Two of the city's cinemas are hosting screenings of 60 latest Polish productions, 13 of which are contending for the Film critics awards, called the Elephants.

The prize-giving ceremony, attended by a delegation representing President Dmitri Medvedev, is to be held on 21 April.

Victor Matizen, head of the Guild of Russian Film Critics, already has his favourite.

“The film would certainly get an award at a Russian film festival if there was any Russian connection.” the critic said.

“I would especially like to draw attention to the films settling with the past, Reverse [by Borys Lankosz] and Little Rose [by Jan Kidawa-Błoński],” he continued.

“For me it's a very interesting experience to see how Polish film directors and Poles in general scrutinize the past. There are, unfortunately, few such movies in Russia. Poles are far more advanced in this respect. In our filmmaking we can see a tendency of whitewashing and justifying Russia's Soviet past. In Poland, there is a more harsh approach to the period, which I really appreciate."

Other films showcased at the film fest include Jan Jakub Kolski’s Venice, Piotr Dumała’s The Forest, and Michał Rosa’s Damage.

The festival will run until 5 May. (ab)