POLISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS IN 2015
In 2015, Polish documentary films were shown at international film festivals over 460 times, winning a total of over 90 awards. Polish documentary film was the special guest, among others, at the following festivals: Flahertiana in Perm, Polish Doc Days in Moscow and Kazan, and Festival dei Popoli in Florence. We would like to invite you to read the summary of the previous year.
In 2015, Polish documentary film was very successful in the international arena. For the fifth time, the editors of Polish Docs prepared a numerical summary of festival screenings and awards won by Polish filmmakers.
Last year, Polish documentary films were shown at 225 festivals around the world. During twelve months, over 460 film screenings took place, almost 340 out of which were competition screenings. In 2015, international festival audience watched approximately 100 Polish documentary films.
It turned out that the short films became the audience's favourites, which is recently quite rare at international film festivals. The record-breaker of 2015 is the film "Object" by Paulina Skibińska, which was shown 51 times at international festivals! Right behind it, there is "Super Unit" directed by Teresa Czepiec, with a number almost as large, amounting to 43 screenings. The third place went to "Starting Point" by Michał Szcześniak, presented 25 times at the festivals abroad.
Another film which can also boast many screenings in 2015 is "The Place" by Julia Popławska, watched by the viewers in 20 places in the world, "Call Me Marianna" by Karolina Bielawska, with 18 presentations, as well as "Jurek" by Paweł Wysoczański and "Our Curse" by Tomasz Śliwiński with 15 screenings each. Right behind them, there are the documentary films: "The Shepherd's Song" by Vahram Mkhitaryan (14), "Something Better to Come" by Hanna Polak (14), "Knife in the Wife" by Vita Maria Drygas (13), "A Documentary Film" by Marcin Podolec (12) and "Casa Blanca" by Aleksandra Maciuszek (11).
Last year, Polish documentary film-makers won over 90 awards at international festivals. As many as 11 of them went to Hanna Polak for "Something Better to Come," and "Jurek" by Paweł Wysoczański won two awards fewer at the festivals abroad. Other frequently appreciated films of 2015 include: "Super Unit" awarded seven times, "Object" with six trophies and "Starting Point" and "Invisible" by Zofia Pręgowska, both awarded five times.
Prestigious awards went to the documentary film "Brothers" by Wojciech Staroń (the Golden Dove of the Dok.Leipzig festival and Premio SRG SSR of the International Film Festival in Locarno.) Also "Call Me Mariana" was honoured in Locarno - it left the city with the Premio Zonta Club Award. The documentary film by Karolina Bielawska is also the winner of the Golden Centaur, the Grand Prix at the Message to Man Film Festival in Russia. Important awards went also to the films: "Starting Point" (Best Short/Doc at Doc/Fest Sheffield), "The End of the World" by Monika Pawluczak (Best Short Documentary Film at the Hot Springs FF) and "The Queen of Silence" by Agnieszka Zwiefka (Great Golden Nanook at the Flahertiana Film Festival). "The Dybbuk. A Tale of Wandering Souls" by Krzysztof Kopczyński was appreciated by the international film critics at the festival in Odessa, and won the FIPRESCI Award.
It is also worthwhile to remember that "Object" by Paulina Skibińska was given a Special Mention for visual poetry at Sundance festival, one of the most important independent film festivals in the world, and "Super Unit" was nominated for the prestigious award Cinema Eye Honors. It is also noteworthy that the films "The End of the World" and "Invisible," thanks to the awards won at festivals, which are included on the AMPAS list, next year have a chance to apply for the Academy Award nominations, without having to fulfil any additional conditions. In 2015, "Starting Point" was included on the short list of ten films selected for the Academy Award nominations in the Short Documentary Film category. This year, the film "Something Better to Come," as well as the films "Object" and "Super Unit," had great chances in the feature-length category, thanks to the qualifying awards.
Polish films were present at the most important documentary film festivals: DOK Leipzig in Germany, where as many as 10 Polish films appeared; Hot Docs in Canada, where "The End of the World" has its international première, Visions du reel, where "House on its Head" by Adam Palenta and "Casa Blanca" had their première screenings, and IDFA, where "Life of a Butterfly" by Piotr Bernaś was shown to the international audience for the first time, as well as "Alisa in Warland" by Alisa Kovalenko, Lubov Durakova, and some other films shown in non-competing screenings.
A strong representation of Polish documentary films appeared also at the Pärnu Film Festival in Estonia (9), "Cinema Verite" Iran Documentary Film Festival (8), Bagdad International Film Festival in Iraq (19) and MiradasDoc in Spain (6).
The vast majority of Polish documentary films, which were shown and awarded at international festivals in 2015, had its premières at Krakow Film Festival, which is often the first step towards an international career of the film and the cradle of young talented documentary film-makers.
In September, Polish documentary cinema was the special guest at the International Documentary Film Festival Flahertiana in Perm. During this edition, in the programme prepared in co-operation with Krakow Film Foundation, 20 Polish classic and contemporary documentary films were shown, and the films "The Queen of Silence" and "Werka" competed in the international competition. A special section was the retrospective of documentary films by Bogdan Dziworski, who gave a master class for the festival guests.
In November, in Moscow and Kazan, the Polish Docs Days festival was held, organised by Polish Institute in Moscow. The Russian audience watched the masterpieces from the programme "Masters from Krakow" prepared by Krakow Film Foundation (among others, Marcel Łoziński, Bogdan Dziworski, Bohdan Kosiński, Kazimierz Karabasz, Tomasz Zygadło, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Paweł Łoziński) and several latest films, represented by the KFF Film Promotion Agency, which are currently successful at many international festivals. In Kazan and Moscow, the screenings were accompanied by the review of films by Marcin Koszałka, who shared his experience as a director and director of photography at the ArtDocFest festival in Moscow.
Also in November, thanks to the co-operation with Krakow Film Foundation, there was the retrospective of the films by Wojciech Staroń, held during the Italian Festival dei Popoli. The director was the festival's special guest and gave a master class.
2015 was also a fruitful year as far as actions dedicated to the documentary film industry are concerned.
Last year, for the ninth time Krakow Film Foundation organised the national stall Polish Docs at the Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle - the largest documentary cinema market in Europe. As every year, on the Polish stall the latest Polish documentary films were promoted, and accredited producers had a chance to look for money to spend on their projects and widen their international contacts.
A large delegation of Polish film producers participated in East Doc Platform - co-production meetings and documentary film project pitchings, organised by the Institute of Documentary Film in Prague.
Traditionally, KFF prepared Polish film programmes Polish Docs at documentary film market Doc Shop at the Hot Docs festival in Canada, Docs for Sale at IDFA in the Netherlands, Doc Market at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in Greece, Doc Outlook at Visions du Reel in Switzerland, East Silver in the Czech Republic and DOK Market at DOK Leipzig in Germany. Within the frames of DOK. Leizpig, there was also, organised by KFF for the fifth time, the meeting with the most important representatives of documentary film industry, Polish Docs Meeting With Decision Makers, and at IDFA Polish Docs and HBO Europe were the hosts of Guests Meet Guests, prepared for the several hundred international guests of the festival.
All events received the financial support of Polish Film Institute and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The partners include: Krakow Festival Office, Krakow Film Commission, Polish Institute in Moscow, Polish Institute in Prague, and HBO Europe.
The international partners are: Institute of Documentary Film (the Czech Republic), Sunny Side of the Doc (France), Hot Docs (Canada), IDFA/Docs for Sale (the Netherlands), Visions du reel (Switzerland), European Documentary Network (Denmark), CPH:DOX (Denmark), DOK Leipzig (Germany), IDFF Flahertiana (Russia), Festival dei Popoli (Italy), Thessaloniki IDFF (Greece), Kino Zwiezda (Russia) and the Centre "Smiena" (Russia).
THE LIST OF AWARDS FOR POLISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS IN 2015*
15 Corners of the World, dir. Zuzanna Solakiewicz
62nd Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival, Serbia - Best Documentary
Six Degrees, dir. Bartosz Dombrowski
Sehsüchte - 44. International Student FF, Germany - Best Editing
Abu Haraz, dir. Maciej Drygas
The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival, the USA - Honorable Mention by Jury for Cinematography, Special Mention by Jury for best documentation of cultural change
Walking Under Water, dir. Eliza Kubarska
26th the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the USA - The John Schlesinger Award
Brothers, dir. Wojciech Staroń
68th Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland - Prix SRG SSR
58th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, Germany - Golden Dove
Minsk IFF "Listapad," Belarus, Grand Prix
Casa Blanca, dir. Aleksandra Maciuszek
Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival - Amnesty International Human Rights Prize, Best Documentary Feature
Minsk IFF "Listapad," Belarus - Special Mention
37th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Cuba - Premio Coral
Deep Love, dir. Jan P. Matuszyński
Docudays UA, Ukraine – Honorary Diploma
House on its Head, dir. Adam Palenta
FaitoDOCfestival, Italy – Best Short Documentary
The Dybbuk. A Tale of Wandering Souls, dir. Krzysztof Kopczyński
6th Odessa IFF, Ukraine - FIPRESCI Best Documentary
A Diary of A Journey, dir. Piotr Stasik
Euganea Film Festival, Italy - Best International Documentary Award
Figure, dir. Katarzyna Gondek
25th Message to Man International FF, Russia - Special Mention
Joanna, dir. Aneta Kopacz
39th Cleveland International Film Festival, the USA - Itancia 2009 Honorable Best women's Short Film
Jurek, dir. Paweł Wysoczański
18th Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Canada - Grand Prix
Hory a Mesto, Slovakia - Price V4
International Mountaineering FF Teplice nad Metují, the Czech Republic - Grand Prix
23rd International Festival of Mountain Films Poprad, Slovakia - Grand Prix
13th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, Germany – Special Mention by the Jury
Bansko Mountain Film Fest, Bulgaria - Award for Movie about mountaineering, adventure and exploration
Autrans Mountain Film Festival, France - Mountain Guides Prize
13th Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, Nepal - 1st Runner Up Award
8th Bilbao Mendi Film Festival, Spain - Best Mountaineenering Movie
K2. Touching the Sky, dir. Eliza Kubarska
BANFF Mountain Film and Book Festival, Canada - Best Feature-length Mountain Film
Graz Mountain Festival, Austria - Alpin Camera in Gold
Bansko Mountain Film Fest, Bulgaria - Honorable Mention
8th Bilbao Mendi Film Festival, Spain - Best Director
When I am a Bird, dir. Monika Pawluczuk
Apricot Tree-International Ethno Film Fest by 2015, Armenia - Grand Prix
End of the World, dir. Monika Pawluczuk
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the USA - SPA City Best Documentary Short Award
The Queen of Silence, dir. Agnieszka Zwiefka
31st International Documentary Film Festival Munich DOK.fest, Germany - Special Mention
IDFF "Flahertiana," Russia - The Big Golden Nanuk
Let's Cee Film Festival by 2015, Austria - Best Film in the Documentary Competition
The Place, dir. Julia Popławska
8th Imagine Science Film Festival, the USA - The Science/AAAS Scientist Award (runner-up)
13th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, Germany – Großer Preis der Stadt Tegernsee
My 89 Generation, dir. Paweł Jóźwiak-Rodan
Columbia George IFF, the USA - Best Feature-length Documentary
Call Me Marianna, dir. Karolina Bielawska
68th Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland - Premio Zonta Club Locarno
Queer Lisboa 19, Portugal - Best Documentary
25th Message to Man International FF, Russia - Grand Prix - Golden Centaur, Press Jury Prize
The Supreme, dir. Katarzyna Gondek
28th Stuttgarter Filmwinter — Festival for Expanded Media, Germany - Wand-5 Special Prize
Our curse, dir. Tomasz Śliwiński
Irvine International Film Festival, the USA, 2015 - Best College/University Documentary
11th annual Boulder International Film Festival, the USA - Best Short Documentary
Crested Butte Film Festival, USA - Best Short Documentary
THESS International Short Film Festival, Greece - Cinematic Achievement Award
Invisible, dir. Zofia Pręgowska
13th In the Palace International Short Film Festival, Bulgaria - Special Mention on Documentary
29th Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival, Estonia - Best Student Documentary
10th Monterrey International Film Festival, Mexico - Special Mention
26th New Orleans Film Festival, the USA - the Jury Winner
13th Tirana International Film Festival, Albania - Best Short Documentary Film
KIN women's International Film Festival, Armenia - Best Film
Knife in the Wife, dir. Vita Maria Drygas
25th Mediawave International Film and Media Gathering, Hungary - Best Short Documentary Film
FIKE 2015 - 13th ISFF, Portugal - Special Mention
UNICA World Film Competition 2015, Russia - UNICA Bronze Prize, Best Photography of UNICA
8th Tangier International Film Festival, Morocco - The Golden Cave
Luksuz Film Festival 2015, Slovenia - The Best Arizona Dream Award
Object, dir. Paulina Skibińska
Sundance Film Festival, the USA - A Short Film Special Jury Award for Visual Poetry
45th Tampere Film Festival, Finland - Diploma of Merit (Documentary)
20th Vilnius International Film Festival, Lithuania - Special Mention
23rd Art Film Fest, Slovakia - Special Mention
Camden International FF, the USA - Camden Cartel Award
25th Message to Man International FF, Russia - Special Mention
A Promise of Childhood, dir. Piotr Morawski, Ryszard Kaczyński
Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival, Qatar - Child and Family Award
Eighteenth Birthday, dir. Marta Prus
Watersprite Cambridge ISFF, United Kingdom – Best Documentary
Paweł and Wawel, dir. Krzysztof Kaczmarek
26th International Film Festival Marseille, France – Mention Speciale
The Shepherd's Song, dir. Vahram Mkhitaryan
29th Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival, Estonia - Best Audiovisual Portrayal
25th Message to Man International FF, Russia - Best Debut
13th Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, Nepal - 2nd Runner Up Award
Starting Point, dir. Michał Szcześniak
Docudays UA, Ukraine - Docu/Short Main Prize
Documenta Madrid, Spain - Special Mention
Sheffield Doc/Fest, United Kingdom - Short Doc Award 70
Encounters - 21st Short Film & Animation Festival, United Kingdom - Honourable Mention
Budapest International Documentary Festival, Hungary - Special Mention
Something Better to Come, dir. Hanna Polak
26th Trieste Film Festival, Italy - The Alpe Adria Cinema Award
11th Zagreb Dox, Croatia - Special Mention
13th International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, Switzerland - Youth Jury Award
Documenta Madrid, Spain - 2nd prize of the jury
31st International Documentary Film Festival Munich DOK.fest, Germany - VIKTOR Main Competition DOK.international
9th Tarkovsky Film Festival, Russia - Small Mirror, Special Award Club 418
29th Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival, Estonia - Estonian People's Award
Documentary Edge Festival, New Zealand – Best International Feature Award
Valetta Film Festival, Malta – Best Documentary
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the USA - International Special Jury Recognition Award
Survey about men, dir. Mateusz Głowacki
The Student International Film Festival, Croatia - Audience Award
Super Unit, dir. Teresa Czepiec
7th Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen, the Netherlands - Special Mention
It's All True - International Documentary FF, Brazil - Best Short Documentary
43rd Huesca Film Festival, Spain - Mención Especial
Astra Film Festival, Romania - Prize for best cinematography
Anchorage International FF, the USA - Runner-up Short Documentary
MOV - II Festival Internacional de Cinema Universitário de Pernambuco, Brazil - Best Creation of Atmosphere, Honorable Mention by ABD-PE/APECI Jury
The Crow, dir. Przemysław Jan Chrobak
13th International Festival Signes de Nuit, France - Night Award Special Mention
*data collected on the basis of the information received from producers, filmmakers and festivals by Polish Docs. If you know about foreign awards for Polish documentary films which are not included in this summary, we would like to ask you to send a message to the editors of the portal: redakcja@polishdocs.pl