The Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles takes place for the 8th time, under the auspices of The First Lady of Poland, Maria Kaczynska, and of Polish Television TVP. The Festival Program contains many letters from very important American and Polish people and is very informative and helpful in learning about the films and invited film directors, actors, writers and producers.
Honorary Committee: Tomek Baginski, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Jacek Bromski, Yola Czaderska-Hayek, Ewa Czeszejko-Sochacka, Krzesimir Debski, Ronald Harwood, Agnieszka Holland, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Janusz Kaminski, Mimi Leder, Krzysztof Malkiewicz, Zbigniew Rybczynski, Andrzej Seweryn.
Contemporary Polish feature films screened at the Festival, amongst others:
- I AM / Jestem, dir. Dorota Kedzierzawska
- CHAOS, dir. Xawery Zulawski
- THE DEVIL FROM SEVENTH GRADE / Szatan z siodmej klasy, dir. Kazimierz Tarnas
- FACING UP / Przebacz, dir. Marek Stacharski
- THE FOUNDATION / Fundacja, dir. Filip Bajon
- HYENA / Hiena, dir. Grzegorz Lewandowski
- THE LOVERS OF MARONA / Kochankowie z Marony, dir. Izabella Cywinska
- THE LOVERS OF THE YEAR OF THE TIGER / Kochankowie roku tygrysa, dir. Jacek Bromski
- PALIMPSEST, dir. Konrad Niewolski
- RETRIEVAL / Z odzysku, dir. Slawomir Fabicki
- SOUTH-NORTH / Poludnie–polnoc, dir. Lukasz Karwowski
- WE'RE ALL CHRISTS / Wszyscy jestesmy Chrystusami, dir. Marek Koterski
- WHAT THE SUN HAS SEEN / Co slonko widzialo, dir. Michal Rosa
- WHO NEVER LIVED... / Kto nigdy nie zyl..., dir. Andrzej Seweryn
All films with English subtitles.
Polish documentaries and short films are also screened. Anna Ferens presented her documentary film Where Do Wild Strawberries Grow? about a recently researched graveyard for some 30 thousand people killed by the Soviets between 1937 and 1941 outside the city of Kiev, in a forest. Among them were thousand of Poles.
World Premiere:
A REVEREND FATHER TISCHNER AND HIS HIGHLANDERS' PHILOSOPHY / Jegomosc Tischner i jego filozofia po goralsku, dir. Artur Wiecek "Baron"
West Coast Premiere:
KAROL. THE POPE, THE MAN / Karol. Papiez ktory pozostal czlowiekiem, dir. Giacomo Battiato, starring Piotr Adamczyk.
Highlights included also Agnieszka Holland's latest film, A GIRL LIKE ME: THE GWEN ARAUJO STORY.
Artists and filmmakers from Poland participating in the Festival events, amongst others:
Piotr Adamczyk, Jacek Bromski, Karolina Gruszka, Marek Koterski, Edyta Jungowska, Kinga Preis, Anna Romantowska, Borys Szyc.
Kodak Award for best etude from Polish Film Schools was received by Julia Ruszkiewicz for Wild Duck Season and Mini Arts Award was received by Piotr Kajstura for the film When They Could Fly.The Hollywood Eagle Documentary Award was received by Bozena Garus Hockuba, for the film The Lilpop Sisters and Their Passion. Hollywood Eagle Award for best feature film was received by Dorota Kedzierzawska for Jestem / I Am. The film had an outstanding children performance, staring Piotr Jagielski as Kundel and Agnieszka Nagorzycka as Kuleczka. I Am is the story of Mongrel, a runaway from a children's home, who is rejected by his mother that he had hoped to live with and was left alone surviving independently on the streets.
Amikus Polonae (Friend of Poland Award) was presented to writer and film director David Lynch for his influence in the American-Polish partnership in Film Industry. His latest film INLAND EMPIRE was screened at the Opening Night Gala.
David Lynch's film Inland Empire was shot in Los Angeles and in the City of Lodz, Poland, with American and Polish Actors: Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux, Harry Dean Stanton, Peter Lucas, Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Jan Hench and Leon Niemczyk.
"Each year our audience grows", said Vladek Juszkiewicz," and we hope that the interest in Polish cinema continues to grow as well, so that Polish films will be screened and distributed beyond the Polish-speaking community."
The Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles
Festival Director: Vladek Juszkiewicz
7726 Ethel Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605
phone: 818/982-8827
fax: 818/765-2714
More information on the Festival: www.polishfilmla.org.
See also the 2006 edition..., 2005 edition...
