Poland at the 61st Cannes Film Festival

Poland will show Four Nights with Anna (Cztery noce z Anną) by Jerzy Skolimowski, Katyń by Andrzej Wajda, the feature documentary Gugara, and students’ études. The Polish stall has a prominent place next to the Festival’s Palace.

Skolimowski’s film will open the 40th “Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” (15 May). Polish co-production Tulpan by Siergiej Dworcewoj will be shown in “Un Certain Regard” (23 May), and Gugara by Andrzej Dybczak and Jacek Nagłowski in “ACID Programmation – L’Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion” (22 May).

The film Katyń can be found in the “Marché du Film programme”. In the framework of the short film market “Short Film Korner,” presenting student études, four Polish films will be shown from the programme “30 Minutes” coordinated by the Polish Filmmakers Association and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

These are Pokój szybkich randek by Anna Maliszewska, Samotność kucharza szybkich zamówień by Marcel Sawicki, Aria Diva by Agnieszka Smoczyńska, and What’s It Like to Be My Mother by Norah McGettigan. Their presence in Cannes is coordinated by the Kraków Film Foundation.

The Polish Film Institute (PISF) has prepared a new edition of the catalogue “New Polish Films 2008”, which contains a full list of films and data concerning current productions, and “Poland Film Production Guide 2008”, a compendium of knowledge about the Polish film industry. The guide is to encourage foreign investors to cooperate with Polish producers.

Grzegorz Hajdarowicz, who was one of Polish co-producers of Nightwatching by Peter Greenway, will take part in the European Film Promotion programme “Producers on the Move”, addressed to young producers. The programme’s aim is to promote European students.

Just as last year, PISF will open a Polish stall in Cannes, where films representing Polish film industry will be presented. The stall will be placed at the corner of the famous La Croisette next to Festival’s Palace. The co-organisers of the stall this year are Bow and Axe Entertainment, Opus Film SPI International Poland, Vision Film, The Chimney Pot company, and the law firm Salans. The co-organiser of the stall is the Polish Filmmakers Association.

The festival takes place 14-25 May.

Translated by Monika Miziniak | Edited by Patricia Koza