On March 5–7, the Alumni Association organized the American Independent Cinema Showcase in Rzeszów. The event’s partners were the American Film Festival (Wrocław) and the Regional Film Foundation / Kino Zorza (Rzeszów). The Showcase’s program was based on the 16th edition of the American Film Festival from 2025 and featured three American independent film productions (one documentary and two feature films).
The first was the AFF-awarded documentary “Natchez,” depicting a small town in the southern United States grappling with two competing narratives about its own history: a nostalgic image reminiscent of “Gone with the Wind,” and the difficult legacy of slavery and racial divisions. The next film presented was the comedy-drama “Fantasy Life,” portraying characters trying to find meaning and closeness in a world of everyday disappointments and unfulfilled dreams. The third title was an intimate, subtle story about loneliness, hope, and new beginnings, “The Baltimorons,” directed by Jay Duplass. It is a tale of how a chance encounter between the film’s characters develops into a nighttime wander filled with conversations, unexpected situations, and a gradually growing bond.
The screenings took place at the atmospheric Kino Zorza, part of the arthouse cinema network, and admission to all screenings was free. The Showcase was covered by local media, Radio Rzeszów, and online news portals. The Showcase was held under the honorary patronage of the Mayor of Rzeszów, Konrad Fijołek, who was a guest on the final day of the event.
The American Independent Cinema Showcase was co-financed from the budget of the City of Rzeszów, and the Alumni Association also secured two donors: the Aerospace Engineering Center and SoCap Nations.
