Polish psychological drama SWARM, the feature directorial debut from Bartek Bala, is out now on North American TVOD from prestige distributor The Forge.
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — WHAT: Polish psychological drama SWARM (RÓJ), the feature directorial debut from filmmaker Bartek Bala, is out now on TVOD in North America. The film is available on the following platforms: Amazon, Apple TV, DirecTV, Dish, Google Play, Shaw, and Vubiquity. Prices are $14.99 for EST and $5.99 for HD or $4.99 for SD.
In pursuit of absolute freedom, a father relocates his family to a remote island, cutting them off from modern society to live by principles of self-sufficiency, ritual, and radical independence. As both patriarch and teacher, he raises his two adolescent children to believe that true liberty exists only beyond civilization’s reach. But what begins as a utopian experiment slowly fractures. Rivalries emerge, obedience gives way to resistance, and the family’s fragile harmony erodes as resources dwindle and another brutal winter approaches. As survival grows uncertain, the ideals meant to liberate them become instruments of control.
WHO: Bartek Bala has written, directed, and produced four short films (POD POZIOMEM MORZA, POD POWIEKAMI, POWIĄZANE, and RODZEŃSTWO), which have screened at festivals and art galleries in Poland and abroad, and numerous award-winning commercials and music videos. He is the co-founder of HOLE Films, a production company that develops narrative and documentary projects, and the Film Incubator Foundation. Bala broke the mold for financing of feature productions with SWARM, which is the first Polish film to be co-funded by more than 300 individual investors. He is currently in production on two additional feature films, SUKA and CÓRY.
“I wanted to combine various genres: a kind of parable, a fairy tale with a strong message and a riveting history,” says Bala. “For me, this is a contemporary form of magical realism where poetry and symbols merge with the truth of my characters, purposely undefined in order for the viewer to discover some other layers and to be left with a lingering reflection.”
WHEN: Out now
WHERE: Amazon, Apple TV, DirecTV, Dish, Google Play, Shaw, and Vubiquity
MORE: Boutique prestige distributor The Forge recently released Kristen Stewart’s feature directorial debut THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER, which had its World Premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, theatrically in North America.
Established by independent film veteran Mark Mathias Sayre, The Forge is a distributor of compelling films and documentaries. @theforge.film on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and @theforgefilm on YouTube.
SWARM
The Forge presents
A Film Rój S.A. Production
Running Time: 100 minutes
Language: Polish with English Subtitles
Writer/Director/Producer: Bartek Bala
Writer: Maciej Słowiński
Producers: Łukasz Siódmok, Tomasz Langner
Cinematographer: Zuzanna Kernbach
Editor: Bartłomiej Piasek, Piotr Wójcik
Production Designer: Maja Zaleska
Costume Designer: Nina Sakowska
Make-Up by Maria Łukaszewska-Ciesielska
VFX by LocoMotive
Sound by Katarzyna Dzida-Hamela, Adam Mart
Music by Paweł Górniak
Cast: Roma Gąsiorowska, Eryk Lubos, Adam Wojciechowski, Antonina Litwiniak
Henry Eshelman
PMG
+1 323-337-9042
heshelman@platformgrp.com
SWARM Official Trailer (HD), courtesy of The Forge
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