The Krakow Film Festival is one of the most important events for the creators of documentaries, animated films, and short films. The main part of the festival consists of four categories: documentary film contest, animation and short film competition, national competition, and music documentary film competition. Special screenings are also available for fans of cinema. Another important part of the festival consists of numerous exhibitions, open-air concerts, and meetings with directors, producers, and artists.
Krakow Film Festival was first held in 1961 and is renowned among Europe's oldest film events dedicated to animation, documentary and other short-form movies. In the beginning, it was called Polish Short Film Festival and was focused on national achievements. Three years later, the event grew from nation-wide into an international festival. In 1998 the Dragon of Dragons award was introduced and given for a lifetime achievement in short film and documentary.
In 2001, the festival was renamed into present-day Krakow Film Festival. Since then it's held annually at the turn of May and June. During the eight days, the festival features 250 films from Poland and abroad. The public attendance counts up to 20,000. Besides, the festival hosts about 700 special guests including directors, producers, and other industry attendees.
