There is no doubt that last year was a favorable one for Polish documentaries. There are not only spectacular international successes but also a hundreds of screenings at the festivals worldwide to prove that.

What films were those most frequently screened abroad in 2011? What was the total number of awards presented to Polish documentary filmmakers? Who scored the majority of them? We decided to answer those questions and sum up the last twelve months to check whether this year was better than the last one.

The numbers speak for themselves. In 2011 there were precisely 460 screenings of Polish documentary films, from which 270 in the competitive sections. If we are comparing this facts with the last year’s results the number of screening rose significantly as 160 screening more took place. Not only the number of screenings but also the number of festivals and special programmes is quite impressive. Polish documentaries were presented at more than 240 international film events which gives around 100 more compared to last year. Among those there were the biggest and most prominent festivals such as Hot Docs in Toronto, IDFA in Amsterdam or DOK Leipzig.

Just like every year Polish documentary filmmakers can proud themselves on their great achievements. During 2011 their output grew by another 60 awards. The unchallenged winner in this category is Piotr Złotorowicz whose short documentary „Charcoal burners” was awarded 19 times. Among multiple successes of Polish cinema we have to list above all the Silver Dove Award at Dok Leipzig for Wojciech Staroń and his “Argentinian lesson”, the award for the Best Documentary at Karlove Wary FF for Marcin Koszałka’s “Declaration of Immortality”, European Film Award Nomination for "Paparazzi" by Piotr Bernaś or Grand Prix at Short FF in Clermont Ferrand presented to “A piece of summer” by Marta Minoriwicz. (the complete list of awards to be found below).

With relation to the number of international screenings Piotr Złotorowicz and his “Charcoal burners” is first again with more than 60 screenings. Just after him comes “A piece of summer” by Marta Minorowicz, “Out of reach” by Jakub Stożek and “Declaration of immortality” by Marcin Koszałka. In 2011 also “Little bride” by Lesław Dobrucki, “Inventory” Paweł Łoziński and “Phnom Penh Lullaby” by Paweł Kloc received very nice feedback abroad.

THE LIST OF AWARDS PRESENTED TO POLISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS IN 2011:

Argentininan lesson, dir. Wojciech Staroń

Grand Prix – Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China

Best Director – 52nd Festival dei Popoli, Italy

Silver Dove Award – 54th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film – DOK Leipzig

Golden Frog – Plus Camerimage FF, Poland

Beats of freedom, dir. Wojciech Słota, Leszek Gnoiński

MusiXine Main Prize – 4th MusiXine International Music Film Festival, Finland

Written in Ink, dir. Martin Rath

Best Short Documentary – Abu Dhabi Film Festival, The United Arab Emirates
Second Prize for the Documentary Film – 19^th International Short Film Festival in Santiago de Chile

What happened on Pam Island, dir. Eliza Kubarska

Grand Prix – 28th International Mountaineering Film Festival, Teplice upon Metuji

Special Main Prize – 17. Film Festival St. Anton, Austria

Prize of the Jury – 29th Unnim Mountain Film Festival, Spain

Declaration of Immortality, dir. Marcin Koszałka

Documentary Award – Encounters Bristol International Film Festival, UK

Kamera Alpin in Gold – 23rd International Mountain & Adventure Filmfestival Graz, Austria

Best Documentary Film – 46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic

Silver Gentian for the best artistic-technical contribution – 59th TrentoFilmfestival, Italy

Silver Hugo Award for the Best Documentary Film – 47. Hugo Television Awards, USA

Diploma of Merit – Tampere International Short Film Festival, Finland

A piece of summer, dir. Marta Minorowicz

Nanook Second Prize – Curt.doc Short Documentary Festival, Spain

Grand Prix – Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival 2011, France

The last day of summer, dir. Piotr Stasik

Prix RTP2 Onda Curta – Festival Tous Courts, Aix-en-Provence, France

“Silver Nanook” Award for the best short film – International Documentary Film Festival "Flahertiana", Russia

Documentary Award “Remembrance and Future” – goEast Film Festival, Germany

Doctors, dir. Tomasz Wolski

Golden Frog – Plus Camerimage FF, Poland

Special Mention – 51st Krakow FF, Poland

At the edge of Russia, dir. Michał Marczak

HBO Documentary Films Emerging Artist Award – Hot Docs – Canadian International Documentary Festival

Special Mention – 17th Festival International de Cinema VISIONS DU RÉEL, Switzerland

The contest, dir. Jakub Cuman

Michał Maryniarczyk Award – EKRAN 2011 – TORONTO POLISH FILM FESTIVAL, CANADA

The dog hill, dir. Grzegorz Zariczny

Special Mention – 17th Film Festival Della Lessinia, Italy
8. Grand Prix – Węgiel Film Festiwal, Poland

Mother, dir. Jakub Piątek

Best Documentary – 9th IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival, Bulgaria

Oh my God, dear God, dir. Julia Popławska

Best Short Documentary – MiradasDoc Festival, Spain

Paparazzi, dir. Piotr Bernaś

Best Documentary – International Music&Film Festival, Latvia

EFA Nomination – 51st Krakow FF, Poland

Golden Frog – Plus Cameimage FF, Poland

Phnom Penh Lullaby, dir. Paweł Kloc

Honorary Mention – 54th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film – DOK Leipzig

Returns, dir. Krzysztof Kadłubowski

Best Documentary Film – International Short Film Festival Lille, France

Best Experimental Documentary – Couch Fest Films, Iceland

Out of reach, dir. Jakub Stożek

Special Mention – RENCONTRES INTERNATIONALES DU DOCUMENTAIRE DE MONTRÉAL, CANADA

FIPRESCI Jury prize – International Documentary Film Festival "Flahertiana", Russia

Best International Short Dox Award – International Documentary and Short Film Festival – Dokufest, Kosovo

Best Documentary in the International Short Film Competition – It’s All True – 16th International Documentary Film Festival, Brazil

Special Prize from the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine – Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Ukraine

Honorable Mention – 2011 Sundance Film Festival, USA

The rolls of Identity, dir. Jakub Pączek

Jury Award for Best Film – FilmOneFest, USA

Second Award – 19th Croatian One Minute Festival

Grand Prix – One Minute Film & Video Festival, Toronto, Canada

The conversation, dir. Piotr Sułkowski

Best Documentary Short Film – Tirana International Film Festival, Albania

Charcoal burners, dir. Piotr Złotorowicz

2nd Place Documentary Award Winner – Nextframe International Student Film And Video Festival, USA

Best Documentary – Ostrava-Picture, Czech Republic

Best Documentary – Cabbagetown Short Film & Video Festival, Canada

Best Documentary Prize – Con i minuti contati – International Short Film Festival, Italy

First Prize – 17th Film Festival Della Lessinia, Italy

First Prize – 3rd Iñigo Film Festival, Spain

Best Documentary – Guanajuato International Film Festival, Mexico

Honorable Mention – Lume International Film Festival, Brazil

Best Documentary Film – Wimbledon Shorts Film Festival, UK

Honorable Mention – EMERGEANDSEE Media Arts Festival, Germany

Best Student Film – EfeboCorto Film Festival, Sicilia

Best Documentary – Kansas City FilmFest, USA

Special Mention for documentary – West-Östliches FilmFestival, Germany

The Best Documentary Award – REGARD – Saguenay International Short Film Festival, Canada

Award for the Best Documentary – Taos Shortz Film Fest, USA

Grand Jury Award For Short – Washington DC Independent Film Festival, USA

"Little Stamp" Award – 7th ZagrebDox, Croatia

Grand Prix – Festival Filmer le Travail, France

The Lucky ones, dir. Tomasz Wolski

National Geographic Award – Best Documentary – 20th Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Australia

Vakha and Magomed, dir. Marta Prus

Best Short Documentary – 52nd Festival dei Popoli, Italy

Prix Roger Closset – Festival International des Ecoles de Cinéma – FIDEC, Belgium

source: POLISH DOCS

FEBRUARY 2012