Opole Llamas Film Festival

The largest and most well-recognised film event in Opole Voivodeship, whose purpose is to promote Polish and international cinema. The festival was first organised in 2003 by the Opole Llamas Association, and draws many fans of film to the Song Capital of Poland every year. The main events include the Film Etude and Amateur Film contests, as well as themed film screenings, e.g. World cinema panorama, Cinema classics, A documentary take on cinema and Retrospectives. Many side events also take place during the Festival, including concerts, exhibitions, outdoor presentations, meet-and-greet sessions, as well as film screenings and workshops for children.
The llamas take control of nearly the entire city for several days every year. The Festival takes place in the Jan Kochanowski Theatre, Opole Puppet Theatre, Helios cinema, National Centre of Polish Song, Museum of Polish Song, Modern Art Gallery, UO Art Institute, PKP railway station and the Youth Culture Centre. Undoubtedly one of the most electrifying parts of the event is the Honour Llama award ceremony, whose purpose is to celebrate those who contributed greatly to the development of Polish cinematography. Previous winners include Jerzy Stuhr, Marcel Łoziński, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Jacek Bławut, Dorota Kędzierzawska, Witold Giersz, Maja Komorowska and Mariana Dziędziela.
The event has been very well-received, earning it the support of the Polish Film Institute and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in addition to the city and voivodeship authorities. The festival takes place in October.