Paprika Studios has achieved another major international milestone: Less of a Stranger, a feature film developed and produced in-house by the company, has been selected for the official Main Competition of the 51st Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. Created as a flagship Netflix Original, the production will have its world premiere at the festival's red-carpet gala - Poland's most important cinematic showcase - this September, ahead of its global streaming debut.

The Polish Film Festival in Gdynia is the country’s most prestigious film event, often referred to in industry circles as the "Polish Cannes." This year, Artistic Director Joanna Łapińska and the selection committee admitted only 16 films to the Main Competition, placing Less of a Stranger alongside the latest works of world-renowned, Oscar-nominated and Cannes-awarded directors such as Paweł Pawlikowski, Jan Komasa and Agnieszka Smoczyńska. Paprika Studios' film will compete in this illustrious field as one of the official competition entries.

Less of a Stranger is a fully in-house production from Paprika Studios. The film is produced by Ákos Erdős, CEO of Paprika Studios, and Kristoffer Rus, Head of Paprika Studios Poland, who also directed the film.

"This festival selection is the highest level of professional recognition and confirms that Paprika Studios has become one of the region's most important creative powerhouses and an internationally recognized feature film producer. The fact that our own in-house film has been selected for the competition and will compete alongside the greatest legends of Polish cinema at a red-carpet premiere fills us with enormous pride," said producer Ákos Erdős, CEO of Paprika Studios.

The feature film tells the turbulent life story of Jan Borysewicz, founder and frontman of the legendary Polish rock band Lady Pank. Set in Poland before the fall of communism, it is a passionate story of rebellion and artistic freedom in an era when rock music was the primary language of resistance against the regime. The film features the band's original worldwide hits.

Following its red-carpet premiere in Gdynia in September, Less of a Stranger will reach audiences around the globe, debuting worldwide on Netflix on October 7, 2026.