When a legendary ex-sniper is forced into a covert mission to cover up the attack, he becomes entangled in a web of espionage, power struggles, and choices that could alter history itself.
Agata works with troubled youth, practices freediving, and lives life to the fullest. She is blind. Robert is a sought-after photographer who keeps his distance from people. Their meeting changes everything, helping them discover love and overcome their own limitations.
Olga By Lulu Pomorova | Love Proxy By Marcin Niemkiewicz | Nic Poważnego/ Nothing Serious By Kamil Czudej | Taki Szczęśliwy Dzień/ Such a Perfect Day By Piotr Pluta
An eighty-year-old retired surgeon becomes involved in a tragic car accident that claims the life of a 24-year-old student. The incident shatters his carefully built world, exposing fractures in his marriage and strained relationship with his son.
An acting student regains her confidence thanks to a passionate director, but after learning of his violent teaching methods, she decides to bring him to justice.
Seattle Polish Film Festival (SPFF) is an annual event showcasing the best of Polish cinema since the early 1990’s. The SPFF is produced and presented by the non-profit Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association.
SPFF was started in 1992 by Polish community leaders Tom Podl and Dr. Michal Friedrich. Mr. Podl and Dr. Friedrich were inspired by other notable Polish Film festivals in the U.S. and in Poland. They wanted to share this special part of Polish culture with the greater Seattle community. SPFF is the second longest running Polish film festival in the United States. 2017 marked its 25th anniversary.
From 2002 to 2005, local attorney Krys Koper directed the SPFF. Mr. Koper ushered in a new era of procuring high quality films and guests. Under his direction, SPFF presented such films as Revenge and When the Sun was God, as well as classics such as The Promised Land and Woman Alone.
From 2006, local patent attorney Greg Plichta directed SPFF. Under Mr. Plichta's leadership, the SPFF showcased critically acclaimed films alongside independent films, shorts, animations, and documentaries. During this time, the SPFF hosted a wide variety of guests and luminaries from Polish cinema. In 2010, Dr. Michal Friedrich returned to SPFF as the Artistic Director, with Greg Plichta as Managing Director.
As of 2011, former Solidarity activist and local film fanatic Zbigniew Pietrzyk has run SPFF, and in 2012 was joined by his son Michal, a television industry professional, as the Artistic Director. Since then, every edition of SPFF is scheduled to reach new heights in terms of film quality, diversity, and sophistication – in large part due to the generous support of its patrons, and the selfless contributions of its dedicated staff.
After the 2022 festival, Zbigniew Pietrzyk retired as the SPFF Managing Director. In 2023, Zbigniew Konofalski took the role of the Managing Director, with Marlena Szymaszek as the Artistic Director. We are looking forward to many more years of successful showcasing of Polish Cinema in Seattle under their leadership.
When you sponsor our cultural exhibition of Polish films your financial support helps cover the costs of film royalties, theater rental, airfare and accommodations for our guests, advertising, and printing. You can participate at different levels, all with added benefits! Review the options for Signature Sponsorship.