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Poland’s New Horizons International Film Festival has appointed Dorota Lech as its new festival director.
Polish-born film curator, script consultant and writer, Lech has worked for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) since 2013, leading the Discovery program and selecting films from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.
She has curated retrospectives and special screenings at institutions such as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and the TIFF Cinémathèque. She has also been a guest lecturer at the Łódź Film School, New York University, and Harvard University’s Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies. As a freelance writer, she has contributed to Film Quarterly, MUBI Notebook and Vanity Fair.
“I hope that my return to the region will better support my knowledge and connections in order to bring cinema from this part of the world to North America,” she told Variety.
Lech’s family moved from Poland to Canada when she was a child.
“I learned English and French by watching movies and television, and during those years when we couldn’t return, we visited Poland through cinema,” she said. “Cinema has always been my home and simultaneously, my home away from home.”
She’s no stranger to the Wrocław-based event.
“I’ve been a not-so-secret admirer for ages, and it’s no hyperbole to say it’s genuinely my favorite festival in the world. I’m from Lower Silesia, the southwestern region where it takes place, and have memories of the early editions before I started working in film,” she recalled.
“From the POV of a local who now works in the industry, I was shocked when this position, previously held by my dear friend Marcin Pieńkowski, opened. This is my dream job and I can’t believe that I’ve inherited such a gem!”
She plans to “uphold the ethos of this beloved event, continuing to uplift artists and engage the loyal audience with the same integrity as in past years.”
“One upside of being an immigrant, at least in my case, is that I learned to adapt to change from an early age and to view it as a positive force. For me, this new adventure signals the possibility for professional and personal growth, and I’m thrilled to discover where the road leads.”
Lech will now lead the curatorial team composed of co-artistic directors Małgorzata Sadowska and Ewa Szabłowska. Together with Weronika Czołnowska, she will oversee the development and growth of the industry program, including its flagship event Polish Days, and collaborate with Ula Śniegowska, director of NHIFF’s sister event American Film Festival.
“There’s an incredible team of women at the New Horizons Association,” she said, also mentioning Paulina Jaroszewicz, responsible for NH Distribution label, as well as production director Alicja Kowalska and financial director Joanna Staros.
“There are of course many more people, including men and non-binary folks, as it truly takes a village – in our case, a village of around 80 people – to run such a world-class organization.”
She added: “[I] can confidently say that Poland has a remarkable history of storytelling, artistry, and craftsmanship, as well as endless potential and budding talent, and, moreover, the conditions for these forces to collide.”
“When I have the opportunity to speak with our founder Roman Gutek, who’s a legend, and discuss the tapestry of our industry, I’m humbled by the rich history and how many national artists and films one could draw inspiration from. I can only hope that our filmmakers feel similarly and are also inspired and motivated.”
Gutek said that Lech’s curatorial and festival experience, international contacts, and openness to collaboration “guarantee the continuation of the festival’s original vision and development.”
“I’m confident about its future. The New Horizons International Film Festival is in good hands.”
The upcoming 26th edition of the festival will be held July 23 – Aug. 2, 2026.
English (US) ·