Time to introduce the Young Jury!

A Young Jury will choose the best film from those competing in the Polish contests of the 18th edition of ŻUBROFFKA. The jurors will also learn the intricacies of film critique, shared with them by film critic Sebastian Smoliński!

Sebastian Smoliński / the jury president
Film critic, American studies specialist, lecturer at the University of Warsaw and the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, where he teaches courses on film history and analysis. Co-creator of the Timeless Film Festival Warsaw. Regularly publishes in „EKRANy”, „Tygodnik Powszechny”, and „Kwartalnik Filmowy”; is a regular guest on the „Kino Mówi” program on Ale Kino+. Co-hosts the English-language podcast „Foreign Correspondents: Deeper into Hitchcock” with Michał Oleszczyk and has written about film classics for Vogue.pl. Recipient of a Kościuszko Foundation scholarship (in 2020, he conducted classes on Polish cinema at Cleveland State University), collaborator with the New Horizons Festival, and winner of the Krzysztof Mętrak Award (2017). Co-author of collective works on film history: the Spanish-language monograph „La doble vida de Krzysztof Kieślowski”, „Kino afroamerykańskie”, and „David Lynch. Polskie spojrzenia”. He is currently preparing his doctoral dissertation at the American Studies Center.

Olga Sorkowska
A second-year sociology student at the University of Bialystok. Former leader of a Cub Scout troop in the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. Her interests include Polish politics, crime books and films, as well as true-crime stories. The best films she has recently watched are “Filip” (2022) and “Mother’s Day” (2023).

Maria Czajkowska
A fifth-year medical student at the Medical University of Bialystok. An avid enthusiast of books, history, cinema, and nature. Volunteer at this year’s edition of the Film and Art Festival “Dwa Brzegi” in Kazimierz Dolny. Her current cinematic interests revolve mainly around the abstraction and absurdity found in the films of Bareja and Monty Python, as well as intimate stories about relationships between two people. She loves spending time with close friends, visiting independent cinemas, walking with her camera, and exploring old buildings.

Borys Porowski
A student of Theatre Studies at the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. He has been passionate about theatre, film, and creative writing for years. A cat lover. He spends his free days riding his motorcycle.

Film Criticism, or How to Nurture Your Cinephilia
Is there anything more thrilling for a film enthusiast than simply watching movies? Sometimes, it’s writing and talking about them after a shared screening. During the workshop, various forms of film criticism will be discussed, and participants will reflect on their contemporary relevance. How should one write about films to get closer to their essence while maintaining a connection with the reader? Should a critic be familiar with the history of world cinema? How can directors and actors be discussed in an engaging manner? And finally: can practicing film criticism be a way to deepen one’s personal adventure with cinema? A collective brainstorming session will also allow participants to consider how to develop their passion both in front of and behind the camera, and how best to embark on this path at the start of a professional career.