IDFA ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL SELECTION 2011 – POLISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS AGAIN QUALIFIED!
The selection of documentaries for the 24th International Documentary Film Festival IDFA has been announced. This year’s edition of IDFA attracted more than 3600 entries. 319 were selected for the festival’s programme, 8 of which are Polish.
One does not have to mention the importance of the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. IDFA is one of the biggest events in the international documentary calendar, annually attracting hundreds of professionals from around the world. What distinguishes the festival most is its rich and diverse programme consisting of competition and out of competition sections, both showcasing the top-shelf documentary productions. An integral part of IDFA is Docs for Sale market - it represents at least 450 films every year - and the Forum, which offers a combination of industry events, including pitch sessions, lectures and discussion panels.
The festival in Amsterdam has featured Polish documentary films since its first edition in 1988, when “The Musicians” by Kazimierz Karabasz were screened. This year again Polish documentary cinema is worthily represented. The recent winner of the festival in Batumi – “Violated Letters” directed by Maciej Drygas – is taking part in IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary. “Paparazzi” by Piotr Bernaś, and “The Trip” by Bartosz Kruhlik are both fighting for the title of the best student film in IDFA Competition for Student Documentary.
In Best of Fests section of Reflecting Images, which presents documentaries that have gone down a storm at international festivals in the past year, Paweł Kloc’s documentary debut “Phnom Penh Lullaby” will be screened. “Vakha and Magomed” directed by Marta Prus will be shown as part of Reflecting Images: Panorama programme that showcases documentaries on current social issues.
IDFA is also an excellent opportunity to familiarise oneself with the world as it is seen by young documentary film-makers, who make first steps in the film industry. This is offered by Doc Next – a programme which features films by a new generation of emerging documentary talents. Three Polish documentaries that were produced by the Association of the Creative Initiatives “ę” will be screened: “Brothers” by Emi Mazurkiewicz, “I’m Looking for Someone” by Janusz Kojro, and “View from My Window, 1968-1979 Chronicles” by Katarzyna Nalewajka, Ula Klimek, Milosz Hermanowicz, Kamil Radziszewski and Jakub Piątek.
Docs for Sale market offers a comprehensive catalogue including the newest Polish documentary films that are part of POLISH DOCS project. During this year’s edition of IDFA, POLISH DOCS celebrates its five-year, and Andrzej Wajda Studio its ten-year anniversary since they were launched.
More about the festival at: www.idfa.nl.