The Polish national generative cinema team, Team Eagles, has advanced to the semi-finals of the GenJam Director’s Cup. Led by director and documentarian Michał Owerczuk, Poland secured victories against France and Nigeria in the international event often described as the first world cup of generative filmmaking. Creators from 63 countries entered the competition, with 16 national teams reaching the tournament’s main stage.
In the Director’s Cup, participants face a tight four-hour window to conceptualize, animate, score, edit, and deliver a finished film. The topic, key characters, and mandatory story elements are revealed only when the clock starts. Owerczuk was also one of the originators behind the concept of international national team matches, developing the format alongside Minh Do and the Machine Cinema community.
To tackle the rapid workflow, Owerczuk assembled a lineup bridging traditional filmmaking with generative AI and virtual production specialists. The squad includes creators with Polish roots based abroad, such as Matthew Szewczyk, who collaborates with The Dor Brothers and directed My Name Is Szewczyk, as well as Laura Tornga from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
“I wanted to create a team that is diverse not only in terms of skills, but also in experiences and ways of thinking about storytelling. Technology is a tool. The most important things remain the people, collaboration, and what we truly want to convey to the audience,” (translated from Polish) Owerczuk stated.
The format is also set to make an in-person appearance in Poland. Plans are underway to host two GenJam tournaments featuring Team Eagles members alongside international artists during the Warsaw Glitch 2026 festival.
Original source: Interia Gry (in Polish).
Source: Interia Gry (opens in a new tab). Facts checked against the source on .
