The 27th Silent Film Festival (Festiwal Filmu Niemego), taking place between 12 and 15 November 2026, is a unique celebration of early cinema where black-and-white masterpieces are brought to life with live musical accompaniment. This year’s edition, themed CONTINUUM, serves as a reminder that filmmakers from the past and the present are locked in a constant dialogue – transcending even the barrier of time.
Each edition centres around a unique theme – ranging from sci-fi pioneers and early travelogues to cinema divas and expressionist horror. This year’s programme CONTINUUM blends undisputed classics, such as works by Fritz Lang or Buster Keaton, with recently restored, obscure gems from European and global archives. Check out the full schedule!
| Date | Time | Event Details |
| 12 November, Thursday | 6 PM | PEOPLE WITH NO TOMORROW (Aleksander Hertz) PL 1921, 80′, music by Hańba! |
| 12 November, Thursday | 8:45 PM | THE CAMERAMAN (Buster Keaton, Edward Sedgwick) USA 1928, 67’, music: hoshii (official opening) |
| 13 November, Friday | 6:30 PM | THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (Jean Epstein) FR 1928, 63’, music: Eta Hox x Pruski x Kateryna Ziabliuk |
| 13 November, Friday | 8:45 PM | DESTINY (Fritz Lang) DE 1921, 99’, music: Zima Stulecia |
| 14 November, Saturday | 2 PM | ALICE GUY, THE FIRST FEMALE DIRECTOR (Alice Guy) FR 1900-1910, 48′, music: Jagodna |
| 14 November, Saturday | 4:30 PM | INTOLERANCE (D. W. Griffith) USA 1916, 167’, music: Fraś Vinci Duo |
| 14 November, Saturday | 8:45 PM | THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (Lotte Reiniger) DE 1926, 65’, music: Magda Drozd |
| 15 November, Sunday | 2:30 PM | THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE (Stellan Rye, Paul Wegener) DE 1913, 85’, music: ARS LATRANS Orchestra |
| 15 November, Sunday | 6 PM | BERLIN: SYMPHONY OF A GREAT CITY (Walter Ruttmann) DE 1927, 65’, music: La Giang |
| 15 November, Sunday | 8:15 PM | FRENCH FILM AVANT-GARDE, three movies, music: Lullahush |
Expect inspiring accompanying events too, including late-night experimental screenings, afterparties, and weekend morning screenings with live music dedicated to children (under the ‘Baranki Dzieciom’ banner).
The festival usually runs in December; however, the 2026 edition was moved forward because of the 130th anniversary of the first-ever film screening on Polish soil. On 14 November 1896, audiences in Poland witnessed over 30 short films, each lasting only a few dozen seconds. At the time, it seemed like a rare but interesting curiosity, and hardly any of the viewers could predict how far the cinema would go.
To commemorate this special occasion, the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre will hold a special screening with live music. The audience will see a cult German horror by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, ‘Nosferatu’, and a selection of short films by the Lumière brothers, silent cinema pioneers. Famous Polish pianist Leszek Możdżer will provide a live accompaniment.
This festival is much more than simply watching old film reels; it’s a fully immersive, dynamic concert experience. The organisers invite a wildly diverse range of artists each year – from classical pianists and jazz bands to contemporary electronic DJs and avant-garde groups – to score the films in real time. This live, often improvised soundtrack injects century-old films with a completely new energy. The 2026 lineup includes such artists as Hańba!, hoshii, ARS LATRANS Orchestra, La Giang, Jagodna, Lullahush, and Magda Drozd.
Crucially for foreign visitors, it makes the Silent Film Festival one of the most accessible cultural events in the city. Films with no sound rely on universal visual storytelling and are screened with Polish and English subtitles.
For the 2026 edition, which runs under the theme CONTINUUM, the main programme of silent films with live music will be hosted in the auditorium of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology (Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej Manggha). Located at Konopnickiej 26, right across the Vistula River, this modern and spacious cultural hub offers a brilliant acoustic setting, making it a great base for concerts.
Insider Tip: Before your evening screening at the Manggha Museum, grab a coffee or matcha at Café Manggha inside the building. You’re in for a treat: an unobstructed view of Wawel Castle glowing over the Vistula River.
While Manggha takes the spotlight for the main evening events, the festival remains deeply connected to its legendary home and co-organiser, Kino pod Baranami (Cinema Under the Rams). Located right on the Main Market Square inside the historic Pod Baranami Palace, this venue has a deeply cinematic soul and a cosy, arthouse atmosphere. Its Blue Room (Sala Niebieska) will host the festival’s special events for younger audiences, including weekend morning screenings dedicated to children (Baranki Dzieciom) and discussions for students.
If you want to make the absolute most of your autumn holiday, pair your evening film screenings with our daytime private tours in heated vehicles. Discover the underground wonders of the Wieliczka Salt Mine or embark on a magical day trip to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains.
The 27th edition takes place from 12 to 15 November 2026. The main screenings with live music are held in the auditorium of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, while other events happen in the Blue Room at Kino Pod Baranami. Additionally, a special 130th-anniversary cinema celebration will be held on 16 November at the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre.
The festival features silent masterpieces with live music from diverse artists like Hańba!, hoshii, and ARS LATRANS Orchestra. Highlights include Buster Keaton’s ‘The Cameraman’, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, ‘Intolerance’, ‘Berlin: Symphony of a Great City’, and a special screening of ‘Nosferatu’ scored live by Leszek Możdżer.
Tickets are handled by Kino Pod Baranami. Individual screenings with live music are 70 PLN, while the Grand Opening is 85 PLN. A 10-screening entry pass is available for 400 PLN and can be purchased online by contacting the cinema’s box office at kasa@kinopodbaranami.pl.
