Łódź is the film capital of Poland – practically no one can deny this statement. It is in this city that Poland's best film school is located, whose graduates include personalities such as Roman Polański and the late Andrzej Wajda. It's no wonder that cinema enthusiasts travel specifically to Łódź to experience the atmosphere of this city, see the Walk of Fame on Piotrkowska with their own eyes, or finally attend a screening at one of Łódź's cinemas. Of course, this is not about the popular Cinema City, but about cinemas with interesting, niche programming.

Kino Charlie

The cinema was founded in 1994 in the place of the former seat of the Łódź Center for Ideological Education (Piotrkowska 203). The initiator was Sławomit Fijałkowski, a lover of ambitious European cinema and active organizer of artistic and film events. It's no wonder that cultural events became the domain of Kino Charlie – among the most important events organized in this venue are the European Cinema Forum "Cinergia", the Festival of Independent Cinema Creators "OFF jak gorąco", the International Animation Festival "ReAnimacja"; the cinema also co-organizes events such as New Horizons and the International Festival "Camerimage". Since 2002, the cinema has awarded its own "Złoty Glan" prize – given to independent creators who are not afraid to express opposition to trends in popular culture in their works.

Kinematograf

Another cinema promoting niche productions is Kinematograf. This is a relatively young cinema that was founded in 2006; it is located in the Museum of Cinematography in Łódź at pl. Zwycięstwa 1. The cinema hall is housed in the old carriage house of the Scheibler Palace. Student etude screenings take place there (thanks to cooperation with the National Film School and State Higher School of Film and Cinematography) as well as the National Festival of Media "Man in Danger". The specific decor of the cinema can be charming – walls of raw brick, wooden floor, a small stage in front of the screen and… modern chairs. In the summer, open-air screenings are organized in front of the Museum building as part of the Summer Entertainment Cinema.

Kino Szpulka

Kino Szpulka is located in the Łódź House of Culture (Traugutta 18). It screens both Polish and European productions, classified as ambitious and characterized by high artistic value. Interestingly, Szpulka also focuses on productions that may provoke controversy and discussion – it wants in this way to encourage viewers to reflect and reject certain thought patterns. An undeniable plus of the cinema is its intimate atmosphere.

Bodo

A cinema that must definitely be visited is Bodo (at ul. Rewolucji 1905r. no. 78/80), which was founded just a few years ago – it has been operating in Łódź since 2014. The name is a clear reference to Eugeniusz Bodo, although the founders of the cinema admit that the name is also an association with the slogan "BO DO kina się chodzi" (literally "BECAUSE it's TO the cinema one goes"). The cinema's repertoire includes both commercial and niche films, although as the founders emphasize – typical blockbusters are lacking. Productions from all over the world are screened, and the cinema also organizes numerous local film festivals, including the Antidepressant Films Festival "Relanium". This is the smallest and most intimate Łódź cinema.

Kino Tatry

This is in turn the oldest Łódź cinema – it was founded in 1907 by Oskar Kuławiński and Gustaw Mjunker. It is located at ul. Sienkiewicza 40. Tatry's times of glory were especially during the People's Republic of Poland period; various productions were shown there, which at the same time well represented the mentality of Polish society at that time. Currently this historic building is falling into decay; screenings take place only on weekends, the cinema also does not show new films, but only older productions.

Kino Tatry, which we wrote about, from January 1, 2020 will be transformed into a Cinema Museum. The rich history of this place, lasting since 1907, will not be wasted. We can hardly wait for the museum to open. For the fifth place, we therefore propose:

Kino Szkoły Filmowej

This is an intimate School Cinema where you can watch classics of world cinematography. Works by outstanding directors will certainly be an incentive for lovers of good cinema. The cinema also hosts a Film Discussion Club – an interesting addition for those who appreciate interesting conversations about watched works. Screenings are held for free, Monday through Friday, at 7:00 PM. The cinema is located at ul. Targowa 61/63 on the 1st floor of the Rector's Office of the Film School (building A).