We’re unveiling the poster for the 20th Five Flavours Film Festival!
We’re thrilled to share this year’s visual identity. A dynamic Fire Horse at full gallop will represent the 20th edition of the Festival! The design continues the series launched last year, with motifs woven into the background surrounding the animal. These draw inspiration from both the Festival’s thematic sections and individual films, offering a first glimpse of what’s in the upcoming programme.
This year, we’ll once again present a country focus and return to our auteur retrospective, which will spotlight the work of one of the greatest masters of genre cinema in film history. We’ll also have plenty to nourish your spiritual side. A special highlight will be the Anniversary Section, curated with your help. Read on for the key dates and start planning your autumn with Five Flavours.
About the horse
Let’s hear from Przemysław Ostaszewski, who, under the name Pan Przemysław, has for years been creating graphics so beloved by the Five Flavours audience. Here’s what he says about his work:
Drawing a horse and getting it right is always something to be proud of. There’s a meme comparing the quality of Game of Thrones seasons to a sketch of a horse: it starts out well, but the further you go, the more crooked and primitive the lines become. It crossed my mind many times along the way, but beyond the technical challenge, this is a subject close to my heart. As it happens, my mum is a watercolourist, and horses hold a special place in her work.
This horse is one of a kind: its coat glows with the colour of molten lava, its tail is made of flame, and its mane of smoke. It gallops towards you through the Vietnamese wetlands under the glow of the moon and seems ready to burst out of the frame. It is free and determined; nothing and no one can stop its force. A Buddhist temple emerges in the distance, while the silhouette of a sleeping city stretches along the horizon. The moon phase? Of course, a full moon, bringing with it a whole constellation of meanings that connect the poster with the film section devoted to spirituality.
This year’s illustration is a digital tapestry, combining the entirely traditional technique of freehand drawing with algorithm-controlled grain, known as dithering. To achieve this effect, I created a tool that allowed me to bring out depth and a precise level of detail in an aesthetic suspended between the analogue and digital worlds, equally close to retro video games and traditional weaving.
The Symbolism of the Fire Horse
This year’s festival identity draws inspiration from the lunar symbolism of the Fire Horse. It is one of the most dynamic signs of the Chinese zodiac, representing courage, freedom and boundless energy. The Fire Horse does not stand still: it charges forward, forges new paths, trusts its intuition and embraces change. It brings new beginnings, the courage to take risks and the strength to follow its own path.
It is also a sign that leaves no room for stagnation. In its world, there is no place for boredom, only movement, intensity and a constant curiosity about what awaits around the next corner. This is how we imagine the anniversary edition of Five Flavours: a celebration full of discoveries, encounters, emotions and films that stay with us long after the credits roll. The Fire Horse guides us through this extraordinary year, moving boldly and with determination towards new challenges.
The 20th edition of Five Flavours
We have an exceptional year ahead of us: Five Flavours, Poland’s only festival entirely dedicated to Asian cinema, will celebrate its 20th edition. The anniversary edition will take place from 10 to 17 November at Warsaw cinemas, while the online programme will make the festival films available to audiences across Poland until 6 December.
We want to celebrate this milestone together – which is why you, our audience, are helping shape a significant part of the programme. The Anniversary Section, selected through a public vote, will offer a chance to revisit the films that, over the past two decades, have made the strongest mark on the Festival’s history and on the memories of our audience. These are the titles that sparked the warmest reactions and liveliest discussions, introduced Polish audiences to new filmmakers, and have over time become true Five Flavours classics.
Key dates for the 20th Five Flavours
- Start of festival pass sales for the 20th Five Flavours
3 September - Full programme announcement and start of ticket sales
20 October - Opening of the 20th Five Flavours Film Festival
10 November - End of the 20th Five Flavours in-cinema edition in Warsaw; New Asian Cinema Competition winners announced
17 November - End of the 20th Five Flavours online edition
6 December
Application and recruitment deadlines
- Recruitment for the People’s Jury until
31 August - Announcement of the results of the People’s Jury application process
10 September - Deadline for entries to the second edition of the Jagoda Murczyńska Competition
13 September - Volunteer applications open
16 September - Announcement of the winners of the second edition of the Jagoda Murczyńska Competition
13 October
Five Flavours Replicas
This year, the Five Flavours universe is once again expanding beyond Warsaw. The anniversary edition will also be partially available during the Five Flavours Replicas - our satellite editions, organised in collaboration with partner cinemas and cultural institutions in Poznań, Łódź and Wrocław.
Dates for the Five Flavours Replicas
- Five Flavours Replica in Łódź (Cinema at the National Centre for Film Culture)
12–15 November - Five Flavours Replica in Wrocław (Cinema New Horizons)
12–15 November - Five Flavours Replica in Poznań (Pałacowe Cinema at Zamek Cultural Center)
19–22 November
