The Krakow Film Festival has appointed Barbara Orlicz-Szczypuła as its new festival director, succeeding #Krzysztof Gierat#, who led the event for 25 years. On Orlicz-Szczypuła’s recommendation, longtime collaborator Anita Piotrowska will serve as artistic director. The decision was made unanimously by the Programme Council of the Krakow Film Foundation.

Orlicz-Szczypuła, an ethnology and cultural anthropology graduate of Jagiellonian University, has worked with the Krakow Film Foundation since its beginnings. She served as vice-president for many years and became president in 2021. Her work has included expanding the festival’s reach through the KFF Sales & Promotion agency, bringing documentaries to Polish cinemas, and developing partnerships that have reinforced the festival’s standing in Poland and Europe. A former head of the Programme Department, she has also sat on international juries, coordinated film projects, and lectured at Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski University and Jagiellonian University. She is a member of the Polish Film Academy.

Piotrowska has collaborated with the festival for more than two decades, most recently as curator of the documentary programme. A film critic for Tygodnik Powszechny and contributor to Charaktery, Kino, and EKRANy, she has co-authored several film publications and served on numerous juries as a #FIPRESCI member. Her distinctions include the Polish Film Institute Award for criticism (2014) and the Krzysztof Teodor Toeplitz Award from ZAiKS (2021).

As director, Orlicz-Szczypuła will oversee strategy, operations, programming, and finance. Piotrowska, as artistic director, will shape the programme’s vision, select films, and collaborate with filmmakers to ensure artistic coherence.