25th BNP Paribas New Horizons International Film Festival

This major arthouse cinema festival will be held from July 17 to July 27, 2025. It features an international competition showcasing bold, unconventional films pushing cinematic boundaries. The festival includes retrospectives, thematic sections, concerts, exhibitions, and discussions, attracting over 140,000 attendees. The event is hybrid, with screenings both on-site and online extending beyond the in-person dates

Program Highlights: 25th International Film Festival BNP Paribas Nowe Horyzonty (NH25), Wrocław

General Overview

• Number of Films: 272 films, including 129 Polish premieres.
• Duration: Over 23,937 minutes of screenings.
• Venues: Kino Nowe Horyzonty, Dolnośląskie Centrum Filmowe, Wrocław Market Square, and—new this year—outdoor cinema at OPT Zamek in Leśnica.
• Online Access: Select films available online (July 17–27 for in-person, till August 3 online).

Special Guests & Events

• Over 500 international guests, including renowned directors and artists.
• Gala opening with The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho); festival appearance and film introduction by the director.
• Special events: exhibitions, concerts, workshops, lectures.

Featured Films & Competitions

• Opening Day Highlights:
  • Resurrection (Bi Gan)
  • Sirât (Oliver Laxe)
  • Dreams (Sex Love) (Dag Johan Haugerud, Berlin Golden Bear winner)
  • The Love That Remains (Hlynur Pálmason)
  • Nouvelle Vague (Richard Linklater)
  • Polish premiere and retrospective: The Assistant (Anka and Wilhelm Sasnal)
• Awards & Premieres:
  • Polish premiere of Urchin (Harris Dickinson), an Un Certain Regard winner at Cannes.
• International Competition: Twelve titles compete for the Grand Prix (€10,000), with a jury featuring acclaimed international filmmakers and curators.
• Audience Award: Winner receives €7,500.

Retrospectives & Focus Sections

• Key Retrospectives:
  • Glauber Rocha (Brazilian cinema)
  • Lee Chang-dong (Korean youth/coming-of-age)
  • Anne-Marie Miéville (collaborator of Jean-Luc Godard)
  • Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greek auteur, guest and masterclass speaker)
  • Special retrospective of Anka and Wilhelm Sasnal (including artist meetings and live events)

Thematic & Special Program Sections

• Filmy, które zostały? – Celebrating impactful films from festival history, including classics like Julien Donkey-Boyand Goodbye, Dragon Inn.
• Istoty Nocy (Night Beings): Focus on nightlife, clubbing culture, and nocturnal themes in cinema, with films from late 1970s onwards.
• Oslo/Reykjavik: Spotlight on Northern European cinema.
• Front Wizualny: Fusion of film and contemporary art.
• Trzecie Oko – Mommy Issues: Exploration of motherhood in film.
• Shortlista: Selection of diverse short films.
• Lost Lost Lost: Showcasing “lost” festival circuit gems.
• Nocne Szaleństwo: Night Madness—with unconventional, genre-bending titles.
• Smart7: Collaborations with European partner festivals.
• Odkrycia i Fale: Debuts and new works from rising filmmakers.
• Młode Horyzonty: Carefully curated films for young audiences.

Gala and Masters Showcases

• Galas/Master Directors: Major international festival hits, including:
  • It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi, Cannes Palme d’Or)
  • The Young Mothers’s Home (Dardenne brothers)
  • Two Prosecutors (Sergei Loznitsa)
  • The Little Sister (Hafsia Herzi)
  • Romería (Carla Simón)
  • Afternoons of Solitude (Albert Serra, San Sebastián winner)
  • Hard Truths (Mike Leigh)
  • Alpha (Julia Ducournau)

Open-Air and Community Events

• Open-Air Cinemas:
  • Screenings at Wrocław Market Square and in Leśnica, free to the public each evening.
  • Program includes festival hits and classics (Amelie, The Straight Story, Lalka, Parthenope, Salto).

Artistic, Interactive, and Club Events

• Visual Arts: Exhibitions, including archival photography and immersive installations (Ambient Room).
• Music & Clubbing: Evening concerts, DJ sets, and club events at Festiwalowy Klub in the city Arsenal.
• Workshops & Panels: Events on accessibility, sustainability, and cinema innovation.

Accessibility and Sustainability Initiatives

• Enhanced accessibility options: Audio description, subtitles (SDH), assistant support, and quiet zones.
• Eco-friendly practices implemented and communicated to visitors.

Partnerships & Sponsors

• Main supporters: Gmina Wrocław, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Polish Film Institute, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, BNP Paribas, Totalizator Sportowy (LOTTO), and others1.

This edition of Nowe Horyzonty reaffirms its reputation for innovative, boundary-pushing, and artistically ambitious cinema, with a special look back at its roots and a strong commitment to diverse, inclusive programming and sustainability.