Anna Franklin, Director Film New Europe:
The Polish Film Institute had the vision to support the launch of the Film New Europe project as a pilot project based in Warsaw in 2007 allowing it to grow into a resource for the whole region that has been supported by MEDIA and other national film institutions for the past eight years. PISF is great to work with. The PISF team are first class professionals who are always ready to help and Agnieszka Odorowicz as the leader of the institute since its beginning has had a clear vision of what needs to be done to support the film industry and allow it to develop. This vision has made the work of the institute a success story across Europe.
Several years ago I helped to facilitate the visit of a group of UK based creative industry professionals to Warsaw supported by the Leonardo programme. After a visit to the Polish Film Institute and a presentation of the work of the institute by Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik head of international relations the group told me “We are living in the work country, as filmmakers we should be working here in Poland. What PISF is doing here for the film industry is absolutely great.”
Everywhere I travel representing FNE European film professionals tell me how they believe the work of the Polish Film Institute has become a model for how film institutions across Europe should work. Thank you seems so inadequate a word for all the vision and support the Polish Film Institute has provided over the past 10 years both to FNE and to the Polish film industry.
Marion Doering, Director European Film Academy
The partnership and cooperation between the European Film Academy and the Polish Film Institute is almost as old as the Polish Film Institute itself. It all started with the preparation of the 19th European Film Awards which took place in Warsaw in December 2006. During the four weeks leading up to the ceremony our EFA team even called the PFI its home – we were working from PFI’s premises and very much enjoyed every day the inspiring company and wonderful support from its team. Since then, the Polish Film Institute has been an EFA Patron, thus continuing its valuable support. Our cooperation has never lost its freshness and efficiency, which is why it is a such great pleasure that in December 2016 we will be back in Poland to celebrate together the 29th European Film Awards – in Wroclaw, European Capital of Culture 2016!
Mike Downey, CEO Film&Music Entertainment Ltd., producer of: “Imagine” dir. Andrzej Jakimowski, “Parade” dir. Srdjan Dragojevic, Milcho Manchevski's Oscar nominated “Before the Rain”
“What? Only the Tenth Anniversary of the Polish Film Institute? The incredible impact the institute has had not only on Polish cinema, but on European and World Cinema would lead one to believe it had been in existence much longer than 10 years! Agnieszka, as a European producer who has worked on two films supported by the PISF, thank you for your commitment to excellence, and your total support to the film makers and to the film industry.Long may the PISF thrive!”
Renate Rose, EFP Managing Director
As of February 2006, the Polish Film Institute (PISF) is a very active member of European Film Promotion (EFP). The participation of PISF in EFP is of high value to us as the institute contributes financially and programmatically to our established as well as new initiatives and events. The knowledge provided by the Polish Film Institute, as well as close contacts to Polish filmmakers, distributors and talent provides a vital perspective on the state of and possibilities for European cinema.
Congratulations to a decade of phantastic work!
Nikolaj Nikitin, Artistic Director, SOFA | School of Film Agents, Berlinale representative
May I invite you on your 10th anniversary for a birthday cake on our newly established SOFA in Wroclaw?
But no, wait, without your initial support this unique and needed project (according to leading international press) wouldn’t even be possible.
And not only our SOFA training initiative was made possible due to your generous support (I am not talking just about money, but all those precious advise and know-how you are always willing to share): I remember with pleasure how after graduating myself from marvelous EAVE I was teaching at its 2008 edition in Warsaw.
As a proud EFA member, I am happy that you managed together with our host city to have the awards back within one decade to Poland to be held in Wroclaw in 2016!
Needless to say that without YOU most of the outstanding and successful Polish films wouldn’t be possible and wouldn’t have won all those international prizes – I am NOT only talking about all the Berlinale successes of the last decade, but many, many other festivals around the globe! I’ve just spent happy days with our SOFA main tutor Ewa Puszczynska at GoEast, where her production IDA once again won the main festival award.
Thank you for supporting films like IDA, which not only got a big audience, but won almost each festival it was sent to and was sold theatrically to 42 countries – bearing in mind that it’s a historical film in b/w proves your taste and belief in cinema!
Please continue up that glorious path with your national films, but also very successful international co-productions, as we all love to go to awarded CONGRESSes around the world and live the fun and very special style there…
Running SOFA with your on-going support we will be able to train outstanding Film Agents from Poland, but also from all your neighboring countries. Having the political situation of them in mind, makes our belief that film art can actually change the world even more indispensable. I am very happy and proud to know that you use your great power with even greater responsibility!
Michael Kutza, Founder & Artistic Director, Mimi Plauché, Programming Director
The Chicago International Film Festival has a 50 year history of presenting the best in Polish cinema. Since the earliest years of the Festival, we have showcased the great Polish masters, including Agnieszka Holland, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Jerzy Skolimowski, Andrzej Wajda, and Krzysztof Zanussi. Over the past twenty-five years, the Polish Film Institute has been instrumental in continuing to bring great Polish films and filmmakers to Chicago. In the past ten years alone, Polish films have won four of the Festival’s top awards, beginning with Krysztof Krauze’s My Nikifor winning the Gold Hugo in 2005 as well as a Best Actor award. This past year alone, the Festival presented six Polish features, with Maciej Pieprzyca’s Life Feels Good winning a Silver Hugo in the New Directors Competition as well as an Audience Choice Award and Robert Wieckiewicz taking home the Best Actor award for his role in Andrzej Wajda’s Walesa: Man of Hope. The 50th Chicago International Film Festival salutes the Polish Film Institute on their 10th anniversary and values their prodigious efforts to bring remarkable, beautiful, and thought provoking Polish cinema to Chicago and to the world.
Johannesa Rexina, Heimat Films , producer of „Hanna Arenndt” dir. MARGARETHE VON TROTTA, „BAL” (Honey) dir. SEMIH KAPLANOÐLU, Golden bear 2010
What comes to mind is the excellence of Polish cinematography and love for the essence of life in artistic expression; from „Ash&Diamond“ to „Knife in the Water“, and many more examples.
The PISF is absolutely key in modernizing this grand tradition of Polish cinema; in a European context, co-production with Polish involvement has become a regularity, thanks to their dedication and excellent work.
To another 10, no, 20 years of success!
Katriel Schory Executive Director Israel Film Fund
On behalf of the Israel Filmmakers & the Israel Film Fund, I am very happy to congratulate our dear friends and colleagues from the Polish Film Institute for a decade which reaffirmed the great achievements of Polish Cinema.
We could not have hoped for better partners and for such close cooperation and friendship.
We wish for many more decades of successful cooperation and great cinema.
Robert Olla, Executive Director, Eurimages, Council of Europe
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Polish Film Institute, we at Eurimages celebrate the involvement of Poland in our Fund, a fruitful partnership that has endured since 1991. Poland has a long and distinguished cinematographic tradition and Eurimages has been privileged to support some of its most eminent directors. Since 2004 the Fund has co-operated closely with Poland’s central film agency, the PFI, and we hold warm memories of the welcome provided by the Institute, which hosted one of the Eurimages Board meetings in 2007. On behalf of all the staff at Eurimages we wish the Polish Film Institute a very happy tenth birthday and look forward to continued collaboration with Poland, its film institutions, and its talented cinema sector. Roberto Olla
