The 17th Media-school International Film School Festival has began in Łódź, central Poland.

The festival is run by the National Film School in Łódź, the most acclaimed breeding ground for budding filmmakers in the country.

The programme of the event features screenings of productions from over 40 film academies in countries such as Switzerland, Portugal, Iran and Finland. The directors of 80 movies, including documentaries and animation, are contending for the main prize.

The festival provides a platform for sharing experience among young artists from around the globe, says Chancellor of the Film School in Łódź, Robert Gliński:

"Young filmmakers come here to see what their fellow artists are up to in other countries. They watch their etudes, documentaries; they see how others depict the world, and assess the quality of their works. These meetings are very interesting especially in the light of the confrontation of different views, paths, education systems, as well as the final outcome of the individual effort, that is the productions made by the students themselves,” Gliński told Polish Radio.

Alongside film screenings, film buffs will have the opportunity to take a mock entrance exam to the Film School in Łódź, listen to anecdotes featuring the academy’s famed alumni and see film sets.

All the film screenings held as part of the festival are free of charge.

The verdict of the international jury will be reached on Saturday. (ab)