Born on 6 March 1926 in Suwałki, he studied at Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts in 1946-1949 and graduated from the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź in 1953. He co-founded the Polish Film School and brought to screen several Polish literary classics including Ashes and Diamonds (1958), Sir Thaddeus (1999) and The Promised Land (1974).

He won numerous awards for his work and in 2000 he received a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award Oscar. His work was also recognised with a Golden Lion and a Golden Bear. His films also won the Palm d'Or at Cannes, the European Film Award "Felix" and the Japanese Kyoto Award.

Andrzej Wajda directed 50 feature films, four of which were Oscar nominated, the most recognised including Ashes and Diamonds (1958), The Promised Land (1974), Man of Marble (1976), The Maids of Wilko (1979), Man of Iron (1981), Sir Thaddeus (1999), Katyń (Akson studio, 2007) and Wałęsa. Man of Hope (Akson studio, 2013). His last film, Afterimage (Akson studio), was very well received at the 41st Gdynia Film Festival and was selected as the Polish bid for the Oscars.

In 2002, along with Wojciech Marczewski, Andrzej Wajda founded his own film school, Wajda School & Studio, where students follow different film courses led by famous European filmmakers.