In collaboration with the Istanbul Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Association of the Polish in Istanbul, Istanbul Modern Cinema's program "Poland Now" features films by young directors in Polish cinema who have earned international acclaim and won awards at international festivals between April 27 and April 30. "All These Sleepless Nights," which earned Michal Marczak the award for Best Director at Sundance Film Festival; "The Lure" again winning the Jury Special Award at Sundance Film Festival and the film "United States of Love," which won the Silver Bear Award for Best Script at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival, are some of the outstanding movies featured in the program.A discussion on contemporary Polish cinemaModerated by movie critique Senem Aytaç, on Sunday, April 30 at 5:00 p.m. there will be a discussion on contemporary Polish cinema with the attendance of Art Director Agata Trojak, one of the founders of the Association of the Polish in Istanbul along with Kuba Czekaj, the director of "Baby Bump."Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska and starring Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszanska and Kina Preis, "The Lure" features two wild mermaids named Silver and Golden who wash ashore one night in Warsaw. While Silver seeks love in humans, Golden is blood-thirsty and wishes to satiate her hunger with human flesh. Meeting a family and joining a band that play at a night club will be a turning point in this journey as the two mermaids set out to explore the wonders and temptations of life on land. This is a provocative and inciting coming-of-age story inspired by the night life of Warsaw in the 1980s and Hans Christian Andersen's tales.

Two young men, Krzysztof and Michal, desire to "raid" Warsaw's streets by simply enjoying the moment and to experience the world, which is fast asleep, by staying awake.While Warsaw is on the verge of a new era, two young men, Krzysztof and Michal, are dealing with their own pains in the film, "These Sleepless Nights" by Michal Marczak. Their desire is to "raid" the city's streets by simply enjoying the moment and to experience the world, which is fast asleep, by stayingawake. Winning Michal Marczak the award for Best Director at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in the World Documentary Competition, the movie depicts the portrait of 20-year-olds living in Poland while pushing the boundaries of traditional documentary filmmaking.Piotr Stasik takes us on a journey through New York's subway system in "21 X New York," where thousands of lives intersect every day. We follow many characters as they come up from underground to the surface and witnessing, at times, their pains and their passions as well as their dreams, albeit occasionally fulfilled yet also unfulfilled. The documentary takes viewers on an emotional journey revealing the lonely daily lives of people living in the 21st century Western world through the eyes of the bustling city and its inhabitants."The Last Family," a film directed by Jan P. Matuszynski, focuses on Polish painter Zdzislaw Beksinski, who recorded every minute of his 28-year marriage and left his mark on the 20th century through his surrealistic and prevocational style. He depicts all aspects of his life through a variety of mediums ranging from his dystopian paintings and family discussions to his near-death experiences, love-hate relationships and the countless funerals he attends. Based on his recordings, Matuszynski offers a biopic experience of a family full of passion. Actor Andrzej Seweryn won the award for Best Actor at the Locarno Film Festival for his interpretation of the painter.Directed by Kuba Czekaj, "Baby Bump" depicts a fascinating portrait of an 11-year-old and his adolescence in a fantastic film resembling a comic book. The movie follows Mickey House, who has turned 11 and no longer feels like a child and who, in actuality, does not have an idea about what or who he exactly is. He is "on-and-off again," in terms of his friendships and his relationship with his mother, which is a big puzzle to him. During his transition period, Mickey confuses what is real with what is unreal and he experiences everything in neurotic extremes. Yet, he will gather his strength and continue his struggle until a day when the inevitable finally happens."United States of Love" takes us to 1990s' Poland. The country is going through change, a future full of uncertainty and a populace awaiting liberty. Feeling the effects of this transformation, four women from different age groups decide to completely change their lives and fight for their desires and happiness. Depicting the portraits of four strong women based on the political and social transformation of 1990s' Poland, Director Tomasz Wasilewski creates a movie which won the Silver Bear Award for Best Script at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.