We are pleased to announce the call for films for:

EDUKINO FILM FESTIVAL - FORCES OF LIFE

The festival is dedicated to the forces of life – mental and spiritual sources of hope, peace, strength to face adversity, joy… What is it that makes/helps people enjoy life, manage in difficulties, overcome barrirs, not to give up... finally thrive? We call it "force of life". How do people find forces of life in them? How do they nourish them? Forces of life seem so natural, but often, when everything falls apart, when adversity, loneliness and discouragement come, it turns out that there are none. As a result, so many people are not satisfied with life, do not enjoy it, do not see the future ahead, do not find the strength to face their life's challenges ...

We invite films from around the world, in various ways depicting mental and spiritual forces of life in the characters who face personal limitations, or adversity, or disillusionment, sadness, fear, self-doubt, loneliness, depression, etc., and make an effort to overcome them, to cherish hope for better future and work for it, to get back to happy, fulfilled life… regardless of whether they succeed or not. We invite films that will touch our audience, have them understand more about personal crisis, hopelessness and depression, as well as about inner sources of life; We invite films that will inspire the viewers with stories of hope.
Welcome are also films devoted to practices developing and supporting inner forces of life.

Filmmakers from less well-off countries can apply for free entrance waiver code.

The festival FORCES OF LIFE is going to be a special event – not only a great film festival, but also an event promoting mental and spiritual sources of strength, joy and peace etc., that enable people coping with burdens of life. More and more people all over the world are overwhelmed with problems, suffer from depression, are no longer able to face the challenges and pain of life, see no future ahead. They need stories and messages of hope.

The Festival will be held in November. The festival films will be screened at the Cinema Kępa in PROM Kultury on 8-10 November and on 12-30 November will be presented to our on-line audience via screening.

The topic of inner forces that favor life and enable us facing challenges and adversities, is in line with the mission of EDUKINO Film Festival. For 13 years our festival has been broadening audiences' perspectives and helping them understand the world and people. We focus on socially conscious young cinema – on films that make phenomena, challenges and problems faced by people in different parts of the world deeply touch and move the viewers, so that they can understand more, become more aware, revise their views and attitudes…

The concept of LIFE FORCES was formulated by the psychologist and philosopher Viktor Frankl. Frankl believed that the forces of life are an innate and inseparable part of human nature – complex psychological constructs conducive to development and finding the meaning of life. They consist of beliefs, attitudes, motivations, values and other aspects of personality, which sum up to a powerful force that helps a person in difficult times. A man motivated by the forces of life is more willing to take risks, overcome obstacles and achieve goals. It is also easier for him to maintain hope and optimism in the face of adversity.

Awards & Prizes


• Golden Copernicus for the best short feature film (up to 30 min.)
• Golden Copernicus for the best medium length feature film (up. to 70 min.)
• Golden Copernicus for the best full length feature film (up to 90 min)
• Golden Copernicus for the best short documentary (up to 30 min.)
• Golden Copernicus for the best medium length documentary (up to 70 min.)
• Golden Copernicus for the best full length documentary (up to 90 min.)
• The Board of Psychologists' Special Award for the best film on Forces of Life
• The Festival Audience Award

Rules & Terms

The 14th EDUKINO Film Festival FORCES OF LIFE will take place in the first decade of November 2023 at Cinema Kępa, PROM Kultury, Poland and will be held on-line as well.

• Films entered for the festival should deal with how people cope with or become overwhelmed and defeated by personal limitations, adversity, fear, self-doubt, loneliness, depression, etc., how the resilient ones find inner forces enabling them to survive crisis, cherish hope for better future in spite of devastating problems, struggle from depression back to life... Welcome are films dealing with depression.
Welcome are films showing (their heroes use) inner sources, ways or means which empower people in crisis, give them hope and help overcome adversity. Welcome are films devoted to practices strengthening inner forces of life.

• The deadline for submitting films to the competition is September 20, 2023.

• Submitted films may last from 10 to 90 minutes and should be produced no earlier than January 1, 2020.

• The entrants are expected to provide their films together with film trailers and short bio notes + photo, as well as short (up to 100 words) dsecriptions of entered films.

• All the entered films, trailers and interviews have to have subtitles in English (including the films where English is spoken.

• Films should be submitted with English dialogue lists via the platform FilmFreeway.

• Entrants are expected to provide the festival organizers with licenses to screen their films, interviews and film trailers as well as to present them to the festival on-line audience in streaming.
34 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Allee Chance

    Really great festival. Professionally run and the organizers have a fundamental commitment to educational filmmaking

    January 2024
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  • American Brightlight

    A very important and well-organized festival with a sense of responsibility that you will witness from the organizers. Looking forward to meeting again.

    December 2023
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  • Patrice Cordonnier

    The Edukino Film Festival is one of the finest festivals I've ever been lucky enough to attend. Its editorial line is clear and full of meaning : to recognize and disseminate cinematographic works that combine aesthetics and thought (social, philosophical, or psychological).

    Each year has its specific theme. 2023 was Force of Life de and I was thrilled by the beauty and exceptional sensitivity of the fiction and documentary films screened. The audience - students, but not only - is very enthusiastic, and the organization - of screenings, Q&A sessions, and the gala evening - is highly professional and particularly friendly.
    A thousand thanks for the selection and screening of my film.

    December 2023
    Helpful
  • Maria Krauss

    ekipa filmu dokumentalnego „Twarzy Agaty” obecna na Festiwalu Filmów edukacyjnych Edukino bardzo dziękuje za przyjęcie naszego filmu i za przyznanie nagrody Złotego Kopernika, której przesłanie jak ulał pasuje do bohaterki naszego filmu Agaty di Masternak, która sztukę afirmacji życia opanowała do perfekcji.
    Dziękujemy za wspaniałą atmosferę, ale przede wszystkim za Państwa wielkie serce i entuzjazm do filmów. Bardzo miło było słuchać uzasadnień jury: barwnych, emocjonujących, pełnych szczerych zachwytów nad obejrzanymi filmami. Niech te emocje nie opuszczają Was podczas kolejnych edycji festiwalu.

    December 2023
    Helpful
  • Filmografo Filmografo

    An excellent experience participating in this festival. Let's try to go back. Thanks.

    December 2023
    Helpful