May 30, 2021 is a date worth remembering, as this is the start of the 61st Krakow Film Festival. Last year’s edition proved that – despite adversities – organising an online festival is possible. This year, however, the focus is on a hybrid model – the audience will enjoy screenings both in cinemas and in the virtual realm. The entire KFF Industry, starting 31 May, will be held online. Learn about our program below.

Monday and Tuesday will belong to creators of animated films. As part of Animated in Poland and in collaboration with the SPPA (Polish Animation Producers Association) a Talent Market will be held on 31 May – a meeting between experienced producers and young creators of animated films. Scriptwriters, animators, directors, and producers looking for co-producers will get the opportunity to meet with producers and owners of Polish animation studios searching for new ideas and film projects. The Talent Market will also include two workshops: “The Language of Animation. The means of expression available in animation: sound, movement, pacing, and their influence on narration” and “Pre-production. From a brief to a production crew”, prepared in collaboration with Pigeon Studio. For those filmmakers who hold the role of music in film, its use on the internet and the related legal aspects in equally high regard, a panel prepared in collaboration with the Krakow Animation Center, the Krakow Film Cluster and the law firm Lassota Krawiec sp.j. will be held – “Music from the Internet – legal music”. Those interested in the secrets of the master of animation Piotr Dumała, this year's Dragon of Dragons winner, can participate in a masterclass with the artist, who will talk more about his creative methods.

Animated in Poland is first and foremost an international pitch event, so this year, on June 2nd, representatives of 7 selected projects will have the opportunity to present fragments of their work and talk about their films before they enter the programmes of Polish and foreign film festivals. The presentations will be preceded by an intensive preparatory workshop for the participants, led by Wim Vanacker, programmer of the shorts section at the Cannes Film Festival. The entire event will conclude with individual meetings with selectors of the world's most important film festivals and international sales agents.

Once again, one of DOC LAB POLAND's sessions will be organised by the Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation. Workshops and consultations for directors and producers of Polish documentaries with foreign tutors – Adriek Van Nieuwenhuijzen from IDFA Forum, Hanka Kastelicova from HBO Europe, Rada Sesic from the Sarajevo FF, and Leena Pasanen from the Biografilm Festival, as well as with producers – Christian Popp and Paul Pauwels will conclude with two pitch sessions: DOCS TO GO! (Wednesday, June 2nd) and DOCS TO START (Thursday, June 3rd).DOCS TO START is a presentation of Polish projects still in development phase, while DOCS TO GO! features Polish documentaries in editing or post-production. Both pitches are combined with meetings with experts, potential co-production partners, festival programmers, and sales agents. This year's presentations feature 20 documentary projects led by internationally acclaimed directors, including Matej Bobrik, Paweł Chorzępa, Eliza Kubarska, and Zuzanna Solakiewicz.

There is also going to be an event organised for producers who are looking for production partners. CEDOC – Central European Documentary Market – is the only place in Poland for individual co-production meetings with international film industry decision-makers and foreign producers who are open to cooperation with Poland. One-on-one meetings and roundtables will take place between June 2nd and 4th.

The special feature of the 61st edition of the Krakow Film Festival is Norwegian cinematography. The Festival will thus conclude the last few years' film journey through the Nordic countries. Screenings of the latest Norwegian documentaries, short films and animations will be presented as part of the “Focus on Norway” programme. A presentation of funding models, co-production opportunities, and international film festivals in Norway is going to be a major industry event. The meeting taking place on June 1st will be attended by representatives of the Norwegian Film Institute and selectors from Norwegian film festivals.

The programme could not go without the KFF Industry Meetings – individual consultations with film festival programmers intended for filmmakers, producers, and people involved in film promotion. Programmers of such festivals as Berlinale, Sundance, Dutch IDFA, Canadian Hot Docs, or the Swiss Visions du reel have all confirmed their attendance.

The conclusion of our industry week, on Saturday as per usual, is the time for the Documentary and Animation Forum prepared by the Polish Filmmakers Association. This year's topic is film distribution in the age of the pandemic.

KFF Industry is also the KFF Video Library – previously known as the KFF Market. Throughout the festival week, the digital video library will feature the latest films from around the world that are seeking theatrical, festival, and TV distribution. This year's catalogue features approximately 250 documentaries, shorts, and animated films – each one carefully selected by our partners from: DOK Leipzig, East Silver, Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival, and Festival dei Popoli out of more than 1500 films from various parts of Europe. Importantly, as part of the KFF Video Library participants will also have the opportunity to watch all the films from the entire programme of the 61st KFF.

The partners of KFF Industry 2021 are: Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation, Polish Animation Producers Association, Norwegian Film Institute, Sound Mind Studio, Fixafilm, Crew United, Krakow Animation Center, Krakow Film Klaster, Lassota Krawiec Law Firm, Documentary Association of Europe

Project carried out with the financial support of: Polish Film Institute, The Marshal's Office of Małopolska Region, City of Krakow, Polish Filmmakers Association

Media Patrons: Film & TV Camera, Polish Docs, Polish Shorts i Polish Animations, Kino, Magazyn Filmowy SFP, Business Doc Europe, Modern Times, Review, Film New Europe.

Producer of KFF Industry is Krakow Film Foundation.

You can find more details here and the complete programme here.

MAY 2021