Special guest
Monika Horna-Cieślak
The Commissioner for Children’s Rights, lawyer, activist, and social advocate. Since the age of 19, she has specialized in the protection of children’s and teenagers’ rights. In her work for the youngest members of society, she undertakes a wide range of activities, including legislative work, training, and the coordination of educational and research projects.
She is the author of publications and studies on the participation of children in legal procedures and the co-author of many legal acts, including the Act on the Protection of Minors, also known as the “Ustawa Kamilka” (‘Kamilek Act’) from Częstochowa. Before taking office as the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, as a lawyer, she provided thousands of legal consultations to children and parents regarding the protection of children’s rights and represented them in legal procedures. She learns courage, sensitivity, and determination from children, which is her greatest source of pride and gratitude.
Special guest
Sophia
Hanson Robotics’ most advanced human-like robot, Sophia, personifies our dreams for the future of AI. As a unique combination of science, engineering, and artistry, Sophia is simultaneously a science fiction character depicting the future of AI and robotics, and a technology platform for advanced robotics and AI research.
Since her launch in 2016, Sophia captivated the imagination of global audiences. She served as the first robot Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme, and became the world’s first robot citizen. As a technology, Sophia’s science has won top AI awards including from Neurips, World Technology Awards, and Edison Prize. Sophia’s appearances on BBC, CNN, Reuters, the Tonight Show, and Good Morning Britain, made her the world’s most famous robot— a beloved household name with millions of viewers, subscribers, followers, and fans, who tune in regularly to see Sophia’s story and latest developments.
Experts for discussion panels
Jakub Wiewiórski
He began his career in culture as a journalist for the Łódź edition of “Gazeta Wyborcza,” where he wrote about the history and present of “Film Łódź,” publishing reviews, reports, columns, and interviews. Together with Joanna Podolska, he co-authored the guidebook “Łódź. Film Walks.” From 2011 to 2013, he served as the Director of the Culture Department at the City of Łódź. Since July 2015, he has been associated with the Museum of Cinematography in Łódź, serving as the Director of the Media Festival “Człowiek w zagrożeniu” (‘Man in Danger’) and, since April 2019, as the Deputy Director of the Museum. He has carried out many projects here, including “Documents on the Move” and the film club “Man in Danger.” Together with Anna Michalska, he co-authored the book “Filmed in Łódź,” published in 2022. He also served as the Program Director of the Football Film Festival in Łódź (2018) and published articles in “Film Portal,” “The Magazine of the Association of Polish Filmmakers,” “Kaleidoscope,” and “The Chronicle of the City of Łódź.” He has hosted meetings with filmmakers and writers for the Freedom Games, the Łódź Film Center, Wytwórnia, the Łódź Film Commission, and the Museum of Cinematography, and he has also served as a juror for the “Kamera Akcja” Festival.
In 2022, he received the President of Łódź’s Award for achievements in artistic creativity, dissemination, and cultural preservation. He holds a law degree from the University of Łódź and completed postgraduate studies in Public Procurement at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. He teaches Journalism and Social Communication, as well as Film Studies, at the University of Łódź, and is working on a practical doctoral dissertation at the Doctoral School of Humanities at the University of Łódź.
dr Dawid Misztal
Dr. Dawid Misztal is an assistant professor at the Department of Contemporary Philosophy at the University of Łódź, where he completed his studies in philosophy and the Postgraduate Program for Specialist Translations. His research focuses on issues related to transhumanism and posthumanism, philosophical anthropology, socio-political philosophy, and the philosophy of religion. He finds the study of how concepts such as identity, authenticity, agency, and humanity evolve in a technology-saturated world particularly interesting. He has authored numerous works on topics including the relationship between transhumanism and religion, transhumanist conceptions of humanity, and the political philosophy of transhumanism.
Dr. Misztal has explored the thought of Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and David Hume, whose works he has also translated. He has also translated the works of contemporary Anglo-Saxon philosophers, including Susan Wolf, Samuel Scheffler, Michael P. Lynch, Chad Meister, H.-G. Moeller, and Paul J. D’Ambrosio. Since 2005, he has been a member of the editorial board of the online philosophical magazine HYBRIS, and currently, along with Dr. Marcin Bogusławski, he serves as the editor-in-chief of the journal. This year, as a person who has been disabled for four years, he participated in the DYWERS project, led by Bartek Kałużny from the Communication and PR Center at the University of Łódź, which aimed to raise awareness about social diversity. In collaboration with Gutek Film, he has occasionally moderated Philosophical Film Meetings. Privately, he is a fan of road cycling and cats.
Magdalena Gałczyńska
Mainly deals with topics related to the justice system, the rule of law, and politics. In 2019, she won the Grand Press award in the News category for the series of publications “Troll Farm in the Ministry of Justice,” which exposed the so-called hate speech scandal. She also received the Fikus Award for the same series of publications.
Tomasz Wolanowski/ Wiceprezes ABB Sp. z o.o.
For over 30 years, he has been connected to the energy and industrial sectors, with most of his experience gained at ABB. In the Polish branch of this global technology leader, he held positions related to the sale of products and systems in the domestic and export markets. From 2013 to 2019, he served as the country managing director of ABB in Romania. He participated in and was responsible for business sales projects, the integration of business units into ABB’s structures, and the implementation of new technologies in the Polish market. Currently, he combines the role of vice president of ABB Sp. z o.o. with his duties as the sales and marketing director for ABB’s Electrification business in Poland.