First Cut Lab Poland
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The Moths by Piotr Stasik – First Cut Lab Poland 2020
First Cut Lab Poland is a consultancy programme designed for three feature films in the editing phase, offering feedback that considers each film both artistically and from an international market perspective.. After having accompanied 20 Polish films between 2016 and 2021, First Cut Lab is excited to return to Poland via a new partnership with the Warsaw Film Foundation, the organizer of the Warsaw International Film Festival. This edition takes place onsite in Warsaw.
The selected teams (director/producer/editor) are offered a creative framework, both challenging and protective, where to open up new perspectives and to explore the whole artistic potential of their films. They screen their rough cut in a private session, and receive expert feedback from three international film industry advisors, as well as tailor-made advice from an editing consultant with sessions facilitated by an editorial advisor.
Consultant and industry advisors will be defined according to the profiles of the films selected. An overview of regular consultants of First Cut Lab can be found here: http://firstcutlab.eu/people/
First Cut Lab Poland is made in cooperation with the Warsaw Film Foundation and the financial support of the Polish Film Institute.
Submission deadline:
Submissions are now open.
The deadline for submitting the entry form is 15. September 2026.
Dates and program
The program will take place in Warsaw, and each film will be workshopped within the period of October 21-25, 2026, preceded by an online assessment phase in the weeks prior.
The Lab unfolds in two phases. First, an assessment session, held online before the onsite Lab, during which the First Cut Lab programme manager meets the team to discuss their priorities and expectations, and explains the Lab in detail, matching the project with the most suitable experts.
This is followed by three consecutive days onsite in Warsaw:
Day 1 | preparatory Session: the film team meets the editing consultant and editorial advisor to discuss the cut and prepare for the industry session. The film is then privately screened for the three industry advisors.
Day 2 | industry Session: individual feedback from each industry advisor, followed by a collective discussion with the editing consultant, editorial advisor, and film team.
Day 3 | follow-Up Session: a working session between the editing consultant and the film team to translate the feedback into concrete next steps.
Once the workshop is over, the participants receive a report & roadmap that can serve as guidance for further editing. Eventually, the ambition of First Cut Lab is to enhance the audience opportunities of the films.
Submissions
All applications must include:
Complete application form and video material not less than 30 minutes long. In order to submit your application and the required material, you need to fill out the form.
Please find here below the complete guidelines and detailed info about the submission process.
Applications must be sent to: marija.fridinovaite@firstcutlab.eu
Participation Fees
The participation fee of First Cut Lab Poland is 4500 Polish zloty (+VAT if applicable).
Guidelines
1. General guidelines
Please note: the deadline for submitting a project to First Cut Lab Poland 2026 is September 15, 2026.
In order to submit your application and the required material, you need to complete the submission form. All application materials and subtitles should be in English.
2. Submission requirements
Submissions should include: A complete online submission form in English and video material with a minimum duration of 30 minutes and with English subtitles.
The video material submitted can be selected scenes, a first assembly or a rough cut with a minimum duration of 30 minutes.
The video is mandatory to be available via streaming service password protected (e.g. Vimeo). No transfer services or cloud storage is accepted.
3. Selection criteria
The project should be a feature film with international market potential - minimum length of 70 minutes, fictions and documentaries are accepted.
First Cut Lab has no specific fixed criteria in terms of content and each project will be considered on its own merits. The main criteria for selection are the artistic & audience potential of the film, corroborated with the specific needs in regards to the specificity of the First Cut Lab workshop.
Projects should be new or recent. Projects should not have been presented at any public screenings. The project can be in different stages of post-production, though it is highly recommended to be in early editing phase. The project should have a majority producer from Poland. Three projects will be selected for this edition.
4. Specific conditions
Once a project has been selected, both director and producer should be available during the days of the Lab. The presence of the editor is recommended, but not compulsory. Travels, Hotels and accomodation are not included.
Finished films that participated in First Cut Lab should mention First Cut Lab and display its logo in their credits. The following sentence should be mentioned in the credit list: “This project participated in First Cut Lab Poland 2026” together with the First Cut Lab logo and the Warsaw International Film Festival logo.
The First Cut Lab logo pack can be downloaded here
