KAN – Amateur and Independent Film Festival – a film festival held annually in Wrocław, with the aim to choose the best Polish independent film in the categories of feature film, documentary and animation, and also the best foreign film. Starting 11 years ago as a simple film review accompanying the academic festive days held in May, it arose to a large-scale five days’ event, held in one of Wrocław’s cinemas, with competitors from the whole country and, since the foreign films competition has been introduced four years ago, from all over the world.

The jury of the festival consists of well-known people involved in the
filmmaking business, to mention for example Jerzy Płażewski (a film critic), Tomasz Karolak (popular actor), Grażyna Torbicka (film journalist and festival director), Sławomir Idziak Oscar-awarded camera-operator).

KAN is not only a contest, but it consists of many accompanying events such as special creenings (to date, among others, German cinema, Spanish
cinema, French animations, ‘very interesting movies’, Agnès Varda short films, exotic cinema etc.), workshops, meetings, conferences and, on every evening, music concerts in the festival club; last year, there was even a ship-cruise on the Odra river. To express the importance of the festival, one can mention, that some full-length films have had their premiere on it. KAN is a meeting place for filmmakers who can ex change their experiences and gather new contacts, so vital in the film-business. The presence of journalists from major media helps young artists to become well-known to a broader audience.