Still-frame from The Game, courtesy of marcinjaniec.com
The Polish filmmaker presents his latest film at this year's major international festivals, already named a Rising Star by the jury of the Canada International Film Festival
The Game, an animated short is a fantasy written by first-time director Marcin Janiec, has begun making the rounds of the international festival circuit, figuring on the programme of several major American festivals, including the DC Independent Film Festival (29.02-04.03), Cleveland International Film Festival (22.03.-1.04). The film is an official selection of the upcoming European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU) held between the 30th of March and 1st of April in Paris, and it will also be show in the Spring at Boston International Film Festival (13-22.04), Memphis International Film & Music Fest (19-22.04) and the Rincon International Film Festival (10-15.04). It has already received several distinctions, named among the Best in Show by The Indie Fest in February and among the Rising Stars of the Canada International Film Festival (31.03-01.04.2012).
The animated short is a fantasy written by first-time director Marcin Janiec. A thrilling chess match takes place somewhere between life and death. The stake is high - a gateway to the world of living. And the sole referee of this exciting tournament is a figure no one wishes to meet in their path.
The Game is Marcin Janiec's first film. He is a computer-graphic designer and painter who holds a degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. According to his website, he currently works at the BadiBadi FX studio in Warsaw. The director drew from his own experiences to come up with the story behind the short film. He spoke to Culture.pl about the inspiration for the film:
I've witnessed a crippling fight with cancer. I've seen how one cannot accept death, deny it as if it was something unnatural. Actually, The Game is a reflection on this topic. It's a film about fight and destiny. […] For me the film is a step towards a harmony of body and spirit, life and death. I wasn't been aware that it could be so difficult. People, including me, want to be immortal. Luckily, no-one can make this happen.
The Game. Trailer from Marcin Janiec on Vimeo.
Janiec's film is part of a new wave in Polish film-making concentrating on computer-generated imagery. Tomasz Bagiński has received international acclaim with his work including The Cathedral (which was nominated for an Oscar) and Fallen Art (which won a Bafta). In 2011 the feature film Suicide Room was released, a feature film with several animation sections woven throughout.
Polish animators are swiftly gaining international rewnon - in addition to Bagiński's films, the industry can boast of Paths of Hate by Damian Nenow, The Lost Town of Świtez by Kamil Polak and The 3rd Letter by Grzegorz Jonkajtys. However, Janiec has noted that in Poland it is still hard to finance projects such as The Game, which was produced by a private company – Badi Badi f/x Studio as public institutions still have a hard time recognising the legitimacy of animated cinema.
The Game began its rounds of festivals in December 2011, including Washington, Cleveland, Memphis, Boston and Stuttgart. In March it heads to France for the European Independent Film Festival.
ÉCU 2012 is showcasing 100 films from 33 countries ranging from feature films, short films, documentaries, animation and student films to experimental works. The Official Selection demonstrates quality, innovation and independence in both form and content - represents the very best independent filmmaking talent from around the world. Filmmakers will be competing in 14 categories for 24 awards, including the prestigious title of Europe's Best Independent Film 2012.
Other highlights from ÉCU 2012's official selection include The Boy Mir - Ten Years in Afghanistan (dir. Phil Grabsky), a documentary from the UK which tracks cheeky, enthusiastic Mir from an 8-year-old boy to an 18-year-old man in war ravaged Afghanistan. Danish student film Withering Love (dir. Samanou Sahlstrøm) is a tragic love story between Maria (César-award winner and internationally acclaimed Emmanuelle Béart) and Vincent (Denis Lavant). Also in competition is the Greek film Little King (dir. Socrates Alafouzos), which tells the story of childhood abuse and its long-term damage and pain.
In addition to the film screenings, festival attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting array of workshops - such as scriptwriting, editing, acting and directing - led by industry professionals, as well as attend the Meet-the-Directors discussions, in which audience members pose questions directly to the filmmakers after their film screenings. There is also a full programme of live music hosted by ÉCU partner, Access Film-Music, as well as a variety of other festival-related parties and events.
ÉCU has established itself as a fantastic arena for independent filmmakers from around the world to screen their films to large audiences made up of a cinema-loving public who are seeking alternatives to the offerings of major studios, as well as to agents, talent scouts, production company representatives, distributors and established producers looking for new projects and raw talent. Of course several hundred independent filmmakers from around the world will be in Paris to participate in the ÉCU.
The Festival will take place on the 30th and 31st of March and 1st of April in Paris at Cinema 7 Parnassiens located in the Montparnasse, and the Cinema Action Christine located in the Saint Germain-des-Prés.
For more information and a full list of the films at the 2012 festival, see: www.ecufilmfestival.com.
For more information about Marcin Janiec, see: www.marcinjaniec.com