From October 13–22, 2026, Kraków will once again become a place of intensive creative work, experimentation, and collaboration for young people who want to make films, develop their own projects, and learn the technologies that are transforming today’s audiovisual industry.
Applications are now open for the 21st edition of Film Spring Open Workshops — one of the largest interdisciplinary film and audiovisual workshops in Europe. It is ten days of teamwork under the guidance of acclaimed creators and industry experts, with access to professional equipment and the latest tools in image production, sound, post-production, animation, VR, AR, gaming, and artificial intelligence from some of the world’s leading technology companies.
For years, we have called Film Spring Open Workshops a festival of filmmaking. It is not just about attending lectures. Participants come to Kraków to work: to write, shoot, edit, experiment, make mistakes, improve, discover their own artistic language, and build teams that often continue collaborating long after the workshops end.
The workshops are designed for directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, editors, producers, animators, commercial creators, VFX specialists, VR and AR creators, game developers, programmers, new media creators, and everyone who wants to tell stories through images, technology, and imagination.
This year’s edition will place a strong focus on artificial intelligence in the audiovisual industry. AI will not be treated as a trendy buzzword, but as a practical working tool: from development and screenwriting to image generation and analysis, editing, post-production, advertising campaign design, and creative process organization.
The aim of the Workshops is to show young creators that technological change is not happening somewhere outside of their world — it is already part of their professional future. Participants will therefore be encouraged to use AI tools consciously, critically, and practically, not to replace their imagination, but to expand it.
“Today it is impossible to think about the future of cinema without discussing artificial intelligence. AI does not replace creators — it gives them new possibilities. People need to learn these tools, experiment with them, and understand their potential because the industry will not wait for those who stand still. The Workshops exist precisely to stay one step ahead of change.”
— Sławomir Idziak, founder and artistic director of Film Spring Open Workshops.
The special theme of the 21st edition will be “Dead Cineastes Society” — a playful reference to the idea of engaging in a dialogue with film masters and creators who shaped our imagination. It will be a special project prepared exclusively for registered Workshop participants.
This year’s edition of the Workshops will also feature a competition for a screenplay for a commercial film promoting Kraków under the slogan:
The competition is organized in cooperation with KBF — Krakow Festival Office.
Participants will be asked to develop a concept for an approximately 60-second promotional film presenting Kraków as a city of the future: a place for education, career opportunities, entrepreneurship, innovation, culture, and creative living.
The prize in the competition is participation in Film Spring Open Workshops 2026.
The organizers are looking for a fresh and original perspective on Kraków — not only as a city of historic landmarks but also as a living organism: academic, technological, business-oriented, and cultural.
Participants may draw on iconic locations such as the Old Town, Kazimierz, or Wawel, but they are also encouraged to explore less obvious areas such as Wesoła, Podgórze, Nowa Huta, and new places where the city’s contemporary energy is emerging.
The key themes of the competition include:
The competition is intended for people who want to combine storytelling with a real advertising brief. It offers an opportunity to develop a portfolio, test ideas in a professional environment, and enter the world of audiovisual production through practical experience.
Competition details
For people who do not want to wait for someone else to invite them into the industry.
For those who want to work in teams, test new technologies, develop their own projects, and meet people with whom they can create their next film, commercial, animation, game, installation, or AI project.
Film Spring Open Workshops are a place where art, technology, and business meet not in theory, but in practice.
If you want to make films, work with professional equipment, learn from experienced mentors, build your portfolio, and see what the future of the audiovisual industry looks like — Film Spring Open Workshops 2026 are for you.
Join a place where ideas turn into films.
Making-of from the previous edition
Photo documentation from the previous edition
in English 
in French 
in German 