The project takes place in four cities, two European and two Asian: Madrid, Beijing, Tokyo and Paris, and is aimed at both children and young people. Se-ma-for European/Asian Express 2011 not only promotes Polish culture, but also supports the works of young talented artists from all over the world whose films were presented during the 2010 edition of the Se-ma-for Film Festival, which showcases stop motion animation.
The retrospective of Polish stop motion animation will shed light on the only Polish studio to continue the work of Władysław Starewicz – a pioneer of puppet animation. The studio has since created over 1400 animated films and won numerous awards including two Oscars.
The weekend is filled with entertainment for younger audiences and each morning begins with screenings of a selection of cartoons created by Se-Ma-For such as the “Moomin Story” or “Teddy Floppy Ears”. The animation workshops, entitled “Karol Szymanowski – visual improvisations”, are targeted at teenagers and encourage them to make a music-related film. The workshops are led by Maria Dzierzanowska, a graphic artist and animator, together with Paulina Zacharek, an art historian and co-founder of the Sztuk-Pol Association, which promotes Polish art.
The two days are also filled with film screenings and showings of the SE-MA-FOR FILM FSTIVAL ON TOUR 2011 works. The Festival, which the studio created in September 2010, is an international event showcasing over 300 films, including “Walter. Dialogue with Imagination” (Netherlands 2010), “Esterhazy” (Poland/Germany 2009), “Umbrellas” (Poland 1962), “Elukka” (Finland 2005” and more. The weekend will also feature classic Se-Ma-For films, selected from over 60 years of the studio’s history including: “Czarny Kapturek” / “Little Black Hood” (1983), “Fantastic Shop With Flowers” (2001), “Nie Drażnić Lwa” / “Don’t Irritate a Lion” (1960), among others.
The weekend includes a tutorial entitled “The Story of Se-Ma-For”, hosted by Adam Ptak, CEO of the studio. Afterwards, audiences will be invited to watch films by the studio’s younger generations such as Balbina Bruszewska who created “City Sails On” (2008) or Jarosław Konopka who made “Return” (2008).
Se-Ma-For European/Asian Express 2011 will close with a showing of the studio’s prize-winning masterpieces, including “Tango” (1980) by Zbigniew Rybczyński, “Peter and the Wolf” (2006) by Suzie Templeton and others. The weekend finished with a concert entitled “Starewicz in Russia – Screening of Films with Live Music Accompainiment by SzaZa”. SzaZa is a Polish duo, Patryk Zakrocki and Paweł Szamburski, who will present their take on four classic films by Władysław Starewicz.
For more information, visit Se-Ma-For’s website.
Date: 22-23rd of October, 2011
Organiser: Se-Ma-For Film Studio
This project is cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute