Film year 2024 in Warsaw and Mazovia.
“Great Warsaw,” photo by Grzegorz Press
Warsaw and Mazovia shone on the screen again! The year 2024 brought a rash of film productions – from dark tales of the transforming capital, to touching love stories, to holiday hits that won the hearts of viewers. Cult streets, forgotten factories and suburban settings became the backdrop for works by Polish filmmakers, as well as international crews, proving that it is here that Poland’s cinematic heart beats.
“Assault,” Netflix photo by Bartosz Mrozowski
The beginning of 2024 was a period of intensive shooting for Michal Gazda’s “Robbery,” which made its debut on Netflix last fall. The creators of this story, inspired by true events and set in the 1990s, about a robbery in one of Warsaw’s banks, faced the daunting task of recreating transition-era Warsaw by looking for locations in the ungentrified areas of Wola and Praga. MAG Entertainment’s productions were shot at the Różycki Bazaar and the former FSO factory in Żerań, among other locations.
The principal photography for Kasia Adamik’s Winter Under the Crow was also shot in Warsaw in January. The first clap on the set was made in November 2023 in Luxembourg, at the beginning of the year the crew came to Bristol and then to Warsaw. In the picture, set in the reality of martial law, there will be no shortage of places characteristic of the capital, such as the Palace of Culture and Science and the Sofitel Victoria hotel. The filmmakers also worked on the set at Marszałkowska Street, the Avenue of Roses, Fort Wola, Praga Północ and Żyrardów. The producer of the film is Wilde Mouse Production.
“Letters to M. Farewells and Returns” © 2024 TVN Warner Bros. © 2024 TVN Warner Bros. Discovery & Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved, photo by Bartosz Mrozowski.
From February to April, the creators of the latest sixth installment of the hit series “Letters to M” worked on set. In the film “Letters to M. Farewells and Returns” in the Directed by Lukasz Jaworski The location of the action was traditionally largely the very center of Warsaw decorated with stellar elements. The shooting was carried out in Krakowskie Przedmieście and Poniatowski Bridge, among other places, and the Christmas market was staged in the Warsaw Breweries. However, the filmmakers also visited the right bank of the Vistula River shooting on Stalowa Street in Praga. However, a considerable part of the outdoor shooting for the film was not done in the space of Warsaw streets, but in a special TVN XR Studio in Sekocin using virtual production. Moving by car around the festive capital, the characters were placed among special led screens on which the pre-recorded outdoor areas were projected, simultaneously animating the car’s driving and adding special effects such as falling snow. The finished picture hit theaters in November and immediately became the biggest Polish cinema hit of recent months.
“Light sensitive,” photo by Karolina Grabowska
Also on the set in February was the crew of Tadeusz Sliwa’s “Light-Sensitive”, produced by Wonder Films – an unusual tale of love that unites a celebrity photographer with a blind girl he met during a session. The roles of the main characters are played by Ignacy Liss and Matilda Giegzno, and the background of the story set in Warsaw includes the Deepspot Diving Center, the Mazovian Hearing and Speech Center MEDINCUS, the National Museum, Mindspace Koszyki, the Italia Passage, the W-Z route tunnel, the Stegny Track and the Vistula boulevards with the Mermaid Monument, the Swietokrzyski Bridge and the Kalima barge moored nearby. Shooting for the film was completed in April, and it premiered on January 24 this year.
“Home good, sleep bad,” photo by Kamila Warda.
In early spring, however, Wojtek Smarzowski stepped onto the set in the village of Sokule near Zyrardow, and decided to tell the story of domestic violence in his film “Good House, Bad Dream.” Playing the main roles, Tomasz Schuchardt and Agata Turkot play a couple trapped in the matrix of a toxic relationship from which it is impossible to disentangle themselves. Lucky Bob was also shot in other suburban towns (such as Serock and Pruszkow) and in the capital itself, and is scheduled for release in the fall of 2025. The production was made with the support of the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Fund. The picture will be introduced to theaters by Warner Bros.
“Larp,” photo by Dagmara Szewczuk @dagsoon
In May, near Warsaw, the first clapper fell on the set of the film “LARP” – the feature-length debut of Konrad Kądziela, co-creator of the popular series “1670.” It’s the story of a teenager, a lover of fantasy field games, who can’t find his way among his school peers. The creators announce that it will be a funny and intelligent story about “coming of age, first love, independence from family and learning about one’s inner strength.” The lead role will be played by Filip Zaręba, making his screen debut, and he will be accompanied by Martyna Byczkowska, Bartlomiej Topa, Michal Balicki, Edyta Olszowka and Andrzej Konopka, among others. The film was produced by TFP, and the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Fund is a co-producer. “LARP” is listed in the theatrical previews of Distribution Says Service.
“Great Warsaw,” photo by Grzegorz Press
During the summer vacations, the Służewiec Race Track turned into the set of the picture “Great Warsaw”, which was also supported by the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Fund. It’s an adaptation of an unrealized script by the creator of “Soccer Poker” and “Big Shu” Jan Purzycki, which was taken up years later by debutant Bartlomiej Ignaciuk. The protagonist of the story is Krzysztof (Tomasz Ziętek), who comes from Sopot, a young jockey dreaming of sports fame. Coming to Warsaw is supposed to be a milestone in his career. He enters the world of Służewiec with the naivety of a novice and enthusiast. Only after some time does he realize that racing is a network of dependencies, powerful interests and manipulation of results…. MTL Maxfilm’s production is the first film almost entirely shot at the Służewiec Racecourse. The filmmakers spent as many as 24 shooting days there.
“Great Warsaw,” photo by Grzegorz Press
After a year’s hiatus, the makers of the youth comedy of manners “Fuck*zyć Mickiewicz,” directed by Sara Bustamante-Drozdek, returned to the set over the summer . The success of the film about Jan Sienkiewicz (Dawid Ogrodnik), who finds employment at Warsaw’s Stanislaw Bareja High School and must tame a class of rebellious and knowledge-resistant outcasts, led to the decision to produce a sequel. The Artrama production arrived in theaters on January 24, 2025.
During the summer, part of the shooting of the family comedy “Dziadek, wiejemy”, directed by Olga Chajdas , also took place on the Zegrze River. Furia Film’s production is a road cinema, the theme of which is the adventurous journey of crazy grandfather Jeremy (Jan Peszek) and his teenage granddaughter Jagoda (Anna Nowak) in search of the ship Light of the Sea. The film’s crew worked on the set in Białobrzegi, Tarczyn, Moczydłowie, Obory, Gassy and Czarnów Wydmy near Konstancin, as well as in Stare Bielany.
From June to August, Lukasz Palkowski‘s historical drama “Duel” was shot in the Modlin fortress near Warsaw. It is, filmed with British star Aidan Gillen, the story of a Russian officer who, in the reality of September 1939, tries to pull a group of interned Poles to his side. In addition to Gillen, the Bow & Axe Entertainment production stars Jakub Gierszał, Julia Pietrucha and Bogusław Linda in lead roles.
“Home good, sleep bad,” photo by Kamila Warda.
The latter, immediately after completing the shooting of “Duel,” proceeded to work on his next project. From September to October, work continued on the set of “The Assassination of the Pope,” directed by Wladyslaw Pasikowski. In the Wonder Films production, the creator of the cult films “Dogs” and “Kroll” intends to tell the story of the behind-the-scenes of the assassination attempt on John Paul II, which took place in St. Peter’s Square in Rome in 1981. The filmmakers recreated the famous Italian location in Warsaw’s Theatre Square. The shooting of “The Assassination of the Pope” was also carried out at the Palace of Culture and Science. We will see the results in October 2025.
The summer also saw the shooting of the Canal+ production “About the Dog Who Rode the Railway 2”, directed by Magdalena Nieć, which is a continuation of the famous family hit about the adventures of the delightful dog Lampo. In Warsaw, the film crew worked on the set in Park Moczydło, in Antoni Slonimski Square and Slonimski Square, as well as in Plac Europejskie and at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, whose campus plays the role of an American clinic on the screen. The filmmakers also visited the 19th-century Ojrzan Palace and Jadwisin Palace, located on Zegrzynski Lake. The historic Napoleon’s Redoubt, located in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, also appears on screen.
During the summer, Warsaw was also the set for the shooting of the shrouded in mystery international project “Eruption” by American director Pete Ohs. Fascinated by Warsaw, the filmmaker shot in the Polish capital the story of an explosive relationship between two women, played by British pop star Charli XCX and Polish actress Lena Gora.
“There are no ghosts in the apartment on Dobra,” photo by Dariusz Minkiewicz.
The crew of the Munk Studio SFP-produced picture “There are no ghosts in the apartment on Dobra”, which is the feature debut of the talented Emi Buchwald and a co-production of the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Fund, also entered the set during the vacation. The film, whose characters are four siblings entering adulthood, will feature locations in Saska Kępa that are familiar to Varsovians: Klubokawiarnia Towarzyska and the streets of Francuska, Saska, Królowej Aldony. The shooting also took place in Wola (Chlodna, Krochmalna and Wronia streets), Srodmiescie (Polna street) and Stare Bielany (Lesznowolska street), as well as on the premises of the Documentary and Feature Film Studio at Chelmska 21.
“There are no ghosts in the apartment on Dobra,” photo by Karolina Grabowska
From August 18 to October 3, work continued on the set of Lukasz Grzegorzek ‘s new film entitled “Three Loves ” (working title “Sicilian Lightning”) produced by Koskino and co-produced by the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Funds. It is a complicated story of an unusual love triangle. Jan, unable to come to terms with his divorce from Lena, rents an apartment opposite her windows. He watches her through a telescope, and installs a spy app on her phone. The film was shot at venues in Krakowskie Przedmieście, the Dramatic Theater, Warsaw’s Dom Technika, the Szum Restaurant in Wola, the Odesa Club on Kolejowa Street, the Warsaw Polytechnic University dormitory, as well as on Parade Square and the streets: Królewska, Swietokrzyska, Mazowiecka.
“Three loves” frame from the film
On September 7, the first clap on the set of Filip Bojarski’s “Black Hour” fell. The film is heralded as an intimate comedy-drama with a pinch of a musical for two tired voices of young female teachers unable to live without each other, who face a series of contemporary obstacles, with humiliating housing castings at the forefront. The shooting was carried out at the Jan Kiliński School Complex in Żoliborz, as well as in Mokotów, Praga Północ and Bemowo. SFP’s Munk Studio is responsible for the production.
The makers of Kuba Michalchuk’s “In-laws 3” also spent September and October 2024 on the set. The background to the family adventures will be this time, organized in the province, a christening. For the set of this celebration, the producers from Akson Studio chose Wesoola, near Warsaw. In the cast, the four title in-laws, namely Maja Ostaszewska, Iza Kuna, Adam Woronowicz and Marcin Dorocinski, are joined by Magdalena Poplawska and Wojciech Mecwaldowski. Premiere: September 2025.
“The altar boys,” photo by Luke Bak.
In turn, the shooting of Piotr Domalewski’s “The Altar Boys,” which had been underway since August, ended in late October. Aurum Film’s production is the story of a group of teenage altar boys from a parish on a block of flats, who, armed with youthful rebellion and their own interpretation of Scripture, decide to set up a bug… in the confessional. The film was shot in Warsaw, including the Evangelical-Reformed Parish Church on Solidarności Avenue and in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. The cast, in addition to the teenagers playing the main roles, included Kamila Urzędowska, Tomasz Schuchardt, Slawomir Orzechowski and Artur Paczesny. “Ministers” is co-produced by the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Fund.
“The altar boys,” photo by Susanna Woinska.
Warsaw could not be missing either in the biggest Polish production of 2024, that is, the Akson Studio-produced film “Chopin, Chopin” by Michal Kwiecinski, with Eryk Kulm Jr. in the title role. Although the script focuses on the Parisian period of the composer’s life, and principal photography was shot in Bordeaux, France, and Mallorca, the filmmakers also worked in Warsaw. During 8 shooting days in October, filming took place in the Avenue of Roses, the interiors of the Church of the Evangelical-Reformed Parish on Solidarności Avenue, as well as in Wilanów and Żerań.
“Chopin Chopin,” photo by Jaroslaw Sosinski
SERIES
In the first months of 2024, Warsaw and nearby towns were the shooting location for the new season of the series “Klangor” produced by CANAL+ Poland. Directed by Lukasz Kosmicki, the second installment of the series is to be a completely new story, with Malgorzata Gorol playing the main role. So-called interiors of scenes set in the script were shot in Warsaw locations, including Swinoujscie, Dziwnów and even… Berlin. Berlin scenes were shot in the Chmury Club and the Design Loft 22 hostel, located on November 11 Street in the Praga district of Warsaw. The Mazovian Rynia Port “played” the Szczecin Lagoon, and the Marina Diana Hotel in Białobrzegi became the Amber Hotel in Międzyzdroje for the purposes of the film. The “Klangor” crew also worked. among others, in Milanowek, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki, Jadwisin, Wesola, Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Serock.
From the set of “Klangor”, Lukasz Kosmicki smoothly moved on to the shooting of the next series of CANAL+ Poland – “Education XD”. which is a continuation of the adventures of the characters of the famous “Emigration XD”. Played by Tomasz Włosok and Michał Balicki, Malcolm and Stomil returned to the country after their emigration stay in the UK to clash with the reality of college and the realities of the Polish capital. The crew shot, among others, in the complex of the Academic Hospital on W. Oczki Street, in the UNITRA building on Nowogrodzka Street, in the House of Friendship on Przechodnia Street, on the grounds of the Warsaw Aeroclub, in the interiors of the Palace of Culture and Science, on Grzybowski Square, in the vicinity of the Powazki Cemetery, in the bazaar on Gotarda Street in Mokotow, and in the former headquarters of the North Korean Embassy on Bobrowiecka Street. The filmmakers also visited Kawęczyn, Konstancin and Czersk. The last clapper on the set fell in early September.
“Minute of Silence 2,” photo. Canal+
During the winter and early spring, shooting continued on the set of the series “Aniela,” for which Jakub Piątek and Kuba Czekaj are responsible. The Balapolis production for Netflix tells the story of a middle-aged woman played by Malgorzata Kozuchowska, whose entire life falls apart at some point. As a result of unfortunate events, she has to move to Warsaw’s Praga district, where she meets and falls in love with a local gangster. In addition to Praga, the filmmakers also shot in Mokotow and Srodmiescie, among other places. The premiere date of “Aniela” is unknown for now.
From March to June, the creators of the comedy series “Minute of Silence 2,” directed by Jacek Lusinski and starring Robert Więckiewicz as a funeral industry tycoon, worked on the set. As for the open-air locations of Aurum Films’ production for CANAL+ Poland, they were used, as in the case of the first installment of the series: Minsk Mazowiecki, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Lomianki, Pruszków, Góry and Jadwiniew.
“Lady Love” TVN Warner Bros. Discovery, photo by Marcin Makowski
April saw the start of shooting for the TVN-produced Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Lady Love” series by Bartek Konopka, which tells the story of a girl from communist Poland who, after escaping to West Germany, makes a career in the adult film industry. The reality of the 1980s was recreated on screen using, among other locations, the interiors of Warsaw’s SPATiF and Gruba Kaśka clubs and the now-defunct Adria restaurant on Moniuszki Street, Kopinska Hall and the grounds of the former FSO factory in Żerań. The shooting was also carried out on the grounds of the psychiatric hospital in Tworki, the Glinianka swimming pool near Warsaw and the luxurious Alexandrinum Hotel near Warsaw. The last clapper on the set fell in July, and the series hit the MAX platform in early 2025.
At the end of January 2025, the series “Przesmyk”, directed by Jan P. Matuszyński, filmed from March to July 2024, premiered on the MAX platform. It’s a thriller thriller showing viewers the contemporary intelligence community during the nascent Polish-Russian conflict. In Warsaw, the crew worked on set at, among others, the Orthodox Church on Solidarności Avenue, the WOLF building on Marszalkowska Street and the Geological Museum on Rakowiecka Street, which played the role of the Prime Minister’s Office. The filmmakers also shot at the Museum of Józef Piłsudski in Sulejówek, the Palace in Grzmiąca and the Military Armament Technical Institute in Zielonka.
“Isthmus” TVN Warner Bros. Discovery, photo by Anna Włoch
In the spring, Warsaw was also the set of the international production of the third season of the science-fiction series “Foundation,” based on Isaac Asimov’s prose. The crew of the series, produced by the Apple TV+ platform, found futuristic objects in the Polish capital that reflect the specifics of distant civilizations. In April, among others, the famous Temple of Divine Providence in Wilanów was turned into a set.
From May to August, work continued on the set of the fourth season of “The Office PL”. The popular comedy series about the adventures of the Kropliczanka mineral water producer’s crew was produced in realities already well known from the screen on the site of the former FSO plant in Żerań, and Maciej Bochniak once again sat in the director’s chair. The series hit the airwaves of CANAL+ Poland at the beginning of December 2024.
“A Decent Man” TVN Warner Bros. Discovery, photo by Agnieszka Jurek-Opalińska
A similar period saw the shooting of the series “A Decent Man,” directed by Aleksandra Terpinskaya. The TVN production Warner Bros. Discovery is the story of a high-class cardiac surgeon, whose seemingly ideal and well-ordered life begins to totter in the foundations when he makes one ill-considered decision. The shooting, with Krzysztof Czeczot playing the main character (who is also the originator of the series), took place from May to July in Wilanów, Powiśle and Saska Kępa districts, as well as in the cemetery on Żytnia Street and the former Party House at the de Gaulle Roundabout, and in the suburban towns of Lesznowola, Wilga, Konstancin, Pruszków and Zalesie Górne.
Shooting began in June on the series “City of Frost,” directed by Anna Kazejak, which Akson Studio is producing for the Max platform. It’s a dark drama in which a fight over the inheritance of a deceased father causes numerous family secrets and conflicts to start coming to light. The crew worked on the set until the end of December, with shooting taking place at the Infant Jesus Clinical Hospital on Lindley Street, on the grounds of the Water Construction Company on Modlinska Street, at the House of Friendship on Przechodnia Street, and near Warsaw – at the cemetery in Wesola, in Milanowek, Izabelin and at the former “Dźwigar” Recreation Center in Popowo.
“City of Frost” by TVN Warner Bros. Discovery, photo by Piotr Żagiell
The autumn months were also filled with shooting for the second season of “Pati” – the popular spin-off of TVN’s flagship series Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Convicted.” Adrian Panek and Bartlomiej Ignaciuk are in charge of the episodes, which were shot from September to the end of December. Although the series is set in the Tri-City, the crew also worked on the set in Warsaw and the suburban towns of Konstancin-Jeziorna, Zalesie and Otwock.
Part of the shooting of the miniseries “Lead Children,” directed by Maciej Pieprzyca and telling the story of the lead epidemic that occurred in Upper Silesia in the 1970s, was also shot in Warsaw in the second half of 2024. The production’s principal photography, starring Joanna Kulig and Agata Kulesza, was shot in Swietochlowice, but a large part of the shooting (mainly interiors) was done in Warsaw. Orient Film is responsible for producing the series for the Netflix platform.
In autumn, meanwhile, shooting for the continuation of the cult series “1670”, directed by Maciej Buchwald and Kordian Kądziela, took place in a hall near Warsaw. Telling the adventures of the villagers of Adamczycha, the Akson Studio production will hit Netflix’s library in the second half of 2025.
“Langer,” photo by Przemyslaw Paczkowski SkyShowtime
During the autumn months, the shooting of the series “Langer” based on the bestselling novel by Remigiusz Mroz was also carried out in Warsaw. The plot of the production revolves around a young businessman Piotr Langer (Jakub Gierszał), who has committed numerous murders over the years, but still remains elusive to investigators…. Directed by Lukasz Palkowski, the production for SkyShowtime will also feature Julia Pietrucha, Piotr Adamczyk, Magdalena Boczarska, Kamil Nozynski, Mila Jankowska, Karol Pochecia, Piotr Rogucki and Mateusz Kościukiewicz. Premiere later this spring.
Warsaw and its environs also served as the set of Disney’s first Polish production, the series “Breslau”, directed by Leszek Dawid. As the (working) title of the production indicates, the plot telling the story of the investigation led by police commissioner Franz Podolsky (Tomasz Schuchardt) is set in pre-war Wrocław, and it was there that most of the shooting, for which the ATM Studio crew was responsible, took place between April 20 and mid-August 2024. However, the filmmakers also visited Mazovia, using interiors and preserved historical buildings.
SHORTS
As every year, short films were also shot in Warsaw. Students of film schools shot their shorts, as well as young filmmakers making films in the SFP Munk Studio’s Thirty Minutes program. As part of this program, the crew of “Cicho coraz chłodniej”, directed by Joanna Różniak, went on set in April, and shooting took place at the Falenica Cinema House, in Wawer and Grochów, among other places. In June, meanwhile, the shooting of Adam Porębowicz’s “Macocha” took place, and the crew worked in, among others, the Morskie Oko Park on Pulawska Street, the Jordan Garden on Saska Street, the Skaryszewski Park and the “Fikolki” Playroom in the North Gallery in Białołęka. In October, the Blue City shopping center in Ochota was the location for the shooting of “Contra” by Michal Mieszczyk, and in November, the second installment of shooting for “Ghosts” by Karol Ulman was carried out at PKP facilities in Olszynka Grochowska.
The titles described in the text are, of course, not all productions set in Warsaw and the Mazovian province. However, they give an idea of the scale of the shoots that were carried out.
Photo: Netflix at the 2024 Gdynia Film Festival.
A total of 697 shooting permits were issued in Warsaw during the 12 months of 2024, which translated into 1276 shooting days. To this should be added a number of shoots carried out in facilities, halls and studios located within the city, as well as pictures made using the so-called reporter method. The districts of Śródmieście, Praga Północ, Mokotów and Praga Południe were the most popular among filmmakers.
Rafal Pawlowski
