Thursday, Nov 13, 2025
Franz | Pennsylvania Premiere
6 PM Film Screening
$10 Students with ID | $13 Seniors | $15 General Admission
Film Society East
Offsite
Directed by Agnieszka Holland
Narrative Feature| Czech Republic/Germany/Poland | 2025 |127 min
German and Czech with English Subtitles
Award-winning director Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa) embarks on her most ambitious project to date, a biopic of the iconic 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka. Conceived as a kaleidoscopic mosaic, the film follows the imprint Kafka left on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post-WW1 Vienna. Franz will give the audience a brand new perspective on the life of the man behind the literary giant, here portrayed by newcomer Idan Weiss in a revelatory feature film debut. Shortly after premiering at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Franz was selected to be Poland’s 2025 Oscar entry for Best International Feature.
Official Selection
Toronto International Film Festival
San Sebastian International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
Poland’s 2025 Oscar Entry for Best International Feature
“A daring endeavor…allows fiction and reality, memory and fantasy, and the past, present, and future to freely commingle.” – The Daily Beast
“Playful and moving…the only proper, life-spanning biopic made so far about Kafka.” – The Hollywood Reporter
This event is presented by Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media. Please contact info@phillyjfm.org with any questions.