MONIKA PAWLUCZUK'S "END OF THE WORLD" WINS IN HOT SPRINGS

Koniec świata (End of the World), a film directed by Monika Pawluczuk and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, received the award for Best Short Documentary at the 24th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in the United States. This win makes the film eligible for Academy Award consideration.

Koniec świata (End of the World)

Koniec świata (End of the World) is an intimate documentary film in which several stories intertwine over the course of one night. On this night – a night like many others – people in a big city, tormented by loneliness, just want to talk to someone. Some call the ambulance (often without cause), others call in to late night radio shows, where the host asks about the end of the world and what it means to each of us. They talk about tragic and painful issues, but also about petty things, funny even. What is noticeable and moving is their innate need for conversation, for being heard; the need to have someone by their side. The radio is the link that unites this nocturnal world; we hear it in the ambulance, and on CCTV, as we watch the city nightlife on dozens of screens. The radio is what binds the film into one and serves as the source of the most essential questions.

Monika Pawluczuk’s Film Wins Best Short Documentary Award

Koniec świata (End of the World) received the award for Best Short Documentary at the 24th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, screening in the fest’s international competition. This win makes the film eligible for Academy Award consideration.

A Film Supported by the Polish Film Institute

The film was written and directed by Monika Pawluczuk, who previously directed the award-winning documentary Kiedy będę ptakiem (When I Am a Bird). Koniec świata (End of the World) was produced by Wajda Studio in co-production with Telewizja Polska, Łódź City Hall and the ‘Pomerania Film’ West Pomeranian Film Fund. The film received support from Trailer&More and the City Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz, and was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

Special Jury Prize for Hanna Polak

The Hot Springs festival also brought the Special Jury Recognition Award in documentary filmmaking for Hanna Polak and her feature documentary Nadejdą lepsze czasy (Something Better to Come), a film co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. Something Better to Come is in the running for an Academy Award nomination, and the Oscar campaign is open to public support through its Kickstarter campaign.

Source: Polish Docs

Translated by Karolina Kołtun