Nine feature films, six short films, guests from the Polish film industry, and HBO’s “Succession” star — Dagmara Domińczyk — as the guest of honor. This is the only Polish film festival in the capital of the United States and one of the most important Polish cultural events this spring.
Dagmara Domińczyk — The Pole who conquered Hollywood, returns to her people
The star of this year’s festival is Dagmara Domińczyk, a Polish-American actress known to audiences worldwide as Marcia Roy from the HBO series “Succession” — a story about a dysfunctional family of a media mogul that kept America glued to their screens for four seasons. Domińczyk was born in Kielce, moved with her family to the USA as a child, and built a career most actors can only dream of — from Broadway to Hollywood, from “Kinsey” to “Black Rabbit”.
At the Washington festival, she will receive the KF 2026 Pioneer Award — the Kościuszko Foundation award for achievements in international cinema. After the screening of her latest film “Travel Essentials,” she will participate in a Q&A session with the audience. For young Poles in America who are looking for career models that connect two worlds, Domińczyk is living proof that Polish roots are not an obstacle in Hollywood — they are an asset.
Altar Boys, Chopin, and the Sobociński brothers — Polish cinema goes to America
The festival program includes nine feature films and six short films, many of which will have their American premieres. All films are shown with English subtitles, which opens them not only to the Polish diaspora but also to American audiences looking for ambitious cinema from outside Hollywood.
Among the guests from Poland will be director Piotr Domalewski, creator of the award-winning film “Altar Boys,” as well as cinematographers Piotr Sobociński Jr. (cinematographer of “Altar Boys”) and Michał Sobociński (cinematographer of “Chopin, Chopin!”) — representatives of one of the most famous Polish film dynasties. Actress Agata Turkot, known from the film “Home Sweet Home,” will also be present at the festival.
The festival concludes on Sunday, March 22, with an awards ceremony for the jury and audience — in the categories of best feature film, short film, direction, actor, and actress.
The Kościuszko Foundation — one hundred years of building bridges
The festival is organized by the Kościuszko Foundation, the oldest and one of the most influential Polish-American cultural organizations in the USA, headquartered on East 65th Street in Manhattan. The Foundation, which is celebrating its centenary, annually awards up to 2 million dollars in scholarships and educational grants, connecting Polish and American scholars, artists, and students.
The Foundation is headed by Marek Skulimowski — a diplomat, businessman, and philanthropist from Lubaczów, former Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York, and former political advisor at the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv. Skulimowski, who before taking over the presidency of the Foundation managed the American operations of the Inglot Cosmetics brand, was honored with the title “Man of the Year” by the Pulaski Association in 2025. He is also a member of the executive board of the National Library in Warsaw — which gives him a unique combination of Polish diaspora and national perspectives.
The film festival in Washington is partially financed by the Polish Film Institute and the Department for Cooperation with the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland — which means that Poland treats this festival as an official tool of cultural diplomacy in the capital of its most powerful ally.
Wajda Day — Washington honored the master’s centenary
The festival was preceded by a special Wajda Day, which took place on March 15 in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, the National Gallery of Art, and the Andrzej Wajda Film Center. The program included a screening of the Oscar-winning film “Afterimage,” an exhibition dedicated to Wajda’s work, and a panel discussion with film scholars. This event is part of the celebrations of the director’s hundredth birthday, who is to Polish cinema what Spielberg is to American cinema — an icon, a point of reference, and an unsurpassed model.
Tickets, venue, dates — everything you need to know
- When: March 19–22, 2026 (Thursday–Sunday)
- Where: Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
- Opening Gala: Thursday, March 19, 6:30 PM (by invitation; Festival Pass holders are invited)
- Screenings: Friday, March 20 – Sunday, March 22
- Closing Ceremony and Awards: Sunday, March 22
- Tickets: $22 for a single film; $150 for a Festival Pass (includes gala); Kościuszko Foundation members — 25% discount
- Festival website: kfpolishfilmfest.org
Why it matters — even if you live in New York, not DC
The Polish film festival in the US capital is not just about cinema — it’s about presence. In a city where politics, defense budgets, and the future of alliances are decided, the presence of Polish culture on the big screen says more than many lobbyists. When a congresswoman from Virginia or a Pentagon employee walks into Bethesda Row Cinema and watches “Altar Boys” with English subtitles, Poland ceases to be an abstract NATO ally — it becomes a country with people, stories, and emotions that everyone understands, regardless of their passport.
The Kościuszko Foundation, under the leadership of Marek Skulimowski, understands this dynamic and consistently builds Polish cultural presence where it matters most. The film festival in Washington is its third edition — and given how it grows year by year, everything indicates that the fourth will be even bigger.
And if you can’t go to Washington — remember that Polish cinema can also be watched closer to home. Polish diaspora cinemas, festivals, and screenings are held regularly in New York, Chicago, and other cities with large Polish communities.
Voice of the Polish Diaspora in the USA — poland.us. Polish cinema in the capital of America — tickets at kfpolishfilmfest.org. Looking for Polish cultural events in your city? Visit us daily at poland.us
