Camerimage 2026 Announces Award Season Slate

The 2026 ToruńCamerimage Film Festival has published its official program, listing fifteen films in its main competition that are currently positioned as strong contenders for major industry awards. The event is scheduled to run from November 7 through November 14 in the Polish city of Toruń. This marks the 34th year of the festival, which presents the Golden Frog award for outstanding achievements in cinematography.

The competition was selected for its contribution to visual storytelling. The lineup includes Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with cinematography by Greig Fraser. Also entering the competition is Disclosure Day, a Steven Spielberg project featuring photography by Janusz Kamiński. This film represents another collaboration between the director and the cinematographer.

Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine is another entry in the main slate. Ben Davis handled the visual elements for this title. The festival also includes Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth!, photographed by Damián García. Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev is represented by Minotaur, which features cinematography by Mikhail Krichman, a longtime collaborator with Zvyagintsev.

The selection includes Woman Unknown, directed by May el-Toukhy. This film won at the Venice Film Festival and was shot by Jasper J. Spanning. Other competitors include Fatherland, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski with photography by Łukasz Żal. Growth of the Soil, directed by Hans Petter Moland, features cinematography by Oskar Dahlsbakken. Volker Schlöndorff’s Visitation is also in the competition, shot by Axel Schneppat.

The program extends beyond the main competition to include special screenings and a documentary section. Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu, will be shown in the special screenings. This film won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and features photography by Tudor Vladimir Panduru. Possible Love, directed by Lee Chang-dong and shot by Kim Ji-yong, is also featured. The film is an international award contender from Netflix.

The documentary program includes NAZA, co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Szor also served as the cinematographer for the project. The film received a Special Jury prize at the Venice Film Festival. The festival serves as a platform for cinematographers to discuss the technical and artistic craft behind moving images. The event aims to emphasize the role of visual design in cinema.

The 2026 lineup combines works from established auteurs with major studio productions. The festival brings together directors of photography and filmmakers to celebrate the craft of cinematography. The Golden Frog award will recognize outstanding achievements in this field during the November event. The program reflects the international scope of the festival, featuring diverse directors and cinematographers from around the world.