A scene from 'In Darkness', dir. Agnieszka Holland, photo by Robert Pałka/Fotos-Art/Studio Filmowe Zebra
"In Darkness", the latest film by internationally-acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland was honoured at the 23rd Polish Film Festival America in Chicago
The Polish candidate for the Oscar in the Foreign Language category is broadly considered a major frontrunner for the award this year. Agnieszka Holland has been nominated to the Oscar twice so far for her "Europa, Europa" and "Angry Harvest".
"In Darkness" won both the Golden Teeth award for most interesting feature film - the audience jury prize in Chicago, as the best foreign production, as well as the Genius award for outstanding performance, the latter going to Robert Wieckiewicz, who played the role of Socha.
The film has been claimed to be "the most interesting feature movie" at this year's PFFA edition. The Genius award, a prize for newly discovered talented actors, has been awarded by Robert Wieckiewicz for his leading role in "In Darkness". As for the documentary film category, "Cudze listy" by Maciej Drygas, has received the prize while "Roza" / "Rose" by Wojciech Smarzowski and "W milczeniu" by Ewa Ewart have received special jury prizes.
For the first time in the entire history of the PFFA, the Oscar statue was presented at the festival during the closing ceremony on Sunday. It was brought to Chicago by the producer of the film "Piotrus i wilk" / "Peter and the Wolf". In 2008 he was awarded the Oscar for Polish-British co-production as the best short animated cartoon. The Polish Film Festival in America is considered to be the largest review of the Polish films that is organized abroad.
"In Darkness" is scheduled for release in the United States in February 2012 by Sony Pictures.
The 23rd Polish Film Festival in America, closed two new production shows Hugh Welchmana: "Flying Machine" and "Little postman" directed by Dorothy Kobiela.
"It was a special edition when it comes to Polish cinema art as all the major Polish productions of the year were presented. The hit was definitely one of the first screenings, Agnieszka Holland's "In Darkness". The presence of Holland and Robert Więckiewicz gave the audience and Polish-Americans an excellent opportunity to familiarise themselves with the latest work which has a chance in February to receive an Oscar".
- Zbigniew Banas, film critic living in the United States.
During the festival "Golden Alpenstocks" are also awarded for promoting Polish cinema in North America. This year the winners were well-known in the U.S. film critics: Zbigniew Banaś and Michael Wilmington.
The Polish Film Festival in America is the largest review of Polish cinema abroad. For two weeks in seven different movie theaters in Chicago, viewers saw over one hundred films, both feature films and documentaries. They were judged by a specially selected jury panel. For the first time the opening gala (4th of November) and closing (20th of November) was held in Rosemont Muvico movie theaters, one of the most modern multiplex in the U.S.
Source: press release