Biography
Jan Holoubek is one of the most sought-after directors in Poland. Since his directorial feature debut in 2018 his career could be described only with one word "meteoric". Each of his movies has been highly recognized by both critics and audiences in Poland and abroad, which resulted in many prestigious awards. Within two weeks, his latest Netflix production "The High Water", has reached number one position in the global ranking of non-English productions. His feature film "Doppelgänger. The Double", which premiered in September 2023, earned Jan the Best Director Award at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. The film also received accolades in several other categories, including art direction, cinematography, costume design, supporting actor, and an honorable mention for sound design. The story draws inspiration from real-life PRL-era special agents who assumed other people's identities, building false relationships and careers in intelligence on deception. Being the son of two acting legends of Polish cinema, his ability to work with actors is second to none. With his natural sensitivity, excellent story telling, experience as a DOP, passion for music, Jan has a unique set of talents and skills to translate complex emotions into the language of the film. Jan, a graduate of the prestigious Cinematography Department Lodz Film Academy, started as a DOP in 2003 and worked on a variety of artistic and commercial projects, very quickly establishing himself as one of the best in Poland. In 2011 he became a member of Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC). The TV series "Rojst Millenium" premiered globally on Netflix in February 2024. A continuation of the original series released almost six years earlier, it returns to the 1960s to explore previously untold aspects of the lives of the protagonists in a small southwestern Polish town, confronting the consequences of their youthful choices. His directorial debut came in 2007 with the award-winning documentary "The Sun and the Shadow". In 2014, he made the mockumentary "Postcards from the Republic of Absurd". A real breakthrough in his career was his famous crime drama series "The Mire (Rojst)", written together with Kasper Bajon. The second season "The Mire" got the Polish Film Award in the category of best drama series, and third part "The Millennium" is currently in production. The series Heweliusz, directed by Jan and based on the true story of sinking of the Polish ferry Heweliusz in the Baltic Sea on January 14, 1993, premiered on Netflix in autumn 2025. In Poland, it quickly reached the number one spot among the platform's most-watched titles, while globally it ranked fourth among non-English-language productions, recording approximately 3.3 million views and over 17 million hours watched. During Warsaw SerialCon, it was named the Best Polish Series of 2025. Both critics and audiences praised the production for its meticulous craftsmanship, atmosphere, and powerful portrayal of the disaster. His first feature film "25 Years of innocence" (TVN Discovery Group) was very well received both by critics and the audience. The picture was appreciated at many film festivals and honored with over 30 awards in the country and abroad, such as award for directing debut at the 45th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, for the best Director at the Polish Film Awards, best director's debut at the Camerimage Festival, and the Special Mention at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn. The film was released as a TV series, directed also by Jan. Together with Kasper Bajon, Jan received the O!Lśnienia Award in the TV Series category for Heweliusz: "For the script's perfection in translating a true story into the language of fiction. For the mastery of craft in controlling a complex cinematic machinery." In 2026, the series was further honored with the Polish Film Award - Eagle (Orzeł) for Best Television Series, confirming its outstanding artistic and production achievements. One of Jan's most recent projects is the Polish drama series "High Water", inspired by the catastrophic floods that struck parts of Poland and Central Europe in 1997. Within just two weeks of its release, the series became the number one non-English title on Netflix worldwide, earning both international acclaim and enthusiastic reviews from critics. Currently, Jan Holoubek is developing several new film and television projects, including the feature film "Wild, Wild East" (Dziki, Dziki Wschód) and the HBO Max series "In the Silence of the Night" (Wśród nocnej ciszy, also known as The Połaniec Crime), inspired by one of the most notorious criminal cases of Communist-era in Poland.
Update July 2026
