2024’s Biennale wasn’t full of surprises or any exceptional titles, but this edition brought back something that has always been important for such events: the stars’ glitz and the fireworks that reminded us why we love actors and directors in the first place.

What is always surprising in this festival is the jury’s verdict. This year, the top prize was given to Pedro Almodóvar for his slightly tedious The Room Next Door, which surely did not deserve the main award. Nonetheless, such events already got us used to such unfortunate choices, which are more related to the jury’s sentiments and personal affiliations, than actually being objective towards cinematic art. 

Furthermore, in 2024, there were no Polish films and we only witnessed the premiere of one Eastern European film, April, directed by a young, Georgian woman filmmaker, Dea Kulumbegashvili. However, Agnieszka Holland was a part of one of the main juries, so it seems that her fellow filmmakers had somewhat appreciated her work, at least.

Unfortunately, this edition wasn’t (professionally) fulfilling for journalists, including the Polish ones. The lack of interview options with A-star surnames appeared to minimise work opportunities for journalists, Polish or otherwise. Such discontent was indicated by Anna Tatarska (Vogue Poland, TVN and many more), who signed an international open letter, which is proof of journalists’ recent frustrations. Furthermore, she wrote a public post on her Facebook page, stating that journalists’ work at film festivals is “an uphill battle.”

Luckily, there are also people who are full of new work and projects. These are the ones responsible for the second side of the same film business: here, we are talking about producers and distributors, who are always making new titles being shown in Poland as soon as possible. Their role is crucial in the entire film process, however, we tend to forget how impactful their jobs can really be. 

In the end, the Biennale is an enjoyable film festival, which has its own, slow Italian flow that makes us feel like we are all lost in time. Yet, it’s also a love-and-hate relationship for the people from the industry, which might imply that in the near future, something will have to finally change, or the amount of attending journalists will only start to decrease. Thus, the promotion of new films and stars will start belonging to the past. 

Author: Jan Tracz