Guests
Since its inception, the festival has welcomed many prominent international guests. Festival audiences have had the chance to meet legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog (2010), renowned chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall (2011, for the premiere of Jane), acclaimed British actress Charlotte Rampling (2012, The Look), porn star and former MP Cicciolina (2017, Cicciolina: The Icon of Scandal), rapper M.I.A. (2018, Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.), and Oscar®-nominated documentary filmmaker Hubert Sauper (2020).
In 2022, one of the most memorable cinematic events was a meeting of archival film titans: Sergei Loznitsa and Bill Morrison. In 2023, Oscar®-nominated director David France (How to Survive a Plague) delivered a masterclass. And in 2025, MDAG hosted Oscar® winner Asif Kapadia and presented a retrospective of acclaimed filmmaker Mark Cousins.
In total, this year’s edition of the festival brought together:
83 international filmmakers and protagonists
40 Polish filmmakers and protagonists
82 international industry guests
Bringing the total number of guests at the 22nd MDAG to a record-breaking 205 – a 25% increase from the previous year and the highest number of guests in the festival’s history!
In Warsaw alone, 119 Q&A sessions were held. Across all festival cities, there were 158 Q&As with filmmakers and film protagonists.
This is proof that the festival is not only about screening films – it's about creating a space for dialogue, exchange, and reflection.
Lauren Greenfield - director of “Social Studies”
We had a wonderful time at the festival. Thanks so much for all you did.
Asif Kapadia, director of “2073”
We had such a memorable stay in Poland and in loved your festival. Everything was well organised and you are all so friendly. Very best wishes and thank you for everything!
Guy Davidi, director, member of jury
Thank you very much for a powerful experience as part of the jury. It was a very strong program which brough much inspiration to my work. Also thanks for the chance to have my family around and all the great hospitality on your behalf, a very memorable experience for us.
Mark Cousins, director of “A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things”
We had such a memorable stay in Poland and in loved your festival. Everything was well organised and you are all so friendly. Very best wishes and thank you for everything!
Kinga Michalska, director of “Bedrock'“
We wanted to sincerely thank you for your wonderful hospitality and for believing in our film from the very beginning. We're incredibly grateful for the hard work of your entire team, the amazing festival atmosphere, and for creating a warm, safe space to reflect on important things.