Warsaw Jewish FF – The Windows Film Studio

Warsaw Jewish Film Festival

In 2003, Strehlau founded by his own idea the pioneering Warsaw Jewish Film Festival (WJFF.pl) — the first festival of its kind in Eastern Europe — dedicated to the film industry professionals, who create films about Jewish life and culture. Under his leadership (2003–2013), the festival gained international recognition and became an early platform for films that later received Academy Awards® and nominations, including Camera of David awarded:

• West Bank Story (Oscar® winner)
• Beaufort and Katyń (Oscar® nominees)
• Ida (Oscars® winner, 2015)

He was also among the first to recognize the talents of Guy Davidi, Benh Zeitlin, László Nemes, and Guy Nattiv, whose films (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Five Broken Cameras, Son of Saul, Skin) later won Oscars®.

In 2003, Daniel Strehlau, a Polish-American film director founded by his own author idea the pioneering Warsaw Jewish Film Festival (WJFF.pl)—the first festival of its kind in Eastern Europe and of course in Poland — dedicated to the film industry professionals, who create films about Jewish life and culture. Under his leadership (2003–2013), the festival gained international recognition and became an early platform for films that later received Academy Awards and nominations, including Camera of David awarded:^[4]

West Bank Story (Oscar winner)
Beaufort and Katyń (Oscar nominees)
Ida (Oscars winner, 2015)

Strehlau was also among the first to recognize the talents of Guy Davidi, Benh Zeitlin, László Nemes, and Guy Nattiv, whose films (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Five Broken Cameras, Son of Saul, Skin) later won Oscars.

The 22nd edition 2024 opened with the Polish premiere of “A Real Pain,” and the festival director Magda Makarczuk introduced the filmmakers on stage: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Grey and producers Ali Herting and Ewa Puszczyńska. The Q & A with distinguished talents was let by Grazyna Torbicka. The movie won “Camera of David” awards and in 2025 “A Real Pain” was awarded Oscar and Oscar Nominations.

Awards

The festival issues annual awards called “Camera of David” (Polish: Kamera Dawida), sketched on the festival’s logo. The festival award is a bas-relief depicting a pictogram of a film camera from the 1920s, along with a tripod whose head forms the “Star of David“. The creator of the award, Daniel Strehlau, stated that if King David were alive today, he would be a filmmaker, and specifically a filmmaker from Warsaw, Poland.

It is issued separately for categories of feature narratives and feature documentaries, short narratives and short documentaries as well as Honorary Camera of David Award, given to a distinguished individual to whom the festival is dedicated each year.

Laureates

Over the years, the Camera of David Awards honored luminaries such as Steven Spielberg, Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski, Barbra Streisand, Agnieszka Holland, Woody Allen, Agnès Varda, Paul Mazursky, Janusz Kamiński, Quentin Tarantino, Joel & Ethan Coen, Gustaw Holoubek, Tadeusz Konwicki, Amos Gitai, Laios Koltai, John Daly, Martin Landau, Caroline Link, Lina and Slava Chaplin, Hany Abu-Assad, Daniel Burman, Shira Geffen, Jerzy Hoffman, Paul Schrader, László Nemes, Pawel Pawlikowski, Yariv Horowitz, Claude Lanzman, Matej Minac, Nurith Cohen, Evgenia Dodina, Alex Claude, Samuel Maoz, Tad Taube, Radu Gabrea, Jessy Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey and hundreds of others.

Paul Mazursky & his Honorary Camera of David Award.

Agnès Varda and her 2005 Camera of David Award handed by Daniel Strehlau at “L’ille et elle” in Paris

Irvin Kershner Awards announcement at 2nd WJFF 2004 with Daniel Strehlau

Irvin Kershner Jury Chairman at 2nd WJFF 2004 with Daniel Strehlau and Erez Laufer

Press Conference with Irvin Kershner at 2nd WJFF 2004, Daniel Strehlau, Evgeny Tsymbal

Irvin Kershner and Daniel Strehlau hanging out in cafe in Warsaw – after festival hours

Prof Shevah Weiss at the Opening Ceremony of the 1st WJFF 2003 walking with Daniel Strehlau, Tuviah Friedman (Nazi Hunter)

2008 Honorary Camera of David for the late Gustaw Holoubek received by his wife Magdalena Zawadzka from Daniel Strehlau, Director of WJFF

Grace Guggenheim, Jury Chairwoman at 3rd WJFF 2005, Warsaw

Janusz Kaminski with Camera of David Award 2006 for Best Cinematography in Munich, handed by Daniel Strehlau

Janusz Kaminski with Camera of David Award 2006 for Best Cinematography in Munich

Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Grey and producers Ali Herting, Ewa Puszczyńska and Grazyna Torbicka at the Opneing Ceremony with “A Real Pain” 22nd WJFF 2004

Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Grey and producers Ali Herting and Ewa Puszczyńska at the Opneing Ceremony with “A Real Pain” 22nd WJFF 2004

Ismail Khatib with Camera of David Award for “Heart of Jenin” doc presented by Daniel Strehlau, Festival Director and Evgenia Dodina, Jury Chairwoman of 6th WJFF 2008

Alon Simhayoff – Second Secretary of the Israeli Embassy at 6 WJFF 2008

Maget M. Sahly and His Excellency Khaled Naef Ghazal Soufan of Palestine at 6 WJFF 2008

Ismail Khatib with Camera of David Award for “Heart of Jenin” doc and Evgenia Dodina, Jury Chairwoman of 6th WJFF 2008

Fakhri Hamad, Daniel Strehlau and Ismail Khatib with his Camera of David for “Heart of Jenin” doc at 6 WJFF 2008

Jury

Distinguished jury chairs have included Irvin Kershner, John Daly, Prof. Henryk Kluba, Daniela Weber (Berlinale), Malgorzata Zajaczkowska, Evgenia Dodina, Grace Guggenheim and more.

Shalom – Salam

The festival’s tradition also includes promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, which is why the festival has repeatedly hosted filmmakers from Palestine and Israel side by side. The festival featured filmmakers from Jenin and ethnic musicians, Israeli and Palestinian diplomats, and intellectuals such as Prof. Shevah Weiss (Speaker of the Knesset), Konstanty Gebert, Khaled Naef Ghazal Soufan – Ambassador of Palestine to Warsaw, Alon Simhayoff – Second Secretary of the Israeli Embassy in Poland, Jair Dalal, Jamal Dajani and more, creating an unprecedented space for dialogue on peace and coexistence.

Leadership

Strehlau currently serves as a member of the festival’s Honorary Film Selection Committee, while the event continues under the direction of his former wife, Magda Makarczuk-Strehlau, who is also the President of “Camera of David wjff.pl” Foundation. The vice Director is Ignacy Strączek.

Association of European Jewish Film Festivals

The festival is a member of the Association of European Jewish Film Festivals, which was established during the World Conference of Jewish Film Festival Directors in Boston in 2004.

Festival Posters

Festival posters from years 2016 – 2003 (years 2009 (7th edition), 2008, 2007, 2005 and 2003 (1st edition) were created based on Strehlau’s concept of design).