Friday at the Festival: 8 Meetings, Exhibition Opening, and Silent Disco
Today’s look: jeans, brimmed hats, and maybe even spurs – though if you go for spurs, watch your step in the screening rooms! This festival Friday, we’re heading to the Wild West to explore the Women of the American Frontier section, showcasing powerful portraits of women. Be sure to stop by Studio BWA Wrocław for the opening of I Wish I Was a Yellow Dog at 7:00 pm, an exhibition of Lora Webb Nichols’ photography that inspired this entire section.
Today you can choose from 37 screenings at New Horizons Cinema, eight Q&A sessions with festival filmmakers, and a Reading America session with Maciej Jarkowiec. As the night rolls in, join us for the birthday Silent Disco at New Horizons Cinema. We’re kicking off the festival weekend!
Meetings and events | agenda
- 12:45 pm – Eephus, dir. Carson Lund
Guest: Tyler Taormina (producer)
- 12:45 pm – Familiar Touch, dir. Sarah Friedland
Guest: Sarah Friedland
- 3:45 pm – No Sleep Till, dir. Alexandra Simpson
Guests: Alexandra Simpson, Tyler Taormina (producer)
- 6:45 pm – The French Italian, dir. Rachel Wolther
Guest: Rachel Wolther
- 6:45 pm – Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, dir. Tyler Taormina
Guest: Tyler Taormina
- 7:00 pm – Opening of I Wish I Was a Yellow Dog, a photography exhibition by Lora Webb Nichols | Studio BWA Wrocław
- 7:00 pm – Reading America | Na bulwarach czyhają potwory. Filmowa historia Ameryki by Maciej Jarkowiec
- 9:30 pm – Penelope, dir. Mel Eslyn
Guests: Mel Eslyn, Jett Fink (producer)
- 9:30 pm – Ghostlight, dir. Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson
Guests: Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson
- 9:45 pm – American Shorts: Short Film Set
Guest: Mel Eslyn, Jett Fink
- 11:00 pm – Silent Disco: AFF’s 15th Birthday Party
Lora Webb Nichols Photography Exhibition: I Wish I Was a Yellow Dog| 7:00 pm
Nearly twenty-four thousand photographs documenting the lives of pioneer families from Encampment, a town in southern Wyoming, have been preserved in the archives of Lora Webb Nichols. This unique testimony to a time and place in the early 20th century in the Wild West has been rescued from oblivion by Nancy Anderson. Spanning three eras and following the lives of three women, the exhibition – accompanying the 15th American Film Festival – combines elements of a photo album, reportage, letters, diaries, and a fact-based novel. Join us for the opening at Studio BWA Wrocław. Free admission, subject to availability.
Reading America: a conversation with Maciej Jarkowiec, author of Na bulwarach czyhają potwory. Filmowa historia Ameryki | 7:00 pm
Which way is the border of reality and fiction? Is it possible to see it in America, to delineate it? Who is lying to whom here? Is it Hollywood that’s pushing bullsh*t on America? Or is America a story crafted for the screen? “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” wrote Joan Didion. In America, perhaps more than anywhere, stories are told on screen – America feeds its cinema, and you are what you eat. Intrigued? Join us for a thought-provoking discussion with Maciej Jarkowiec, led by Karolina Pasternak. Wrocław Literature House / Klub Proza, Przejście Garncarskie 2. Free admission, subject to availability.
Silent Disco: AFF’s Birthday Party | 11:00 pm
Quickstep, jive, swing. Or your own freestyle dance. Every dance move is welcome, because the occasion is special: the American Film Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary. For the night, New Horizons Cinema will transform into a three-floor club, playing the best of American (and more) music, where you can dance until the early hours (3:00 am, to be exact).
All states of cinema and more: the VR Experience
Uncovering all states of cinema is one thing. At this year’s AFF, we go even further. Step into a unique VR experience to witness one of the most pivotal moments in modern U.S. history up close: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Don’t miss JFK Memento – a compelling journey worth your attention.
Psst! If you’re looking for pleasures for the palate – check out our list of friendly establishments offering exclusive deals and discounts throughout the festival.
Follow the trail of recommended places
Dress in style. Check out our merch
Alaskan moose, California bear, or the ever-iconic American eagle? Choose your favorite animal and grab a festival tote! Throw in something from New Horizons’ clothing collection and the iconic Miłość (Love) soap by 4 Szpaki.
Festival Saturday
45 screenings, 11 Q&A sessions with filmmakers, a “Facts or Acts?” conversation with Podkast amerykański (American Podcast), Łukasz Pawłowski as our Reading America guest, the Pełna Sala film club (DKF), a guided curatorial tour at Studio BWA Wrocław, and... no slowing down here! The weekend at the 15th American Film Festival rolls on.
