The 68th Cannes IFF

On May 24, 2015 finished the 68th  Cannes International Film Festival. The festival lineup featured several films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. In the event also took part the representatives of the Polish film industry. 

The World Premiere in Directors’ Fortnight

Photo by Polish Film Institute

The 68th Cannes International Film Festival on May 21, 2015 marked the world premiere of The Here After (Polish title: Intruz), the feature debut from director Magnus von Horn.

The Here After has been very well received by the audience and it got a standing ovation.

Co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, this Polish-Swedish co-production screened in the Cannes festival’s prestigious Directors’ Fortnight section, which in years past screened the early films of such directors as Martin Scorsese, Michael Haneke, and the Dardenne brothers.

Thew review of The Here After in Screen Daily. 

The review of The Here After in the Hollywood Reporter. 

The review of The Here After at Cineuropa website. 

The photos from the premiere at Directors’ Fortnight website. 

Intruz (The Here After)

After being released from a juvenile detention centre, John wants a fresh start. But in the small community to which he now returns, his crime has been neither forgotten nor forgiven. John’s return brings out the worst in people; a lynch is in the air. Feeling abandoned by old friends and loved ones, John begins to lose hope. The same aggression that once landed him in prison now begins to build up again. Unable to deal with his past, John decides to confront it.

A Polish-Swedish Co-Production

Intruz (The Here After) marks a double debut by director Magnus von Horn and producer Mariusz Włodarski. The project was developed within the framework of the Passion to Market programme, a series of workshops co-financed by the Polish Film Institute and organized for graduates of three European film schools: the Łódź Film School, the National Film and Television School in London, and La Fémis in Paris. The film was produced by Mariusz Włodarski (Lava Films) and Madeleine Ekman (Zentropa International Sweden), co-produced by Cinema Defacto (France), Opus Film (Poland) and Film I Vast (Sweden) and features performances by Ulrik Munther, Mats Blomgren, Alexander Nordgren and Wiesław Komasa. The film was lensed by Łukasz Żal.

Intruz (The Here After) is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, CNC, and Eurimages. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release in Poland in the fall of 2015. Distribution in Poland is handled by Gutek Film, with TrustNordisk handling world sales.

Interview with Magnus von Horn on Screen Daily. 

Meeting with Minister for Culture and Democracy of Sweden Alice Bah Kuhnke and General Director of the Polish Film Institute Agnieszka Odorowicz

Minister for Culture and Democracy of Sweden Alice Bah Kuhnke and General Director of the Polish Film Institute Agnieszka Odorowicz, fot. PISF

On May 16, 2015 took place the ceremonial dinner attended by Minister for Culture and Democracy of Sweden Alice Bah Kuhnke, General Director of the Polish Film Institute Agnieszka Odorowicz, producers, co-producers and creators of The Here After, first film co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, made by Magnus von Horn, the graduate of Lodz Film School. 

Mariusz Włodarski – Producer on the Move

Produers on the Move 2015, Mariusz Włodarski from Poland (Lava Films) is first from the right, fot. Kurt Krieger EFP

During this year’s Cannes film festival, the film’s producer Mariusz Włodarski participated in the prestigious ‘Producers on the Move’ workshop for talented young European film producers. This year’s 16th edition of the workshop, organized annually in Cannes by European Film Promotion, as attended by 20 young producers from across Europe. Participation in the programme is aimed at building a network of industry professionals who will play an increasingly significant role in European filmmaking. For the past five years, the programme has also been supported by Eurimages. Polish participants in the ‘producers on the Move’ workshop in past years included Mikołaj Pokromski (2014), Agnieszka Kurzydło (2013), Marta Plucińska (2012), Łukasz Dzięcioł (2011), and Kamila Polit (2010). This year’s ‘Producers on the Move’ workshop run from May 15 through May 18, during the 68th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival.

Further details about the programme are available at: www.efp-online.com. 

Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik Member of the European Film Promotion’s Board of Directors

Mariette Rissenbeek, Renate Rose, Martin Schweighofer, Pia Lundberg, Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik, Nerina T. Kocjančič, Françoise Lentz, Christian J. Lemche, fot. Kurt Krieger, EFP.

On May 19, 2015 in Cannes European Film Promotion announced its new Board of Members. As one of its members has been elected Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik, Head of International Relations in the Polish Film Institute. The New European Film Promotion’s President is Martin Schweighofer (Executive Director, Austrian Film Commission) and the Vice President is Pia Lundberg (Head of International Department, Swedish Film Institute). The other Board of Director’s members are: Nerina T. Kocjančič, (Head of Promotion and Sales, Slovenian Film Centre), Christian Juhl Lemche (Festival Consultant, Danish Film Institute), Françoise Lentz (Head of Promotion, Film Fund Luxembourg) and Mariette Rissenbeek (Managing Director, German Films). 

Further details about the New Board of Directors are available at: www.efp-online.com. 

Daniel Olbrychski: Member of the Cinéfondation Jury

The Cannes festival’s Cinéfondation section was launched in 1998. Among the members of this year’s competition jury was Polish actor Daniel Olbrychski, who was judging the section’s 18 competition entries with fellow jurors Joana Hadjithomas, Rebecca Zlotowski, Cécile de France, and jury chairman Abderrahman Sissako. This jury also selected the winning film among nine shorts nominated for the Palme d’Or. It is a fact worth mentioning that the first winning film in the Cinéfondation section in 1998 was a Polish film – Jakub, directed by Adam Guziński. More informaction about the winners at Cinefondacion.com.

Crache-Coeur in ACID Section

This year’s lineup of the festival’s ACID section featured nine films from around the world. One of these was Crache-Coeur ( working title “Desempares” or “Zagubieni”), a Polish-French feature debut directed by Julia Kowalski and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The film’s Cannes screening marked its world premiere.

The selection of films screening in the ACID section is made by members of the Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion (ACID), an association aimed at promoting independent cinema.

During the Cannes Film Festival the film found the international sales agent – French company from Paris Alpha Violet. 

Further details are available at the association’s website: www.lacid.org.

Film by First-Time Filmmaker, Supported by the Polish Film Institute

Crache-Coeur was produced by Maria Blicharska and Monika Sajko-Gradkowska of Donten&Lacroix Films and by Mina Driouche, Valerie Donzeli and Jeremie Elkaim of Les Films de Francoise. The project had been developed thanks to support of the CNC and the MEDIA programme. Made as an international co-production, Crache-Coeur features performances by Andrzej Chyra and Artur Steranko, and was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The film was shot on location in France and in Poland.

Short Film Corner

27 Polish short films screened in the festival’s Short Film Corner. Polish films were shown in three sections: a showcase of the best films from the Łódź Film School, a screening of films from Munk Studio, and Polish Shorts. On a side note, programmers of the Coup de Coeur section, a showcase of the most interesting films in the whole Short Film Corner lineup, have also selected two Polish films: the Sundance award-winning short Obiekt (Object) by Paulina Skibińska (Munk Studio) and Inka by Monika Majorek (Warsaw Film School). The Coup de Coeur lineup also featured Tata, a Polish-Belgian co-production directed by Alexandre Gilmet.

The Polish Office

The Polish Office in Cannes, fot. PISF

The Polish Office in Cannes was situated on the ninth floor of the Grand Hotel, La Croisette 45. This was the venue for meetings of representatives of the Polish Film Institute, producers, and other partners with representatives of the international film industry, festival programmers, world sales agents, distributors, and foreign press. The office was co-hosted by the Film Commission Poland, in partnership with: Akson Studio, Dentons, DI Factory, New Europe Film Sales, Opus Film, Munk Studio, Warsaw Film School, City of Gdańsk, Łódź Film Commission, Krakow Film Commission and Wroclaw Film Commission.

At the Polish Office were available three publications on Polish cinema and film industry prepared by the Film Commission Poland: Production Guide Poland 2015, Location Guide Poland 2015, Poles in Cannes.

The Forum on Co-Producing with Poland

Leo Barraclough, Ewa Puszczyńska, Igor Ostrowski, Andrew Lowe, Ivan Mctaggart, Philippe Carcassonne, Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik, fot. PISF

On May 17, 2015 the Polish Film Institute organized the forum on co-producing with Poland. In the event took part: Philippe Carcassonne (Ciné@, France), Andrew Lowe (Element Pictures, Ireland), Ivan Mctaggart (Trademark Films LTD, UK), Igor Ostrowski (Dentons Europe), Ewa Puszczyńska (Opus Film, Poland) and Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik (PFI). The discussion was moderated by Leo Barraclough (Variety).

The 68th Cannes International Film Festival run from May 13 through May 24, 2015.