The Włodzimierz Puchalski International Nature Festival, with the motto ‘Promoting European Nature and Landscape,’ is not only the largest presentation of nature films in Poland, but above all a major festival for ecologists, filmmakers, naturalists, photographers and painters who are aware of the problems facing the world today and the nature that surrounds us. The festival has been held every two years in Łódź since 1980 and became an international festival in 2001. The main organiser is the Educational Film Studio, which has specialised in the production of nature and educational films for sixty years, realised in collaboration with renowned filmmakers.
The aim of the festival is to promote Polish and international nature films, evaluate the current state and future prospects of nature film production, highlight the possibilities of using nature films in youth education, and award the most valuable films and television programmes on nature-related topics. The films participating in the festival are short or medium-length films dealing with issues of nature, environmental protection, the coexistence of humans and nature, and related topics. The main prize of the festival is the Włodzimierz Puchalski Grand Prix for the best film in the competition. The total prize money for the festival is 12,000 euros. The festival is internationally renowned. The selection committee receives films from all over the world. Producers and filmmakers as well as film festival organisers from many countries come to Łódź during the film competition.
