Poland's New Horizons International Film Festival has appointed Dorota Lech, a TIFF programmer, as its new director. Lech, originally from Poland, brings extensive curatorial experience from North America. She expressed excitement about returning to her roots to bridge cinema between regions.
Poland’s New Horizons International Film Festival, based in Wrocław, has named Dorota Lech as its new director, succeeding Marcin Pieńkowski. Lech, a Polish-born film curator, script consultant, and writer, has been with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) since 2013, where she leads the Discovery program and selects films from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.
Her career includes curating retrospectives and special screenings at prominent institutions such as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and the TIFF Cinémathèque. Lech has also served as a guest lecturer at the Łódź Film School, New York University, and Harvard University’s Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies. As a freelance writer, she has contributed to publications including Film Quarterly, MUBI Notebook, and Vanity Fair.
Lech's family relocated from Poland to Canada during her childhood, where she learned English and French through movies and television. “I learned English and French by watching movies and television, and during those years when we couldn’t return, we visited Poland through cinema,” she said. “Cinema has always been my home and simultaneously, my home away from home.”
A native of Lower Silesia, Lech has long admired the festival. “I’ve been a not-so-secret admirer for ages, and it’s no hyperbole to say it’s genuinely my favorite festival in the world,” she recalled. She plans to uphold the event's ethos, uplifting artists and engaging audiences with integrity. Lech will lead the curatorial team, including co-artistic directors Małgorzata Sadowska and Ewa Szabłowska, and oversee the industry program with Weronika Czołnowska, featuring the flagship Polish Days event. She will also collaborate with Ula Śniegowska, director of the sister American Film Festival.
“There’s an incredible team of women at the New Horizons Association,” Lech noted, highlighting Paulina Jaroszewicz of NH Distribution, production director Alicja Kowalska, and financial director Joanna Staros, among around 80 staff members. She praised Poland's storytelling heritage and potential for emerging talent.
Festival founder Roman Gutek commended Lech’s expertise, international contacts, and collaborative spirit, stating they “guarantee the continuation of the festival’s original vision and development. I’m confident about its future. The New Horizons International Film Festival is in good hands.”
The 26th edition is scheduled for July 23 to August 2, 2026.
