In 31st Warsaw Film Festival’s programme there will be 111 full-lenght films, including 90 features, 18 documentaries and 3 animations and 66 short films, including 23 in competition. The winners of Short Film Competition will be able to compete for the Oscar. Films presented at 31st WFF come from 57 countries.
The festival will open with the film „Men and Chicken” by Anders Thomas Jensen (whose film „Adam’s Apples” won Audience Award at WFF 2006) and will end with the film „Schneider vs. Bax” by Alex van Warmerdam, which also will compete for Warsaw Grand Prix in the International Competition.
Over 180 international filmmakers will present their films in person.
16 films will compete in the International Competition at 31st Warsaw Film Festival for the main award - Warsaw Grand Prix, Best Director Award and Special Jury Award.
The International Jury consisting of
- poet and journalist Elena Fanailova (Russia), for over fifteen years has been working for Radio Wolna Europa / Radio Liberty
- producer Uljana Kim (Lithuania), produced „The Gambler”, a film for which she received Special Jury Award for producers at WFF 2013
- film director Martti Helde (Estonia), his debut film „In the Crosswind” won Ecumenical Jury Award at WFF 2014
- screenwriter and film director Sławomir Fabicki (Poland), his debut feature film „Retrieval” won Special Jury Award at WFF in 2006, his second feature film was a part of the International Competition at WFF 2012
- film director Pavle Vučković (Serbia), his short film „Minus” was screened at WFF 2007, at this year’s edition we will present his feature film debut „Panama” (premiered this year in Cannes)
will evaluate films in competition.
A Monster With a Thousand Head / Potwór o tysiącu głów / Un monstruo de mil cabezas, dir. Rodrigo Pla (Mexico 2015), 75 min.
Sonia is a woman who will not take no for an answer. Her husband has advanced cancer and Sonia wants to speed up his monthly doctor's visit in order to begin some costly treatment. Sonia embarks on a battle against her corrupt and negligent insurance company. Things take an unexpected turn. Wielding a gun, the desperate woman is prepared to do anything. Eastern European premiere.
Absolution / Przebaczenie / Henkesi edestä, dir. Petri Kotwica (Finland 2015), 92 min.
Kiia and Lauri are speeding to the hospital. It's dark and visibility is poor. Though she is premature, Kiia feels she's going into labour. Suddenly they stop. The car seems to have hit something. "In 2001, I survived a car accident", says the director. "I replayed the accident a thousand times in my head, both awake and in my dreams. Therefore I needed to tell this story". International premiere.
The Apostate / Apostata / El Apóstata, dir. Federico Veiroj (Uruguay, Spain, France 2015), 80 min.
„The Apostate” is a comedy-drama that proposes big issue: how to deal in present times with traditions, with family and society's values. The new film by Federico Veiroja, awarded at WFF in 2010. Eastern European premiere.
Bopem / Kołysanka / Bopem, dir. Zhanna Issabayeva (Kazakhstan 2015), 78 min.
Rayan, 14 years old, lives on the dried Aral Sea.One day the boy finds out he is ill and has no more than three months to live. Only costly surgery can help him, but he doesn't have the money and the queue for free surgery is long. The only thing left for Rayan to do is punish those to blame for his mother's death, including people close to him… World premiere.
The Cleaner / Czyściciel / Čistic, dir. Peter Bebjak (Slovakia 2015), 94 min.
After leaving prison, Tomáš goes back to his former lonely life. He is a funeral service worker, a "cleaner": he goes into homes from which dead bodies have just been removed and cleans them up. World premiere.
Demon, dir. Marcin Wrona (Poland, Israel 2015), 94 min.
Piotr, nicknamed Python by his friends, arrives in Poland from England to marry beautiful Żaneta. He means to arrange his family seat in an old house, a wedding gift from his future father-in-law. Everything gets complicated when on the day before the wedding Piotr finds human remains buried near the property.
The Idol / Idol / Ya Tayr El Tayer, dir. Hany Abu-Assad (UK, Palestine, Quatar, UAE 2015), 100 min.
Based on the incredible true story of Mohammad Assaf, a young Palestinian from the Gaza Strip who won 'Arab Idol' in 2013. European premiere.
Lazar, dir. Svetozar Ristovski (Macedonia, Croatia, France, Bulgaria 2015), 98 min.
When his father left the family, Lazar had to grow up fast. He is now tough and resourceful, involved in smuggling illegal aliens across the border between Macedonia and Greece. Setting people against him is in his blood, and emotions are alien territory. A chance encounter with Katerina will turn his life upside down. International premiere.
Moira / Mojra, dir. Levan Tutberidze (Georgia 2015), 95 min.
After Mamuka is released from prison, he tries to save his family from poverty. His mother is working abroad, his father is wheelchair-ridden, and his unemployed younger brother appears to be attracted to criminals. Mamuka takes a bank loan and buys a small fishing boat. The brothers name the fishing boat after Moira - a goddess of fate. Eastern European premiere.
Neon Bull / Neonowy byk / Boi Neon, dir. Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil, Uruguay, Netherlands 2015), 101 min.
Iremar works at the Vaquejadas, a rodeo in north-eastern Brazil. His head is filled with dreams of designing and making a sexy fashion collection with sequins and exquisite fabrics...
The Vaquejada rodeo as an allegory of current transformations in north-eastern Brazil. Eastern European premiere.
Night Shift / Nocna zmiana / Shift-e Shab, dir. Niki Karimi (Iran 2015), 100 min.
Farzad and Nahid's marriage is not working well. Farzad has grown silent and mysterious recently. He comes home later by the day and often sleeps in his car in the garage, which according to his obliging neighbours means he must be cheating on his wife. Growing distracted and nervous, Nahid notices other signs that he is lying. Nahid starts following him around. Day after day, the husband and wife weave a growing web of lies as Nahid's mood shifts from anxiety to paranoia. World premiere.
Patria / Ojczyzna / Otadzbina, dir. Oleg Novković (Serbia, Germany 2015), 105 min.
During civil war in Kosovo Maca lost her infant child. Eleven years later in Belgrade, Maca struggles to make a living. Her ex-husband Jovan, a war veteran, shut himself away in a monastery but now decides to leave the monastic life: he feels he has a calling to fulfil. The second part, after 'White White World', of a trilogy portraying the "lost generation" of the countries of the former Yugoslavia. A film by one of Serbia's most important filmmakers. World premiere.
Salvation / Zbawienie / Spasenie, dir. Ivan Vyrypaev (Russia 2015), 94 min.
A closed mountain pass forces Anna to spend a few days in a town not far from her destination. This incomprehensible and unpredictable world that she has never seen before as well as three accidental encounters will force Anna to face some complex questions about life. International premiere.
Schneider vs. Bax / Schneider kontra Bax / Schneider vs. Bax, dir. Alex van Warmerdam (Netherlands, Belgium 2015), 96 min.
Schneider, a contract killer, gets a phone call from Mertens. Mertens has a rush job for Schneider. "It's Ramon Bax, a writer over sixty. He lives on his own on a lake. He's got no neighbours. It's an easy job, you'll be back before lunchtime". Reluctantly, Schneider agrees, but the easy job turns out to have its complications...A black comedy offering an unsparing portrait of the dark side of our contemporary perfect society. Eastern European premiere.
Snow / Śnieg / Sniag, dir. Ventsislav Vasilev (Bulgaria 2015), 80 min.
Two brothers - Lyubaka and Gosho, and their two sons - Bobby and Marti, rob a post office. After the robbery Lyubaka runs away with the money. He will soon be found dead; the money has disappeared without a trace. Bobby also wants to find out the truth about his father's death. When events start fitting together like pieces of a puzzle, Bobby will discover the terrifying truth and face a tough choice: to take revenge for his father's death, or to forgive. International premiere.
Winter Song / Pieśń zimowa / Chant d'hiver, dir. Otar Iosseliani (France, Georgia 2015), 117 min.
Two prologues, several episodes and characters whose paths cross in a Parisian building. Charming comedic chaos about dreams, love, firm friendships and hope that tomorrow will be better than today. Eastern European premiere.
