Brief
Warsaw Film Festival crowns Grzegorz Dębowski’s ‘What Belongs to Others’ with Grand Prix
Polish director Grzegorz Dębowski won the Warsaw Grand Prix, while Chinese filmmaker Cai Chengjie took best director, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The 42nd Warsaw International Film Festival concluded on Sunday after a Saturday night ceremony revealed its winners. The top honor, the Warsaw Grand Prix in the international competition, was awarded to Grzegorz Dębowski for his film What Belongs to Others, the outlet reported.
What happened
The festival’s awards ceremony took place on Saturday, October 18, 2026, marking the end of the event’s run. Dębowski’s drama, which follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, received the Grand Prix. The jury praised the film for “precise and delicate storytelling, exceptional performances, and a complex portrait, devoid of judgment, of a flawed and elusive woman who undergoes a transformation as she slips into a stranger’s identity and life, and therein finds the possibility of her own.”
In the same ceremony, the Warsaw Best Director award went to Chinese filmmaker Cai Chengjie for Suzhou Quartet. The jury highlighted the film’s “original and ambitious concept brought to life through striking cinematography and daring experimentation with narrative form.”
A special jury award was presented to Maria Dębska for her performance in Through the Wall, directed by Maciej Sobieszczański, which depicts two young political prisoners falling in love during Poland’s Stalinist terror. The jury noted Dębska’s “remarkably precise and emotionally truthful portrayal” and the lasting impact of her character.
Additional recognitions included a special jury mention for Bloody Men by Jens Sjögren, commended for its authentic depiction of domestic‑violence‑related chaos, and the Competition 1–2 program’s main award to Lorin Terezi’s debut Agia, described as a “complete” fiction feature that recalls Greek tragedy. Urša Menart’s Everything That received a special mention in the same program.
What was said
The jury’s statements, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, emphasized artistic merit and emotional depth across the winning films. For example, the jury said Dębowski’s film offers “the possibility of her own” identity, while praising Cai Chengjie’s “visually captivating and richly layered meditation on life and mortality.”
Key facts
- Grzegorz Dębowski won the Warsaw Grand Prix for 'What Belongs to Others'. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Cai Chengjie received the Warsaw Best Director award for 'Suzhou Quartet'. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Maria Dębska earned a special jury award for her role in 'Through the Wall'. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Lorin Terezi's debut 'Agia' won the Competition 1–2 program's main award. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- The awards ceremony took place on Saturday, October 18, 2026. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Sources
- [1] hollywoodreporter.com — originally reported as “‘What Belongs to Others’ Wins Top Warsaw Film Festival Award”
