Kasia Smutniak wins Audience Award at Rome Film Festival for documentary "Mustang"

Kasia Smutniak has won the Audience Award at the 21st Rome Film Festival (Rome Film Fest). It was awarded for her documentary "Mustang", her second film as a director. The prize was presented at the festival's finale on Sunday 25 October 2026.

What the film is about

"Mustang" is a personal story about the actress's journeys to Nepal, which she began in 2003. The title refers to the Nepalese district of Mustang, with which Smutniak has a connection. According to Onet's description, the film returns to a 2003 expedition made with Pietro Taricone. Smutniak previously directed "Mur" (The Wall), a documentary about events on the Polish-Belarusian border.

Shared award

According to Wirtualna Polska, the actress shared the prize ex aequo with Rafiki Fariala, the maker of "Congo Boy". The award was presented to her by the well-known director Ferzan Özpetek.

On stage, Smutniak said the film had been received at the festival in an extraordinary way and that she felt the love and support of the audience. She added that all proceeds from the film would go to the children the documentary is about.

Release in Italy

According to Wirtualna Polska, "Mustang" will open in Italian cinemas in November 2026. The sources we consulted give no information about distribution in Poland or the UK.

Kasia Smutniak has worked in Italy for many years and is well known to audiences there. The Rome festival is one of the country's more important film events, and an audience award is often seen as a sign of how a film has been received by viewers.