Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
Cinema in Kraków and Lesser Poland: over 130 screenings at Kino Kijów Centrum, Agrafka and Małopolski Ogród Sztuki, plus small regional cinemas.
You will find the programme of art-house cinemas in Kraków and screenings in smaller towns, from Rabka-Zdrój to Biecz. The category covers films for adults and children, festival screenings, themed series and showings with subtitles.
Kino Kijów Centrum has the most screenings in the calendar, over 30. Next is Małopolski Ogród Sztuki: its Large Hall has 18 events and the Small Hall 11. Kino Agrafka shows 10 screenings and Kino Paradox 2. In total, Kraków hosts over 70 film events, more than half of the region.
Kino Kijów Centrum is the largest centre in this category, with a broad range of titles from comedies to festival films. Małopolski Ogród Sztuki combines several halls, including the Large Hall for bigger screenings and the Small Hall for intimate ones, often with a discussion afterwards. Kino Agrafka is a smaller art-house venue where it is easy to find a film that multiplexes do not show. A film event can also be found at Brokat Klub.
Start with why you are going: to laugh, to see something ambitious or to spend time with a child. Event descriptions let you recognise this quickly, because organisers state the genre and the series.
Yes, and they are well spread. More than 50 film events take place outside Kraków. Kino Śnieżka in Rabka-Zdrój has 9 screenings, Kino ZORZA in Chełm 8, and Kino Luboń 2.0 in Mszana Dolna and Kino Ważka in Niepołomice 7 each. In Gorlice screenings are run by the Gorlice Culture Centre, in Dąbrowa Tarnowska by the Dąbrowa Culture House, and in Grybów by the Municipal Centre of Culture, Reading and Education and by Kino Biała.
Small cinemas have their own charm: a compact hall, a local audience and sometimes lower prices than in a big city. Zakopane has Kino Sokół and Kino Giewont, Biecz has Kino Farys, Budzyń has Kino Mewa and Lisia Góra has Kino Centrum. In Nowy Sącz screenings are shown by the SOKÓŁ Lesser Poland Culture Centre, and in Limanowa by the Limanowa Culture House in two halls.
An evening screening is a good way to end a day in the mountains or after sightseeing. In Zakopane, after a full day out, you can drop into the cinema, and Zakopane also has many places to see before the film. In Rabka-Zdrój an evening at the cinema complements a day spent in parks and nature or in the spa part of town.
When the weather ruins your plans, the cinema is the simplest change of route. A screening lasts two hours and fills a morning or an afternoon, and before or after it you can still see nearby places. The list of indoor options is in the section on attractions for rainy days. In a town with many historic sites, such as Tarnów, a screening can crown a day spent walking around.
Some screenings have Polish subtitles, which means the film is in its original language and the subtitles help viewers who do not know it. For visitors from abroad this is a useful hint: if you do not speak Polish, pick a screening in the original version with subtitles in a language you understand, or check whether the organiser lists an English version.
Screenings with a voice-over or dubbing are mainly for children, and festival screenings almost always have subtitles. The language version is in the screening description, and a call to the cinema will settle any doubt. Film events in Lesser Poland less often have English subtitles than those in Kraków, so foreign visitors should check this before buying a ticket.
For a date, choose an intimate art-house cinema such as Agrafka, where there is no crowd and no loud snacks. With children it is better to go on Saturday or Sunday before noon, when family screenings are shorter and do not end late. With a group of friends, the Large Hall of Małopolski Ogród Sztuki is a good option, but for popular titles buy tickets earlier to sit together.
Halls differ in accessibility, so for a trip with a pushchair or an older person ask about stairs, lifts and places for people with limited mobility. After the film you can have dinner in one of the places in the restaurants section or stroll around the places with character near the cinema.
Look at the age the film is meant for and at its running time. For preschoolers, short animations are better, and longer feature films are for older children. A first trip to the cinema is best planned as a morning screening in a smaller hall, because a big, dark auditorium and loud sound can overwhelm a small child.
Screenings with popular cartoon characters are a good start, but not every child likes loud effects. If yours does not cope well with noise, ask for a seat near the exit and bring a favourite toy. Festival screenings of short animations, in turn, show children something other than commercial productions and make a good starting point for a talk afterwards.
Festival screenings have a different rhythm from the regular programme: they are shorter, arranged in blocks, with a break between them for a talk with the filmmakers or the audience. Check whether the chosen block is for adults or children, because animations vary widely, from fairy tales to films about difficult topics.
Tickets for competition and opening screenings sell faster because the halls are smaller and interest is greater. If the festival lasts several days, plan two or three screenings in one day and eat lunch between them. Author showcases, where the director talks about their work, are an opportunity you will not find at an ordinary cinema.
Small cinemas in smaller towns usually show a few titles a week, often on set days. So do not count on a daily choice: check which days they play and adapt your trip. Many combine the cinema with a culture centre, so concerts, plays and meetings also take place in the same building.
This arrangement has an advantage: in one evening you can see a film and have dinner nearby, and on the next choose another event. If you plan a trip to a smaller town, check the cinema calendar in advance, because the programme can be short and in bad weather the crowd ends up in one place.
If the cinema does not convince you, the calendar has other evening events: concerts, theatre plays and cabaret, and for families there are events for children. A full overview of everything going on in the region is in the events calendar. Before the film it is worth visiting a museum or picking something from the entertainment section.
You can reach cinemas in Kraków by public transport, and for some (Kino Kijów Centrum) you should allow for a short walk. Small regional cinemas are best reached by car or regional bus, and if you return in the evening, check the last service. The organiser gives ticket prices and screening times in the event description.
It is worth arriving a few minutes before the screening, because adverts and trailers usually precede the film, but in small halls be there earlier to choose a good seat. At festival halls there is often a strict entry order and a longer queue at the box office.
Kino Kijów Centrum has the most film events, followed by Małopolski Ogród Sztuki (Large and Small Hall) and Kino Agrafka. All lie in or near the centre and are well connected.
Yes, and not only in big towns. Screenings are held in Rabka-Zdrój, Chełm, Mszana Dolna, Niepołomice, Gorlice, Zakopane, Grybów and Biecz, among others. For residents it is a convenient alternative to a trip to Kraków, and for visitors a calm evening after a full day outdoors. Check which days a given cinema plays, because in smaller towns screenings may run only a few times a week.
Some do. Screenings with subtitles are marked in the title or description, and festival screenings almost always have them. If you do not speak Polish, check the language version before buying a ticket.
Yes, animated and family films, often at weekends. If you are also looking for other forms of entertainment for the youngest, see the category of events for children.
It is a hall showing films outside the mainstream: festival, European, classic and independent ones. It is usually smaller than a multiplex, and the atmosphere is calmer. Kino Agrafka and Kino Kijów Centrum are examples in Kraków.
Of course: the cinema is one of the simplest ways to change plans when it rains. A two-hour screening saves the morning, and afterwards there is time for lunch and a walk under an umbrella.
