WARSAW: Krzysztof Kowalewski, Polish film, television and radio actor, died on 6 February 2021 at the age of 83. A star of over 120 Polish film and TV series, he was awarded with the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Grand Prize Splendor (Wielki Splendor), and the medal for Merit to Culture Gloria Artis.

WARSAW: Cinemas in Poland will be allowed to operate from 12 February 2021 on a two-week conditional basis, with a limit of 50% capacity. Major cinema chain Helios has already decided not to open under these conditions, Multikino and Cinema City are waiting to decide on a course of action.

WARSAW: The Polish Film Institute will start accepting applications for their next batch of aid for producers, distributors, and studio/small cinemas on 1 February 2021. The funds will be transferred to the beneficiaries after the Institute receives funds from the COVID-19 Counteracting Fund via the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

WARSAW: Kuba Czekaj has completed the shooting on his first English language film Lipstick on the Glass, a Polish/German coproduction starring Agnieszka Podsiadlik, Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Laura Benson.

WARSAW: Other People, a Warner Bros.- Madants coproduction based on the 2018 bestselling novel by Dorota Masłowska, has entered the post-production stage. The film directed by Aleksandra Trepińska received support from the Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission and the Polish Film Institute. It will open in cinemas in the fall of 2021.

WARSAW: The Polish Government will give an additional 27 m EUR / 120 m PLN from the COVID-19 Counteracting Fund to help the cinema industry.

GDYNIA: Dear Ones directed by Grzegorz Jaroszuk, a Polish/Czech coproduction about complicated family relationships, screened in the main competition of the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, which took place online 8 – 12 December 2020.

GDYNIA: The Polish Oscar entry Never Gonna Snow Again directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert screened in the main competition of the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, which took place online 8 – 12 December 2020.

GDYNIA: Kill It and Leave This Town, the animated feature film about dealing with trauma, directed by Mariusz Wilczyński, won the best film award in the main competition of the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, which took place online 8 – 12 December 2020.

GDYNIA: Far Away From Here, the new drama by Piotr Domalewski, coproduced by Poland and Ireland, screened in the main competition of the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, which took place online 8 – 12 December 2020.