Polish Days is a three day industry meet and greet designed to explore and showcase the Polish cinema to both local and international film professionals. The sixth edition of the event launched on 29 July 2015. The foreign guests invited to the event will have a chance to familiarize themselves with what the new Polish cinema has to offer, including freshly completed films, works in progress and a pitching session of new projects.
"Over the years several of our international guests asked us what’s new and upcoming here in Poland. We decided to create an event that will become a showcase both for the Polish industry and for our guests,” Joanna Łapińska, Artistic Director of T-Mobile New Horizons Film Festival, told FNE.
The completed films presented during the 6th edition of Polish days range in genre from thriller to a personal diary feature. Below we present the full list of films showcased during Polish Days.
Chemo
The feature debut drama from Bartosz Prokopowicz is inspired by the life of his wife Magda Prokopowicz, the creator of the Rak'n'Roll foundation for battling cancer who died in 2012 after a long-term struggle with her illness. Chemo follows a thirty-year-old Benek (Tomasz Schuchardt), who accidentally meets a magnetic and mouthy Lena (AgnieszkaŻulewska). As they fall in love and embark on a crazy journey, Benek realizes that Lena has cancer, and she is not willing to treat it. Surprisingly, she gets pregnant.
"I wished to create a positive movie that doesn’t ask for compassion. Chemo is an emotional movie which, through tears and laughter, tells a story of love set on the border of life and death. Even in extremely difficult circumstances one can live with dignity, hungry for life when little things matter most," said director Batrosz Prokopowicz.
The film was produced by Filmokracja. The movie received 2m PLN for production support from the Polish Film Institute. The world premiere of the film took place at Karlovy Vary IFF (KVIFF). The Polish premiere is planned for 2 October 2015, distributed by VUE Movie.
Chemo (Poland)
Directed by: Bartek Prokopowicz
Produced by: Klaudia Śmieja, Katarzyna Sarnowska, Bartek Prokopowicz
Production company: Filmokracja
Present at Polish Days: Klaudia Śmieja, Katarzyna Sarnowska, Bartek Prokopowicz
Contact during Polish Days: Klaudia Śmieja, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Karbala
A war drama directed by Krzysztof Łukaszewicz follows the events that took place in April of 2004 in Karbala, Iraq, where the largest battle fought by Polish soldiers since WWII took place. After an uprising staged by Al-Qaida and al-Sadr militants, an 80-man Polish-Iraqi unit held off all attacks by the terrorists at the city of Karbala, despite lacking food and expending almost all ammunition and persevered until relief forces arrived. The leading role of the unit's commander is played by Bartłomiej Topa, accompanied by Antoni Królikowski, Tomasz Schuchardt, Leszek Lichota and Michała Żurawski as well as foreign actors Hristo Shopov and Atheer Adel. The film was shot in 2015 in Poland and Kurdistan.
The film was produced by WFDiF Documentary and Feature Film Studios in co-production with Agora, TVP, Orka Studio, and Miramar Films (Bulgaria). The project received 1.8 m PLN of production financing from the Polish Film Institute. The film will premiere in Poland on 2 September 2015, distributed by Next Film.
Karbala (Poland, Bulgaria)
Directed by: Krzysztof Łukaszewicz
Produced by: Włodzimierz Niderhaus
Production company: WFDiF Documentary and Feature Film Studios
Present at Polish Days: Krzysztof Łukaszewicz, Jolanta Galicka
Contact during Polish Days: Jolanta Galicka, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
These Daughters Of Mine
A new drama from Kinga Dębska, an experienced Polish filmmaker most recognized for her work on documentaries, involves two estranged sisters in their forties who are forced to come together in the face of an illness and finally death of one of their parents. Agata Kulesza and Gabriela Muskała are playing the leads, accompanied by an all-star cast of Polish popular actors including Marcin Dorociński and Marian Dziędziel.
"This film is inspired by my true story. I wrote the first version to help overcome my own life crisis, and I realised it’s universal. I wrote and directed this sweet and sour story of life and death, of sisters coming to terms with each other, of accepting life and the death of the close ones," said the director.
The film was produced by Zbigniew Domagalski and Kalejdoskop Film Studio. The film received 1.7m PLN for production financing from the Polish Film Institute in 2013. The Polish distributor of the picture is Kino Świat with a Polish premiere planned for 16 October 2015.
These Daughters Of Mine (Poland)
Directed by: Kinga Dębska
Produced by: Zbigniew Domagalski
Production company: Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop
Present at Polish Days: Kinga Dębska, Zbigniew Domagalski
Contact during Polish Days: Zbigniew Domagalski, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The High Frontier
The film is a feature debut for experienced Polish documentary filmmaker Wojciech Kasperski. The script is based on the true story of a father and two sons, who travel to the Bieszczady mountains to resolve their issues after a family tragedy. Suddenly, a mysterious stranger appears and involves them in the dark side of the deserted regions near the border. The cast include Marcin Dorociński, Andrzej Chyra and Andrzej Grabowski as well as young actors Bartosz Bielenia and debutante Jakub Henriksen.
"I’m trying to deliver an intelligent and well-paced thriller that will follow the best examples of the genre: John Boorman’s Deliverance, Roman Polanski’s Knife in the Water, Elia Kazan’s The Visitors or Philip Noyce’s Dead Calm. The rule is: a small cast but big emotions for the audience,” said Wojciech Kasperski.
The film is produced by Metro Films. The film received 2m PLN in financing from the Polish Film Institute. The distributor of the film is Kino Świat and the date of the premiere has not yet been announced.
The High Frontier (Poland)
Directed by: Wojciech Kasperski
Produced by: Marcin Wierzchosławski
Production company: Metro Films
Present at Polish Days: Marcin Wierzchosławski
Contact during Polish Days: Marcin Wierzchosławski, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Red Spider
The script for the film was inspired by a real Polish serial killer Karol Kot, who was active in the 60's and nicknamed "Red Spider" by the Polish police. The man had killed two people and committed several attempted murders along with setting several fires. He didn't fit any psychological profile which made him very hard to catch. The lead role of the character inspired by the "Red Spider" is played by Filip Pławiak, who is accompanied by Adam Woronowicz ,Małgorzata Foremniak and Karolina Kominek .
"I am fascinated by the immensity of death, fear of dying and the impact that fear has on human lives and the decisions they are making. (...) My obsession with death is a result of the neurosis I acquired at home, where there were conflicts and a lot of pressure. I don’t have time to treat it because I’m too busy. I think film is a better therapy," said the director Marcin Koszałka.
The film is produced by MD4 and coproduced by the Krakow Festival Office, the Czech production company Fog'n'Desirehttp, Kraków Film Commission, Orange. Sokol Kollar in Slovakia and Zentropa International Poland. The film production had 80% of its funding from Poland, with 2.8m PLN from the Polish Film Institute, almost 600,000 PLN from the Krakow Film Fund, MG funding of 200,000 PLN, and private investment. The Czech Film Fund gave a grant of 1.5 m CZK and the Slovak Audiovisual Fund gave 36,000 EUR.
The Polish premiere of the picture will take place on 20 November 2015 and the distributor is Kino Świat.
Red Spider (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia)
Directed by: Marcin Koszałka
Produced by: Agnieszka Kurzydło
Production company: MD4
Coproduced by Czech production company Fog'n'Desire , Sokol Kollar
Present at Polish Days: Agnieszka Kurzydło, Dagmara Piasecka
Contact during Polish Days: Dagmara Piasecka, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Berlin Diaries
A new film project from Przemysław Wojcieszek that he characterizes thusly: "It’s a diary. The first one I shot between late December 2014 and mid April 2015. It’s not a film. It’s a diary." Daring in form, the film is a fusion of video art and cinematic techniques presenting a sensitive episode in the filmmaker’s life.
Przemysław Wojcieszek is one of the most accomplished Polish independent directors. A self-taught filmmaker, he directed several low budget feature films including Kill'em All (Rebellion Films), Louder Than Bombs and A Perfect Afternoon. In 2011 he directed his most highly praised feature entitled Made In Poland (www.gruppa.pl), awarded with the Best Male Supporting Role for Janusz Chabior during the 36th PFF in Gdynia. In 2012 he completed Secret (Dynamo Karuzela), a story of Ksawery, a homosexual drag queen performer who decides to pay a visit to his grandfather who is living in the country. The Berlin Diaries is produced by the director’s company Chłopak Ptaki Anioł. The date of the premiere has not yet been announced.
Berlin Diaries (Poland)
Directed by: Przemysław Wojcieszek
Produced by: Przemysław Wojcieszek
Production company: Chłopak Ptaki Anioł
Present at Polish Days: Przemysław Wojcieszek
Contact during Polish Days: Przemysław Wojcieszek, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
