Bartosz M. Kowalski’s film has been officially invited to the prestigious selection of Fantastic Fest in Austin, USA — one of the largest and most influential genre film festivals in the world. This is yet another proof that Polish genre cinema is gaining international recognition.
For years, Fantastic Fest has been considered the world’s leading showcase for horror, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy. It is where films such as “Barbarian,” “The Witch,” “Raw,” “The Babadook,” and “Bone Tomahawk” had their premieres. This year, the lineup will also feature “13 Days Till Summer” — a brutal home-invasion thriller set in the digital age.
“Sometimes cinema finds its natural home. For genre films, that home is America — and in America, for years, it has been Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. That’s why I’m thrilled, like a kid, that ‘13 Days Till Summer’ will have its international premiere there!” — says Bartosz M. Kowalski, the film’s director and co-writer.
So far, the only Polish films to be presented at Fantastic Fest were “Werewolf” by Adrian Panek, “Demon” by Marcin Wrona, and “The Lure” by Agnieszka Smoczyńska.
“13 Days Till Summer” is a blood-soaked home invasion thriller, inspired by true events, that collides violence, technology, and youthful carefreeness. The lead roles are played by a new generation of Polish actors, including Katarzyna Gałązka, Antek Sztaba, Teodor Koziar, Nicole Bogdanowicz, Hubert Łapacz, Borys Otawa, Olga Rayska, Bartek Deklewa, and Julia Mika — as characters forced to fight for survival in a world of appearances and digital illusions.
This film has a strong chance of international success. It’s a horror that speaks about our world — and terrifies because it could truly happen.
The film is now screening in cinemas across Poland. Distribution in Poland is handled by NEXT FILM. The producer is Akson Studio.
13 DAYS TILL SUMMER
Official Synopsis:
A Friday night in Poland has never been so bloody. When someone shows up to a party not with chips but with a mask and a crossbow, a carefree evening turns into a fight for survival. Technology fails — the killer takes over the home’s security system. The doors lock, the windows shut, and the house becomes a prison.
How will you survive when you don’t know who’s hunting you?
Release date: August 8, 2025
Director: Bartosz M. Kowalski
Screenplay: Bartosz M. Kowalski, Mirella Zaradkiewicz, Thor Magnusson
Cinematography: Cezary Stolecki
Music: Carl-Johan Sevedag
Production Design: Natalia Giza
Costume Design: Weronika Orlińska
Make-up: Marcin Rodak
Sound: Radosław Ochnio, Piotr Pastuszak
Editing: Jakub Kopeć
Casting Director: Paulina Krajnik
Producer: Jan Kwieciński
Executive Producer: Małgorzata Fogel-Gabryś
Production: Akson Studio
Production Manager: Paulina Bareńska
Creative Producer: Mirella Zaradkiewicz
Polish Distribution: NEXT FILM
Cast: Katarzyna Gałązka, Antek Sztaba, Teodor Koziar, Julia Mika, Nicole Bogdanowicz, Hubert Łapacz, Borys Otawa, Olga Rayska, Bartek Deklewa.