THE DOC LAB POLAND AWARDS ARE GIVEN AT 56TH KFF
On Saturday, June 4, at the festive closing gala of the 56th Krakow Film Festival, the awards for the most interesting documentary film projects for professional documentary film-makers were given, with a total value of 70 000 PLN. The programme ended with great success: within the frames of the presentations DOCS TO START and DOCS TO GO!, as well as DOC LAB POLAND CO-PRODUCTION MARKET, nearly 450 co-production and distribution meetings took place.
In Krakow, ended the second, the most important session of the largest Polish programme for documentary film-makers DOC LAB POLAND, in which 18 Polish documentary projects participated, in addition to over 40 producers from Poland and abroad. The session consisted of very intensive workshops and consultations, and most of all, public presentations of the projects and a series of individual meetings with potential partners: producers, distributors, sales agents, representatives of festival and television channels.
The most interesting projects of DOC LAB POLAND were awarded, and the awards were given at the festive closing gala of the 56th Krakow Film Festival. Two awards and two special mentions were given to the projects participating in the presentation DOCS TO START, dedicated to documentary films in development:
The HBO Award amounting to 10 000 PLN was given to the project of the film "Boylesque,"dir. Bogna Kowalczyk, prod. Tomasz Morawski / BOFFO.
Krakow Film Cluster Award in the form of a voucher to use for production and post-production amounting to 25 000 PLN went to "Study of Chaos," dir. Tomasz Śliwiński, Magdalena Hueckel, prod. Marika Kuźmicz / ARTON FOUNDATION.
DOK Leipzig Special Mention, with the invitation to the film market, was awarded to the film "Volte,"dir. Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzała, prod. Agnieszka Wasiak / LAVA FILMS.
European Documentary Network Special Mention with the initiation to the workshop Lisbon Doc went to "Mission,"dir. Monika Krupa, prod. Dorota Mandziara / TRZY FILM.
To the projects participating in DOCS TO GO! - presentation for documentary films at an advanced stage of editing - went two awards and one special mention:
Polish Filmmakers Association Award amounting to 10 000 PLN went to "Unconditional Love,"dir. Rafał Łysak, prod. Jacek Bławut, Victoria Ogneva / JACEK BŁAWUT FILM PRODUCTION.
Krakow Technology Park Award – a voucher for post-production worth 25 000 PLN was given to "The Ugliest Car in the World," dir. and prod. Grzegorz Szczepaniak / ANAGRAM.
East Doc Platform Special Mention and the invitation to Project Market went to the project "Village of the swimming cows," dir. and prod. Katarzyna Trzaska / ZYGIZAGA.
The projects gained very good reviews by the international experts: producers, representatives of festivals, television channels, sales agents. After the presentations, the experts held individual meetings with the representatives of the projects (directors and producers) which are intended to initiate co-operation, as far as both co-production and distribution are concerned. Within the frames of the programme, there was held the DOC LAB POLAND CO-PRODUCTION MARKET, also for producers, who did not participate in the programme itself. It was attended by over 40 additional participants, from Poland and abroad.
"This year's edition of the most important session of DOC LAB POLAND in Krakow ended with a great success,” says Adam Ślesicki, the director of DOC LAB POLAND, "In total, we managed to organise nearly 450 meetings, consultative and co-production ones. This number is obviously impressive, but the most important thing is the effect of the meetings, and we already know that some of them would translate into specific co-operation. However, the most important thing is quality. I am sure that the projects presented within the frames of DOC LAB POLAND will develop into really excellent documentary films: some of them funny or even comedic, others poignant or even shocking. We keep our fingers crossed for them!
The participants of DOC LAB POLAND listened to the advice of the international experts, respected by the industry. The people who co-operate with the programme include: the director of the most important German documentary film festival DOK Leipzig - Leena Pasanen, the director of the European Documentary Network - Paul Pauwels, the programme director of EDN - Mikael Opstrup, the festival selector - Rada Šešić, the industry director of the Canadian festival Hot Docs - Elizabeth Radshaw, sales agents - Peter Jäger and Xavier Henry-Rashid. Polish consultants of the programme, who advised the participants during the session in April, are leading Polish film-makers: Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz, Lidia Duda, Paweł Łoziński, Bartek Konopka, editors: Dorota Wardęszkiewicz and Jarosław Kamiński, as well as leading Polish producers, sales agents, promotion, distribution and festival strategy specialists.
Two participants of DOC LAB POLAND and a consultant were at the same time the Festival's jury. In Polish Competition, the films were assessed by Agnieszka Zwiefka, who won many international awards for her film "The Queen of Silence," among others, the Silver Horn at the 55th Krakow Film Festival and the Big Golden Nanook at the festival Flahertiana. In the Jury of the Short Film Competition, the films were evaluated by Aleksandra Maciuszek, the director awarded the Golden Hobby-Horse and the Silver Horn at the 55th KFF. The consultant of DOC LAB POLAND – Elizabeth Radshaw, the director of the Industry programmes at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, sat on the jury of the DOCFILMMUSIC competition.
DOC LAB POLAND AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS
"Boylesque," dir. Bogna Kowalczyk, produced by: Tomasz Morawski, Boffo
A former star of the Drag Queen scene in Polish People's Republic - Madame Lula (75 years old) tries to find her place in the contemporary world of boylesque, so that she can again be a part of the drag bohemia in Warsaw. The challenges she faces make her tell the story about how things used to be.
"Study of Chaos," directed by Tomasz Śliwiński, Magda Hueckel, produced by Marika Kuźmicz, Arton Foundation
Krzysztof Niemczyk (1938-1994), a famous artist from Krakow, from the circle of Tadeusz Kantor, was hated and forgotten later on. He was a writer, a performer, the only Polish queer artist. He laid bare all kinds of hypocrisy - social conventions, political system. He was not afraid of violating the oppressive system of Polish People's Republic. In 1968, he wrote the novel "La courtisane et les poussins" which was hailed in France as one of the greatest works of Polish literature in the second half of the twentieth century, whereas in Poland the book went unnoticed. Tadeusz Kantor once said about Niemczyk: "Do not think that any society would be able to accept him."
"Volte," directed by Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzała, produced by Agnieszka Wasiak, LAVA Films
The amateur sports club UKS Volteo undertakes the struggle to enter the equestrian vaulting national team. Its players do not realise how many sacrifices will result from this decision. For them, the most important thing is a chance to compete against their idols at the international Equestrian Olympics in Aachen. Three protagonists - a girl, a teenager and a young woman - fight together for the team's success, at the same time confronting their own adolescence.
"Mission," directed by Monika Krupa, produced by Dorota Mandziara, Trzy Film
A story about a Polish Egyptologist who, against all odds, is on the verge of a great discovery. If he succeeds, it will be the greatest event of contemporary archaeology. The protagonist of "Mission" is, on the one hand, a treasure hunter like Indiana Jones and world curious scientist - "a Renaissance man," and on the other hand, a husband who has been in love for 45 years, writing romantic poems to his wife.
"Unconditional Love," directed by: Rafał Łysak, produced by Jacek Bławut, Victoria Ogneva, Jacek Bławut Film Production
Is an understanding between an 80-year-old extremely religious woman and her gay grandson possible at all? Are they capable of going beyond their faith and opinions in the name of love? The documentary film is a personal story of the director. Since his childhood, he was brought up by his grandma Teresa, whom he considers the second mother. For Teresa, family is the most important value in life. Her husband is dead for many years, her daughter moved away from the city, her sister lives her own life, so she focused all her love and attention on her grandson - beloved until the moment when he told her about his homosexuality. This news broke her heart. However, in spite of everything, both of them try to understand the reasons of the other side and do not stop loving each other.
"The Ugliest Car in the World," directed and produced by: Grzegorz Szczepaniak, ANAGRAM
70-year-old Bogdan does not have anything apart from 51-year-old Wartburg, a car which won in the Ugliest Polish Car competition in 2015, and he does not have anybody except his 94-year-old mother Kazimiera, with whom he travels throughout Poland by his Wartburg, whenever he can. When II World War broke out, Bogdan's mum was 18 years old. In spite of her age (94 years), Kazimiera is in an exceptionally good shape. However, Bogdan has to take into account the possibility that his mum may pass away any moment. He would like to make yet another journey with her, maybe the last, the journey to the place where she was forcibly taken to work during the war. Bogdan decides to prepare his Wartburg and set out on a journey with his mum - from his home place Marki in the suburbs of Warsaw to the city of Schoenebeck, there is a distance of circa 750 km.
"The Village of Swimming Cows," directed and produced by: Katarzyna Trzaska, ZYGIZAGA
Three ecologically-aware young Berliners who lead alternative lifestyles, set out on a holiday journey to the East, also to the Biebrza National Park. They stop for some time in a small village on the Belarusian border, when they rent a wooden cottage from a local farmer. They go for walks, take photos of the surrounding nature, meditate, practise yoga, learn how to pick mushrooms, they pray to the moon, pity the farm animals, have baths naked next to the well, eat vegetables found in the garbage can behind the grocery in order to reduce the food loss on our planet. For the locals, they are more exotic than any other foreigners seen live or on television. Mutual observation and exchange of views develops both sides, and at the same time, is a source of humour. How will the protagonists from both sides change as the result of this unusual meeting?
The organiser of the largest Polish programme for documentary film-makers DOC LAB POLAND is Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation, and the strategic partner - Krakow Film Festival. The presentation DOCS TO GO! is organised since 2012 by the Polish Film Institute and Krakow Film Foundation, and since 2015 in co-operation with DOC LAB POLAND. The programme is supported by DOK Leipzig - the most important German documentary film festival, and EDN - European Documentary Network. The main Partners are: Culture.pl, and Polish Film Institute, and Partners co-organisers include: HBO Europe, Creative Europe Desk Poland, Mazowiecki Instytut Kultury, Mazovia-Warsaw Film Commission, Krakow Festival Office, Krakow Film Commission, MKZ & Partners Legal Counsel Law Firm and Kancelaria Radców Prawnych Balewski Gryziak Słoma, Polish Filmmakers Association, Krakow Film Cluster and Krakow Technology Park. The Partners: Polish Audiovisual Producers Chamber of Commerce and Film Commission Poland, while Media Partners are: Gazeta Wyborcza, Wyborcza.pl, Film Pro, Film & TV Kamera, Tygodnik Powszechny, TVP Kultura and Warszawski Serwis Kulturalny.
Detailed information about the programme on: www.doclab.pl