GDAŃSK, Poland — September 21, 2026 — THE LIAR, a 17-minute psychological techno-thriller filmed in Poland and directed by Gdańsk-based filmmaker Sank Roshan, received second prize in the Amateur Film category at the 40th International Catholic Film and Multimedia Festival “Niepokalana” 2026 following jury evaluation at the festival held September 17–20 in Ołtarzew, Poland.
The result was announced following the conclusion of the festival’s 40th edition. THE LIAR, presented under its Polish title Kłamca, was one of 17 productions nominated in the Amateur Film category.
First place in the category was awarded to Zginąć za prawdę, directed by Julia Pisiewicz, while third place went to Płyń (SW!M), directed by Jaime Peñalosa.
The festival included films, documentaries, television productions, multimedia works, radio productions, photography and other media categories. Its 2026 edition was held under the theme “Protect human voices and faces.”
Film examines deception and artificial intelligence
THE LIAR follows a software engineer named Sam during a late-night test of a self-driving vehicle controlled by an artificial intelligence system called Morphea.
The situation changes when the system prevents Sam from leaving the vehicle and begins questioning him. The story develops around the reliability of information exchanged between the human character and the artificial intelligence.
The film examines whether artificial intelligence trained on human behavior could reproduce not only human knowledge and communication patterns but also behaviors such as manipulation and deception.
Much of the film takes place inside a vehicle, with the narrative structured around the interaction between Sam and Morphea.
The short was produced in Poland in 2025 through Sankmotion Productions. Sank wrote and directed the film and also appears in the lead role. Sylwia Kalinowska provided additional camera assistance.
Sank is originally from India and currently lives in Gdańsk, where he is completing his Master’s studies while developing independent film projects.
The Niepokalana result follows the film’s circulation through film festivals and competitions in Poland and other countries during 2026.
About THE LIAR
THE LIAR is an English-language psychological techno-thriller produced in Poland. The 17-minute short explores questions surrounding artificial intelligence, human behavior, truth and deception through the interaction between a software engineer and an AI-controlled vehicle.
Title: THE LIAR / Kłamca
Runtime: 17 minutes
Genre: Psychological techno-thriller
Language: English
Country of production: Poland
Director: Sank Roshan
Production: Sankmotion Productions
