D: How does this decentralized model shape the audience experience?
AL: Each city has its own identity within the festival. While some core films—especially from the main competition—screen everywhere, there are also local competitions and initiatives.
We wanted each location to feel like a festival in its own right. At the same time, there’s a shared structure, including a nationwide audience award, which creates a sense of unity across all cities.
D: Let’s talk about programming. What defines the editorial vision of MDAG today?
AL: Our primary goal is still to reach a broad audience. That means being open to different themes, forms, and styles. If you look at our competitions, you’ll see that diversity reflected clearly. The main competition focuses on the best international documentaries of the past year—films with strong storytelling, high cinematic quality, and emotional impact.
But we also have thematic competitions. For example, we collaborate with Amnesty International on films about human rights and activism. We have the Chopin’s Nose Award for films about music and the arts. There’s a section dedicated to psychology curated with a weekly magazine, another for debuts, whose jurors are film school students alongside seniors. These strands allow us to engage different communities and interests, expanding the audience without diluting quality.
D: On the industry side, what kind of professionals are you attracting, and how does MDAG position itself among other major European festivals?
AL: We attract producers, filmmakers, sales agents, and festival programmers. Our industry program is still growing, but we already have a clear profile. We run three pitching sessions: one for Polish and coproduced projects, one for films aimed at young audiences—which is quite unique in Europe, closer to what you would find in the Berlinale Generation sections—and one for short documentaries in collaboration with Prague’s Institute of Documentary Film.
We also organize masterclasses. This year, for instance, we’re hosting a session on director-editor collaboration with Erik Gandini and his long-time editor Johan Söderberg, as well as a masterclass by Alan Berliner on essay filmmaking. In addition, we will host a conversation around A Fox Under a Pink Moon, bringing together Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhalaghi to discuss the creative and practical challenges of making a film remotely—working across distance between director and protagonist, and navigating both emotional and production constraints in that process. In terms of positioning, we don’t try to replicate what festivals like IDFA or CPH:DOX are doing. Instead, we focus on our strengths—audience engagement, education, and a strong connection between films and public discourse.
D: I know that the COVID years have significantly reshaped MDAG. How did the festival navigate that period?
AL: We reacted very quickly. We built a VOD platform and moved the festival to autumn 2020, when there was a small window of relative safety. We combined a limited in-person edition with an online one, and it turned out to be a huge success.
We even received a major cultural award in Poland for how we adapted to the situation. That moment confirmed that we had built something resilient. Interestingly, it was right after COVID that we launched our industry component. Until then, we had focused almost entirely on audiences. But at that point, I realized we were ready to support the industry as well. When we introduced industry activities, the response was immediate—from Europe, the U.S., Canada. Very quickly, we became a relevant stop on the international circuit. Today, we host programmers from major festivals like Sundance, and we’ve joined the group of Oscar-qualifying festivals. Starting this year, we will also host a FIPRESCI award for documentaries, which is something we have worked towards for a long time.