News

Lukasz Palkowski’s Gods was the big winner at this year’s annual showcase of Polish cinema at the Gdynia Film Festival which ended with a gala awards ceremony at the weekend.

Gods (Bogowie), based on the life of Zbigniew Religa who performed the first successful heart transplant in Poland in the 1980s, received the Grand Prix Golden Lions for best film as well as individual awards in the categories of screenplay, make-up, production design and actor in a leading role for Tomasz Kot.

In addition, Gods received the award of the Polish Film Festivals and Reviews Abroad as well as the Journalists’ Award, Elle magazine’s Star of the Stars award for lead actor Kot and Radio Gdansk’s Golden Claquer Award for the longest applauded film at a screening in the Musical Theatre for the Main Competition.

Palkowski made his feature directorial debut in 2007 with Reserve, which won three prize at the festival in Gdynia...

Polish biopic Walesa. Man of Hope has been submitted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Walesa. Man of Hope debuted at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month and went on to screen at Toronto. It will next be shown at film festivals in Rio, Chicago and London.

The film is a depiction of the life of Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Poland’s Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa, as events in the 1970s lead to a peaceful revolution.

The role of Wałęsa was played by Robert Więckiewicz. The film also stars Agnieszka Grochowska (Danuta Wałęsa), Maria Rosaria Omaggio (Oriana Fallaci) . Cinematography was handled by Paweł Edelman.

Review: Walesa. Man of Hope

Click here for the Best Foreign-Language Film Academy Award submissions 2013

The film was produced by Akson Studio, and co-produced by Telewizja Polska Sa – Film Agency, Telekomunikacja Polska, Canal+ Poland, Narodowe Centrum Kultury. The film received financial support from the Polish Film Institute...

Rural Russian film takes top prize at Poland’s New Horizons International Film Festival.

Russian director Alexander Fedorchenko’s Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari received the Grand Prix and a €20,000 ($27,000) cash prize at the 13th New Horizons International Film Festival (July 18-28) in Wroclaw.

The decision by the International jury, headed by Hungary’s Bela Tarr and including Polish film-maker Joanna Kos-Krauze and Berlinale Forum director Christoph Terhechte, was announced ahead of the Polish premiere of Malgorzata Szumowska’s In The Name Of on Saturday evening.

Fedorchenko’s film had its world premiere at last year’s Rome Film Festival.

Review: Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari

In June, it won three awards - best script, best cinematography and the Prize of the Russian Guild of Film Scholars and Film Critics - at the Kinotavr “Open Russian” Film Festival in Sochi.

The $2m production by Fedorchenko’s 29 February Film Company explores the myths of the Russian...

It's surprising that this is the first time Polish producers have participated in the Cannes Producers Network considering Poland is one of the upcoming young filmmaking hotspots. Their T-Mobile New Horizons Film Festival, their American Film Festival and Us in Progress, Warsaw Film Festival and Krakow Film Festival are all promoting cross-cultural collaboration in new ways and this new generation of filmmakers is so educated and talented. Keep your eyes on Poland!

An exclusive program of meet-and-greets!

Launched in 2004, the Producers Network hosts 550 producers from around the world in a series of meetings and events. Created to stimulate international coproduction and project financing, this event is specially designed for producers. Every day an individually tailored program will be giving the opportunity to meet the various partners the projects require, be it a co-producer, distributor, sales agent or financier.

5 leading Polish Producers in the Program.

Poland will be represented by the top highly successful 5 Producers of young generation the Polish Film Institute is proud to present:

Agnieszka Kurzydło

MD4

Agnieszka was born in 1974 in Kraków. She studied archeology at the Jagiellonian University. She is involved in film industry since 1992. In 2009 became involved with Zentropa International Poland as a managing director. Since the beginning Zentropa International Poland made international co-production films, such as: Antichrist directed by Lars von Trier (2009), The Woman who dreamt of a Man directed by Per Fly (2010), Elles directed by Małgośka Szumowska (2012). In 2011 she established her own company: Mental Disorder 4 (MD4) and she works as the CEO. She produced such films as: BabyBlues directed by Katarzyna Rosłaniec (2012) - world premiere at the Tiff 2012, CrystalBear for the Best Film at the Berlinale 2013 Generation 14plus and Special Mention fromInternational Jury, In the name of directed by Małgośka Szumowska (2013) - world premiere at Berlinale 2013 Competition and Teddy Award. Among MD4 forthcoming projects are:RedSpider directed by Marcin Koszałka (planed premiere 2014) and Kebab & Horoscopedirected by Grzegorz Jaroszuk (planned premiere 2014).

Małgorzata Jurczak

Scorpion Arte

Graduated from Warsaw University, The Law Department, Lodz Film and TV School, The Production Management and Leeds Metropolitan University, The Northern School of Film and Television. Co-founder of Skorpion Arte Film & TV Production, the independent production company established in Warsaw, 2008.Filmography (producer): The Photographer dir. Waldemar Krzystek (2013), Manhunt dir. Marcin Krzysztalowicz (The Silver Lions Gdynia Flilm Festival 2012, Montreal World Competition 2012) , My name is Ki dir. Leszek Dawid (The Venice Days 2011, Cottbus 2011, Off Camera 2012), The Heritage dir. Andrzej Baranski (The Karlovy Vary 2011), Being like Deyna dir. Anna Wieczur - Bluszcz (2012).

Marta Laryssa Plucińska

Federico Film

Federico Film was founded in February 1997. Its founder, co-owner, and producer is Marta Laryssa Plucińska. In 2005 her brother, Pawel Pluciński has joined the company. Federico Film is an active producer on the audiovisual market. They take part in national as well as international co-productions. They cooperate with Polish and foreign filmmakers of documentaries, advertisements, video clips and TV series. Present feature productions: Przeklęta Zorica (Crna Zorica) (2012), directed by Radosław Pavkovic, international coproduction Serbian-Polish-Greek, supported by: Polish Film Institute. Mój Rower (My father’s bike) (2012), directed by Piotr Trzaskalski, cinema feature film. Shooting: August 2011. Cast: Michał Urbaniak, Artur Żmijewski, Krzysztof Chodorowski, Witold Dębski, Anna Nehrebecka; Co-producer – Television Tvn S.A., Supported by: Pisf, Lodz Film Commission.

Mikołaj Pokromski

Pokromski Studio

Educated in business, holds a Mba, a degree in Logistics and Intercultural Management, as a Film Production Master Classin Film Academy Ludwigsburg / La Fémis Paris. Coming from a family working in film, he joined the industry very early starting work in a film services company and eventually worked his way up the role of Film Producer. He currently works both in feature and documentary films, with a number of them being internationally awarded productions. In 2009 started Pokromski Studio, which he heads and produces films. Pokromski Studio acts as independent producer and service provider for international productions in Poland.Since 2012 is a member of the European and the German Film Academies.

Łukasz Dzięcioł

Opus Film

A master's graduate in Film Studies from the University of Lodz, Lukasz Dzieciol also participated in the International Producing Program at Cologne's Ifs Internationale Filmschule and in the Los Angeles Film School Producing Program. For the past 10 years, he has been working at Opus Film, a feature film and commercials company, in which he shares ownership. Lukasz's production credits include Slawomir Fabicki's Retrieval, which premiered in 2006 in Un Certain Regard in Cannes and was Poland's candidate for the Foreign Language Oscar. He also produced Adam Guzinski's A Boy On A Galloping Horse which screened Out of competition in Cannes' official selection the same year.Recently, he produced Zero by Pawel Borowski, My Flesh My Blood by Marcin Wrona and Courage by Greg Zglinski. The films were screened at several international festivals and garnered major film prizes, respectively. Apart from his work in Europe, Lukasz has also produced film projects in the United States and remains actively involved in ongoing co-operations with Us-based production companies. In 2011, he was selected for European Film Promotion’s networking platform, Producers On The Move, at the Cannes International Film Festival. Since 2011 he is a member of The Polish Film Academy and European Film Academy.

80 Million, Poland's 2012 candidate for Best Foreign Language Film, teases of a bank heist but delivers a cerebral, dialogue driven cat-and-mouse. The dramatic retelling of the anti-communist groundswell in 1980s Poland delves head first into the politically and socially tumultuous era to the point where it may leave some international audiences behind. Waldemar Krzystek, for better or worse, doesn't pander to international audience with watered-down or simplified maneuverings and instead keeps the story, based on true events, firmly entrenched in complex political manipulations of the moment, some of it lost on those of us less familiar with the where, when, and how. The "where" is Wroclaw Poland and the "when" is 1981, one year after the establishment of Solidarity, the trouble-making trade union...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The 11th Pune International Film Festival (January 10-17, 2013) has announced its slate for 2013. These films will be screened under nine sections: International Competition, Marathi Competition, Student Competition (live action and animation), Global Cinema, Country Focus, Retrospective, Tribute, Indian Cinema and Regional Cinema.

Israeli film Hayuta and Berl by Amir Manor will open the festival on 10th January. See the schedule here.

Feature films at the festival contend for the Best Film, Best Director and Government of Maharashtra “Sant Tukaram” Best International Marathi Film Award. The Marathi films in competition will vie for the Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography Awards. The Student Competition will also have a Special Award and a cash prize.

Eighty contemporary films from more than 50 countries will be screened under the Global Cinema section. Hungary and South Korea will be the Countries in Focus with the screening of six and seven films, respectively.

Ah, the heist film. We've all seen a ton of them and half of the joy is seeing how people will manipulate the very familiar formula to keep things feeling fresh. But every now and then someone finds a completely different approach into the genre and Waldemar Krzystek's 80 Million is very definitely one of those cases. Forget about your typical gang of charming criminals pulling off the job, these people aren't criminals at all. At least not by any contemporary standards. No, what we have here is a period piece tracking political activists pulling off a job against the ruling Communist forces. The film was pitched like this at the Gdynia Film Festival:Lower Silesia, the autumn of 1981. After a series of provocations by...

For info about tonight's films, read Part One of Chale's preview.

This weekend the Austin Polish Film Festival continues with a variety of events, starting Saturday with a selection of children's films (1-3 pm). Then a workshop led by Austin artist Mig Kokinda will celebrate world-famous Polish poster designs, followed by a return screening of Marcin Latałło's illuminating documentary The Other Side of the Poster (2010).

Saturday evening showcases three gems of contemporary Polish cinema. Jan Komasa's 2010 movie Suicide Room (Sala samobójców) is a brilliant, harrowing portrait of a teenager who descends into a dark world. Dominik seems happy enough in high school, but a suggestion that he may be gay leads to merciless cyber-bullying and the boy's withdrawal from society. His parents, wealthy, well connected, and both engaged in extramarital affairs, seem oblivious to the boy's growing depression.

Finding a website called The Suicide Room, Dominik becomes immersed in...

For the first time in Academy Award history, 71 countries are vying for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The submissions for 2012 include director Michael Haneke’s Amour, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival; France’s global box office sensation The Intouchables; and Nairobi Half Life, the first film ever submitted by Kenya. Check out the full list below:

Afghanistan: The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi, director

Albania: Pharmakon, Joni Shanaj, director

Algeria: Zabana!, Said Ould Khelifa, director

Argentina: Clandestine Childhood, Benjamín Ávila, director

Armenia: If Only Everyone, Natalia Belyauskene, director

Australia: Lore, Cate Shortland, director

Austria: Amour,...

The Oscar season is almost upon us, and the submissions list is in for the Best Foreign Language Film category, featuring a record 71 entries, including the first submission from Kenya.

Last year, Iran’s Asghar Farhadi came away with the top prize for his acclaimed film, A Separation, and the year before, it was Denmark’s Susanne Bier with her In a Better World.

This year, there are already a handful of strong contenders amongst the pack, most notably Michael Haneke’s Amour, for Austria, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes; Olivier Nakache’s and Éric Toledano’s The Intouchables, for France, which has been breaking records at the global box office; Pablo Larráin’s No, for Chile, which also came away from Cannes with an award in hand; Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, for South Korea, which took four awards at Venice, including (controversially) the Golden Lion; and...

The Intouchables

A record 71 countries, including first-time entrant Kenya, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 85th Academy Awards®. In May, Michael Haneke.s Amour (Love) won the Palme d.Or at the 65th Cannes Film Festival and was shown this past weekend at the 50th New York Film Festival. However the film I was happiest to see make the list below is from France – The Intouchables from directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. Check out our review Here.

In the Academy’s rules, only one picture will be accepted from each country. Plus the Academy Statuette (Oscar) will be awarded to the motion picture and accepted by the director on behalf of the picture.s creative talents. Ultimately five foreign language motion pictures are nominated for this award.

Director/writer Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation from Iran won the Oscar for the Best...

Update: The official list has been revealed and the total is a record 71 movies. I have updated the list directly below or you can check it out here. The original article follows. I have been tracking the Oscar Foreign Language submissions again this year, as I have for the past several years, and it looks like we finally have a full field as I expect we will be seeing an official press release from the Academy some time this week. This year we have five more submissions already over last year as the total has now reached 68 submissions compared to last year's 63. This, despite, Iran boycotting the Oscars this year due to the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims, which has sparked so much controversy as of late. To reach the total of 68 films I have just finished adding 16 more titles to the list from the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina,...

I have been tracking the Oscar Foreign Language submissions again this year, as I have for the past several years, and it looks like we finally have a full field as I expect we will be seeing an official press release from the Academy some time this week. This year we have five more submissions already over last year as the total has now reached 68 submissions compared to last year's 63. This, despite, Iran boycotting the Oscars this year due to the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims, which has sparked so much controversy as of late. To reach the total of 68 films I have just finished adding 16 more titles to the list from the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, China, Georgia, Greenland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and Uruguay. To siphon out front-runners is never easy in this category, though there are a few that stick out immediately.

Indian Oscar entry Anurag Basu’s “Barfi” will have to compete with 64 films from around the world. Barfi’s chance will be sealed on January 24th 2013 when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominees.

The deadline for submission of entries for the foreign language category got over yesterday on October 1st.

63 countries had sent their entries for the category last year.

Iran, the winner of last year (A separation) decided not to send an entry this year in protest of a youtube film that ridiculed the prophet.

The final list of submissions is yet to be announced by the academy.

Also Read: Who Selected “Barfi” for Oscars? and Where does “Barfi” stand in the Oscar race?

Here is the complete list of announced submissions:-

Afghanistan – The Patience Stone, directed by Atiq Rahimi (Persian) Albania – Pharmakon, directed by Joni Shanaj (Albania) Algeria – Zabana!, directed by Saïd Ould Khelifa (Arabic,...

You think it’s too early for this? Trust me, it’s not and that’s exactly why we’re here today to start our little chat about the official foreign language submissions for Oscar.

Nothing to be surprised about, after all – these titles are already familiar to you, mostly because of their success in some Film Festivals. Check out the rest of this report to see the list of announced submissions.

As you’re about to see, quite interesting list of movies from all over the world. Unfortunately we don’t have trailers and official synopsis part for every single film, but I’m sure we’ll soon have more material to share with you.

In the mean time, we will inform you that Kim Ki-duk‘s movie, Pieta, which won Golden Lion statue for best movie at the Venice Film Festival this year, has been submitted by South...

Anurag Basu’s Barfi to compete with Michael Haneke’s “Amour” and Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta”

Anurag Basu’s “Barfi” might have lured the selectors at home but it’s unlikely to have an easy ride ahead. Basu will have to compete against the veterans like Michael Haneke who took home a second Palme d’Or at Cannes this year for his “Amour” (Official Austrian Entry). Closer home in Asia, Korean Master Kim Ki-duk will also pose an equal threat to the Ranbir Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra starrer Barfi. Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” clinched the Golden Lion at Venice this year.

“Barfi” was declared official Oscar entry from India on Saturday night by the Film Federation of India. Other Indian films which were in race included Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar, Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur Parts I and II,...

Last year, 63 countries submitted their films for consideration for the annual Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language category. This year, 28 countries have made their presence known, and one of them is my homeland, the Philippines, submitting "Bwakaw" (pictured above) for consideration.

The Academy will provide a full list of eligible submissions by October, and out of the list, nine finalists will be chosen then shortlisted with the final five nominees to be announced on January 24, 2013.

Here's the list for the announced submissions, so far...

Australia - Lore, directed by Cate Shortland (German)

Austria - Amore, directed by Michael Haneke (French)

Azerbaijan - Buta, directed by Ilgar Najaf (Azeri)

Belgium - Our Children, directed by Joachim Lafosse (French)

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Children of Sarajevo, directed by Aida Begic (Bosnian)

Bulgaria - Sneakers, directed by Valeri Yordanov (Bulgarian)

Cambodia - Lost Loves, directed by Chhay Bora (Khmer)

Canada - War Witch, directed...

Festival scope, is an online view on demand platform for professional film work from around the world. They are introducing a new focus on Polish film, highlighting, Krzysztof Kieslowski, in an exhibition and retrospective opening next week in Paris. It is a refreshing addition to Fs's Labels section as well as their collaboration with the Polish Film Institute as part of Step In, the new initiative of the Festival del film Locarno focusing this year on Eastern European Cinema.

The Pfi has always walked hand in hand with Poland's long tradition of quality filmmaking and keeps helping new generations of Polish filmmakers gain international recognition for their films.

Here are some films you can watch now on demand:

Gdynia Ff/ New Horizons Polish Days/Montreal

Manhunt (Oblawa)

by Marcin Krzysztalowicz

Corporal 'Wydra', a guerrilla soldier in Poland under Nazi occupation, is seeking revenge for the treacherous assassination of his guerrilla formation. Not only will Wydra face the Germans and the Polish traitors, but also the psychological consequences of betrayal. Contact: Skorpion Arte

Gdynia Ff/ New Horizons Polish Days

My Father's Bike (Moj rower)

by Piotr Trzaskalski

Seventy-year-old Włodek finds a letter in which his wife explains that she is leaving him for another man. Overwhelmed he faints and ends up in hospital. His son and teenage grandson visit him and despite having been out of touch with them for years, together they embark on a journey to win his wife back. Contact: Federico Film

Gdynia Ff/ Moscow Ff

80 Million (80 Milionow)

by Waldemar Krzystek

Wrocław 1981, ten days before martial law was introduced in Poland. Władysław Frasyniuk, the leader of Solidarity - the first non–communist party-controlled trade union - along with four colleagues, makes an 80 million Zloty withdrawal from the organization's bank account. Contact: Media Brigade

Gdynia Ff/ Karlovy Vary Iff

In the Bedroom (W sypialni)

by Tomas Wasilewski

Forty-year-old Edyta arrives in Warsaw to hide from her family. Checking in at different hotels she finally runs out of money and starts using the internet to find random men looking for sex. Edyta ends up spending her nights in nameless men's houses, but instead of delivering on the promise of sex, she takes advantage of their imposed hospitality.

Karlovy Vary Iff

Yuma

by Piotr Mularuk

In the early 1990's despite the fall of the Iron Curtain, the situation along the Polish-German border hadn’t changed much. Twenty-year-old Zyga is tired of looking at the latest fashions and Western conveniences in glossy magazines. Overflowing with goods, West German stores are just a tad too tempting for the young men. Contact: Yeti Films

Gdynia Ff

Being Like Deyna (Byc jak Kazimierz Deyna)

by Anna Wieczur-Bluszcz

A humorous story about growing up, about a few crushes and life choices. Deyna and Boniek score goals, white socks become an aphrodisiac, desire leads to purity and a traditional Polish mother crushes Eastern markets. Contact: Skorpion Arte...

The true-life tale of a daring escape from Auschwitz, a classic from controversial director Roman Polanski and Poland's answer to Trainspotting are just some of the films being screened in Belfast as part of Kinoteka on Tour - 4th Polish Film Festival.

The showcase of the best in new and classic Polish cinema will run at the Queen's Film Theatre, Fitzwilliam Street, Belfast, from Friday, March 5, to next Thursday, March 11.

Susan Picken, Head of Qft said: "This year's Kinoteka programme reflects the quality and diversity of both new and classic Polish cinema. We are delighted to host the festival for a fourth year and look forward to a fascinating series of screenings."

The festival opens with Little Moscow, a chronicle of a tragic love between a Russian commander's wife and a Polish officer. The story is based on director Waldemar Krzystek's memories of growing up in Poland's Little Moscow,...

Berlin -- Malgorzata Szumowska's "33 Scenes From Life" has won four Eagle Awards, Poland's top film honors, including the Eagle for best film.

"33 Scenes" also won the 2009 Audience Award along with nods for best editing (Jacek Dros) and soundtrack (composer Pawel Mykietyn).

Szumowska's film stars Julia Jentsch as a successful photographer whose marriage to a famous composer begins to fall apart.

But in the numbers game, "33 Scenes" took a back seat to "Little Moscow," a look at the Soviet army's occupation of Poland, which won five Eagles including best screenplay for Waldemar Krzystek.

Jerzy Skolimowski won the best director Eagle for "Four Nights With Anna," his comeback to filmmaking after an absence of almost 20 years.