On 30 May 2025, come experience Lionsgate’s six-time Academy Award®-winning La La Land in a live-to-film concert at TAURON Arena Kraków. The unforgettable roles played by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are accompanied by the Beethoven Academy Orchestra and the Kraków Philharmonic Choir. What is more, the accomplished musicians will be led by the acclaimed composer himself: Academy Award®-winning Justin Hurwitz.

Dubbed “Daring and beautiful,” (The Hollywood Reporter) and “A musical masterpiece” (The Guardian), La La Land was met with universal acclaim. The film received six Academy Awards® and seven Golden Globes®, and according to many critics it is one of the greatest musicals of all time. On Friday, 30 May 2025, fans will be able to experience it at Poland’s largest auditorium – the TAURON Arena Kraków. La La Land in Concert is the headline event of the 18th Krakow Film Music Festival, kicking off on Monday, 26 May and ending on Sunday, 1 June.

Magic of cinema
“Ever since its premiere in 2016, La La Land’s fanbase has been growing in all corners of the globe. And no wonder: even though the film is set in Los Angeles, it tells a universal story about dreams, love and getting to know oneself. The performances by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are among the finest in the rich careers of both actors. Their duet in the song City of Stars is simply unmatched,” says Carolina Pietyra, the director of KBF, which organizes the FMF together with the City of Kraków and RMF Classic radio station.

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, the film tells the story of two young people dreaming of Hollywood careers. Mia (Emma Stone) works in a café, and after hours she tries to land her first film role. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a pianist making a living by playing standards at a restaurant, but he is also working on original compositions and plans to open his own jazz club. As soon as they start dating, they develop a unique bond.

“La La Land is not just a story about the feelings between a man and a woman, but a declaration of love for Hollywood, filled with references to classic musicals such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and An American in Paris. Although ‘The Dream Factory’ receives some criticism, this tale is still rootedin an unshakeable belief in the magic of cinema. The filmmakers themselves show true wizardry: the production is enchanting, particularly with regard to direction, acting, cinematography, scenography and – of course – music. We heard an excerpt – the inspiring suite – in 2017 during the 10th FMF, and this time we will see the entire La La Land accompanied by live music in a setting the film fully deserves,” promises Robert Piaskowski, FMF Artistic Director.

Special evening
La La Land in Concert at TAURON Arena Kraków will be shown on three screens – the main one and two side screensshowing close-ups of the musicians – with specially selected lighting. The soundtrack will be performed live by the Beethoven Academy Orchestra with the Kraków Philharmonic Choir. The accomplished musicians will be led by the composer of the score himself: Academy Award®-winning Justin Hurwitz, who will be making his first appearance in Poland with this performance. He also produces La La Land in Concert through his company Hurwitz Concerts and will oversee the technical aspects of the concert. What is more, Justin Hurwitz has prepared a special piece for the encore, in which he will accompany the soloists on piano.

“Of course the unforgettable melodies are the driving force of this soundtrack, but let’s also not forget Justin Hurwitz’s incredible talent for arrangements, earning him the opinion of one of the greatest composers working in Hollywood. His music is full of life and develops naturally: starting with lyrical parts, then gradually building tension, and eventually reaching a perfect climax. Even if you’re not very fond of musicals, I’m sure you’ll be captivated by La La Land’s soundtrack,” argues Magdalena Wojewoda-Mleczko, RMF Classic Musical Director.

The organisers have also ensured the performance is fully accessible: the film will be shown with audio description, available on the free app AudioMovie. The event will also feature an interpreter into Polish Sign Language, and an induction loop will be available for users of hearing aids and implants. Furthermore, TAURON Arena Kraków is fully accessible to wheelchair users. Tickets to La La Land in Concert are already available on the KBF: PLUS app, and they also go on sale on Eventim and KBF: Bilety on 13 May 2025.

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Between Monday 26 May and Sunday 1 June, Kraków’s concert halls will resound with beautiful music written for films, TV series and video games. The varied programme of the 18th FMF includes a screening of The Saragossa Manuscript with live accompaniment, marking the centenary of the birth of the film’s director Wojciech Jerzy Has, and a concert featuring music from children’s favourite bedtime TV cartoons.

Legends of film music
“This year’s FMF is held under the banner of City of Stars – we want the entire city to experience the festival’s breathtaking atmosphere. We will be visited by true legends of film music, including Gabriel Yared – a composer known for working with some of the finest filmmakers in Europe and the US. The English Patient, City of Angels, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain are just some of the award-winning films he composed soundtracks for. Yared created a unique musical landscape for every one of them ,” says Carolina Pietyra, director of the Krakow Festival Office that organises the FMF alongside the City of Kraków and RMF Classic.

The monographic concert The Music of Gabriel Yared will be held on Thursday 29 May at the Kraków Philharmonic Hallperformed by Sinfonietta Cracovia and the Kraków Philharmonic Choir under the baton of Dirk Brossé – one of the most acclaimed European conductors working today. A highlight of the concert will be Gabriel Yared himself performing solo on piano.

International gala
On Saturday 31 May, the festival brings the FMF International Gala to the ICE Kraków Congress Centre. We will hear music by Bartosz Chajdecki and Paweł Lucewicz arranged specially for the FMF. Fans of video games will enjoy Brunon Lubas’ synth composition for the adventure game The Invincible, based on Stanisław Lem’s novel of the same title. We will also hear Frederikke Hoffmeier’s moving soundtrack to the Danish-Polish-Swedish drama The Girl with the Needle. The rest of the concert will be dedicated to Gustavo Santaolalla – one of the most important composers of contemporary film music.

“In the late 1960s, the artist was a pioneer of Argentine rock and rose to fame at the turn of the millennium for creating soundtracks rooted in folk, alternative and Latin American music. He is the man behind the incredible musical atmosphere of the game series The Last of Us and the multi-award winning Brokeback Mountain. The gala will be the perfect opportunity to see and hear the composer performing solo parts in selected pieces,” explains Magdalena Wojewoda-Mleczko, music director of RMF Classic.

The erse repertoire will be performed by musicians of the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Polish Radio Choir conducted by audience favourite Diego Navarro. The programme also includes the announcement of the winners of the Polish Soundtrack of the Year 2024 award and the FMF Young Talent Award 2025.

Centenary of Wojciech Jerzy Has
An important element of this year’s festival will be the special screening of one of the most influential films of Polish cinematography: The Saragossa Manuscript directed by Wojciech Jerzy Has. The adaptation of the novel by Jan Potocki features unforgettable performances by great stars of Polish cinema: Zbigniew Cybulski, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Gustaw Holoubek and Iga Cembrzyńska. The digitally remastered film with live music accompaniment will be shown on Monday 26 May at the Kraków Philharmonic Hall.

“Wojciech Jerzy Has was born a hundred years ago in Kraków. In accordance with the resolution of the Senate of the Republic of Poland he is a patron of 2025, so we couldn’t have imagined the 18th FMF without at least one of his works. The Saragossa Manuscript was the obvious choice, featuring a soundtrack by another great Cracovian Krzysztof Penderecki. The maestro intertwines elements of classical music with electroacoustic experiments to create a unique atmosphere abounding with grotesque and mystery. The extraordinary compositions will find a new dimension through the performance by Małe Instrumenty (Small Instruments) – one of the most interesting Polish ensembles specialising in experimental music,” promises Robert Piaskowski, director of the National Centre for Culture Poland, co-organiser of the concert alongside the FMF. The event is a part of the programme of Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. Partners: the 65th Krakow Film Festival and the Documentary and Feature Film Studios.

Cinema Chorale, bedtime stories and much, much more
We have a treat in store for fans of cinematic classics: the concert titled Cinema Chorale: Choral Extravaganza. Young artists from the Nazareth University Treble Choir from Rochester, US, are joined by soloists to present themes by such composers as Harold Arlen, Ennio Morricone and John Williams. Cinema Paradiso, The Wizard of Oz and Scent of a Woman are some of the films whose soundtracks we will hear on 28 May at the Hall of the Blessed Jacob at the Franciscan Church.

The festival closes with a multimedia concert FMF4Kids: Iconic Bedtime Stories. The beloved tradition of short TV cartoons features protagonists such as the young brothers Bolek and Lolek and the intrepid terrier Reksio. The unforgettable musical motifs will be performed by an ensemble of accomplished musicians, and the hosts of the event will reveal secrets behind these classic animations and demonstrate how sound and vision intertwine to move and entertain. All this – of course – on Sunday 1 June, Children’s Day, at the CKF_13 Fabryczna Conference Centre.

The FMF programme also includes the Audiovisual Forum – a cycle of meetings with experts from the music and film industries, outdoor screenings and children’s workshops. This year, the Festival Centre is being developed jointly with Fabryczna 13 – a state-of-the-art service and recreation centre in the Grzegórzki district. Accompanying events will take place at the Galeria Kazimierz shopping centre. More information about the programme of the 18th FMF coming soon.

Source: press release