A gritty cop drama Once Upon a Time in the East (CZ, SK) tells the story of Captain Miky Miko (Alexander Bárta), a police officer and an operative who lives on the edge of the law in the wild environment of Eastern Slovakia in the early 90s. In a fragile symbiosis, mafia gangs coexist here, undercover with the SIS, businessmen paying protection racket, and local police, rewarded for turning a blind eye to the crimes of "our" people. When Miky's bosses assign him a young, inexperienced partner Igor "Moly" Molnár (Juraj Loj), they realize how similar they are in many ways. Together, they dare to investigate a mobster who is protected from the highest place in the state. A sequence of events ends with Moly's death. Miky decides to take revenge, which puts him at war with the police and the Secret Service. Only with the help of his girlfriend and former colleague Lepeňák, the real survival game begins.

Directed by director and producer Rudolf Biermann, who also co-directed the crime drama Scumbag (2020), and produced by IN Film Praha, Cinemart and its Slovak counterpart Cinemart SK, Biermann's film, set for the international premiere, will vie for the recognition in the International Competition.

War Correspondent (CZ, SK, UA) on the other hand takes the viewers into the war-ravaged Ukraine. Through the reporter Martin Dorazín, we discover the ordinary life of ordinary people, exposed to the effects of war for a long time. The film intends to show the power that actually decides wars. It is not victory on the front, but the resilience of the home front – no matter which side wins, people will still live where they lived. The film explores the theme of societal resilience through the eyes of a war correspondent, through his work with sound in radio reports. Directors also refer to the context outside the war itself – a society is only as strong as its weakest individual. Failure usually does not occur where people have come together, because coming together itself increases the chances of the whole surviving. This is a theme that also speaks to a society not directly threatened by war.

Directed by screenwriter and director Benjamin Tuček (Trash on Mars) and documentarist and cinematographer David Čálek (Stop Time), working together for the first time, and produced by Václav Flegl of Sounderground along with the Atelier.doc (SK) and Braha Production Company (UA), the film will see its world premiere in the Documentary Competition. The Czech Film Fund supported the creation of the film with 75,000 EUR.

Year of the Widow (CZ, SK, HR), a feature debut by documentarist Veronika Lišková (The Visitors), which opened the Finále Plzeň Film Festival this year, follows Petra, a young widow, as she navigates deep grief and bureaucratic challenges after a sudden loss. As the film progresses, it broadens into an exploration of coping, societal norms, and individual autonomy.

Produced by Tomáš Michálek and Kristýna Michálek Květová of Cinémotif Films in co-production with Slovakia and Crotia, the film will see its international premiere in the 1-2 Competition. The Czech Film Fund supported the production of the film with 368,000 EUR.

Wet Monday (PL, EE, CZ), a co-production between Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic, tells the story of Klara (15), who was raped by a masked boy on Wet Monday, a traditional Polish Easter festivity popular with teenagers. Almost a year later, nine days before the trauma anniversary, Klara starts to suffer from an acute fear of water. Her older sister, Marta, advises her to ignore the problem and focus on attending Wet Monday, but Klara is determined to find a cure. Seeking healing, Klara experiments with esoteric healing rituals with her new friend Diana. The film is a captivating story, exploring the challenges of adolescence, the journey toward recovery from trauma, and the healing power of empathy.

Directed by Justyna Mytnik and produced by Bionaut on the Czech side, the film graces the Free Spirit Competition. The Czech Film Fund supported the production of the film with 79,000 EUR.

Joko (PL, DE, CZ) is a grotesque, Kafkaesque narrative of exploitation and domination, which premiered at the Annecy IAFF earlier this year. The film focuses on family breadwinner Joko, who faces humiliation when forced to carry city notables on his back, leading to a struggle between dignity and the lure of money. Directed by Polish animator Izabelą Plucińską, awarded with a Silver Bear at the 2005 Berlinale, and produced by Martin Vandas of MAUR film on the Czech side, the film received support from the Czech Film Fund in the minority program amounting 47,000 EUR.

Browse the Warsaw Film Festival catalogue HERE.