HER DOCS WARM-UP: summer screenings
The summer film warm-up for HER Docs Film Festival 2026 is here! Join us for the second edition of HER Docs Summer Cinema.
We’ll be spending Warsaw’s summer evenings together under the open sky—with deck chairs, beautiful sunsets, and unforgettable female protagonists whose stories stay with you long after the credits roll.
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This July and August, HER Docs WARM-UP returns with a series of summer screenings. As a prelude to the upcoming 6th edition of HER Docs Film Festival, WARM-UP is an opportunity to revisit films from previous editions that continue to spark conversations, raise questions, and inspire discussion. These films not only explore timely issues and introduce extraordinary women protagonists, but also gain new layers of meaning and resonate even more strongly with the passage of time.
Join us for free screenings of films from past festival editions: discover the untold story of the women who created the earliest instruments still used in electronic music today; meet a feminist journalism collective challenging the ethics of politically driven media; explore the story of the best-selling lesbian magazine in history; and follow the mysterious hotel receptionist whose visions blur the boundaries between dreams and reality.
HER Docs WARM-UP will take place at cultural venues across Warsaw: Plac Zabaw on the Vistula River, Turnus in its new location on Emilia Plater Street, Letnie Kino Tęcza, and the Kinomuzeum at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.
PROGRAM:
Sisters with Transistors, dir. Lisa Rovner
22 July | 8:30 PM | Plac Zabaw by the Vistula
This documentary uncovers the untold story of the pioneering women of electronic music. It follows visionary composers who embraced new technologies as a tool of creative freedom, transforming the way music is made and heard today.
Writing with Fire, dir. Sushmit Ghosh & Rintu Thomas
28 July | Tęcza Summer Cinema
In the male-dominated world of Indian media, the country’s only newspaper run entirely by Dalit women (formerly known as “untouchables,” historically placed at the bottom of India’s caste hierarchy) challenges both social and political power structures. Armed with smartphones, chief reporter Meera and her team break barriers as they cover the nation’s biggest stories while confronting inequality within their own homes. A powerful story about courage, journalism, and redefining what strength means.
Ahead of the Curve, dir. Rivkah Beth Medow & Jen Rainin
Date to be announced | Turnus Café & Komuna Warszawa
Through a fortunate chain of events and extraordinary determination, Franco Stevens founded Curve—the best-selling lesbian magazine in history. As the publication’s future becomes uncertain, Franco enters into dialogue with a new generation of queer activists, exploring the role Curve can play in a rapidly changing world.
Nightshift, dir. Robina Rose
27 August | MSN Museum Cinema
The receptionist of a small hotel begins experiencing ethereal visions while carrying out her nightly routine. Time stretches, and the liminal space of the hotel dissolves the boundaries between reality and imagination. As the night unfolds, a web of interconnected stories gradually comes to light.
Admission to all screenings is free.
Partners: Komuna Warszawa, Plac Zabaw, Andrzej Wajda Centre for Film Culture, Turnus Cafe.
The 6th HER Docs Film Festival, celebrating women’s non-fiction filmmaking, will take place 1–6 October 2026 in Warsaw.
HER Docs Film Festival is co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage through the Culture Promotion Fund, the Polish Film Institute, the ZAiKS Authors’ Association, and Creative Europe MEDIA.
