POLISH FILMS IN COMPETITION AT 51ST KARLOVY VARY IFF

Several Polish films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute screen in competition at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Grzegorz Zariczny’s Fale (Waves) in Main Competition

Anna Kęsek and Katarzyna Kopeć in Fale (Waves). Photo courtesy of Munk Studio

Grzegorz Zariczny’s feature-length debut Fale (Waves) will screen in Main Competition at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This is Poland’s only entry competing for the prestigious Crystal Globe this year.  The complete competition lineup is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

The crew of the film Fale (Waves) during the world premiere at the 51st Karlovy Vary IFF.  Fot. Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary

The crew of Fale (Waves) during the press conference at the 51st Karlovy Vary IFF.  Fot. Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary

The film’s world premiere and the press conference with the crew took place on July 5. 

The gallery from the press conference of the film is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

The gallery from the premiere of the film is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

Fale (Waves) was produced by the Polish Filmmaker Association’s Munk Studio, co-produced by the Krakow Festival Office and TVP, and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

“I know that I am at the beginning of this journey and still have a lot to learn. But when you learn that such a major festival selects your first feature-length film to screen in competition, the heart is filled with a feeling of incredible support and belief that this film path that I chose almost 15 years ago is worth pursuing,” says director Grzegorz Zariczny of his film’s selection for the competition lineup.

Fale (Waves) is the story of Ania and Kasia, two vivacious 17-year-olds. The girls are living on their own, as they can’t depend on their parents. They live in Nowa Huta, working as interns at a small hair salon. They want to become professional hairdressers. As Ania and Kasia become increasingly closer, a deep bond forms between them. Until one day, Ania’s estranged mother shows up.

The film stars Katarzyna Kopeć and Anna Kęsek, whose lives inspired the screenplay. The cast also features professional actors, including Beata Schimscheiner, Artur Krajewski and Edyta Torhan. Fale (Waves) was lensed by Weronika Bilska, Grzegorz Zariczny’s long-time collaborator. They have previously worked together on his short documentary Gwizdek (Whistle).

The film’s production designer is Grzegorz Piątkowski, with Julia Jarża as costume designer and Beata Rółkowska as make-up artist. Sylwia Rajdaszka served as production manager.

The theatrical release of Fale (Waves) is slated for autumn 2016.

Grzegorz Zariczny is a graduate of the Radio and Television Department of the University of Silesia. He is the author of award-winning short feature films Marysina Polana (2008) and Nasza zima zła (2010). His acclaimed documentary Gwizdek (The Whistle; 2012), produced within the framework of Munk Studio’s ‘First Documentary’ programme, brought him the Grand Prize for Best Short Film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Fale (Waves) Screening Dates:

  • 05.07, 17:00 Grand Hall
  • 06.07, 10:00 Pupp Cinema
  • 08.07, 9:00 Drahomíra Cinema

Kamper in East of the West Competition

Marta Nieradkiewicz and Piotr Żurawski in Kamper. Photo: press materials

Łukasz Grzegorzek’s feature debut Kamper was selected for the East of the West competition, which screens films by first- and second-time directors from Eastern Europe.

The crew of Kamper during the world premiere at the 51st Karlovy Vary IFF. Photo by Olga Domżała, PFI

The film’s world premiere with the crew took place on July 3. The film was very well received by the audience. The gallery from the premiere of the film is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

The complete East of the West competition lineup is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

Set in the present day, Kamper is a comedy about thirty-year-olds made by thirty-year-olds. The film focuses on mania and Kamper — once madly in love, they now have to decide whether to take the next step in life together or apart. Mania is ambitious, hardworking and talented. She loves cooking and want to dedicate her life to her passion. Kamper is a man-child, working as a video game tester and enjoying his life of little responsibility. When an older man — an acclaimed chef and the embodiment of success — appears in Mania’s life, she begins to question whether she still finds her husband’s carefree charm appealing. Does she really want to spend the rest of her life with him? Kamper needs to pull himself together. But he begins by having an affair with a fiery Spanish teacher.

The film stars Marta Nieradkiewicz and Piotr Żurawski, with supporting performances by Jacek Braciak and Justyna Suwała.

Kamper was directed by Łukasz Grzegorzek, and written by Krzysztof Umiński and Łukasz Grzegorzek. The film was lensed by Weronika Bilska, who was also DoP on Grzegorz Zariczny’s Fale (Waves), which screens in Karlovy Vary’s Main Competition. The film was scored by Czarny HIFI. Kamper was produced by Natalia Grzegorzek (Koskino), in co-production with Opus Film, D35, Toya Studios and Głośno. The film was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. Kamper will be released theatrically in Poland on July 15. Distribution is handled by M2 Films.

This year will be one of the members of the East of the West competition jury is Agnieszka Smoczyńska. 

Kamper Screening Dates:

  • 03.07, 16:00 Karlovy Vary Municipal Theatre
  • 04.07, 13:30 Lazne III Cinema

Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights) in the Documentary Film Competition

Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights). Photo courtesy of Endorfina Studio

The festival’s Documentary Film Competition lineup features Michał Marczak’s Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights). The screening in Karlovy Vary marks the film’s European premiere. The complete lineup of the Documentary Film Competition is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

As stated by the filmmakers, Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights) is a “portrait of the generation of Polish twenty-year-olds that is likely to become the manifesto of the restless post-1989 generation. For two years, Warsaw’s streets, clubs, cafes and apartments were transformed into a natural film set, serving to tell the most intimate and honest story of the young generation since Andrzej Wajda’s Niewinni czarodzieje (Innocent Sorcerers).”

Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights) is a Polish-British co-production, produced jointly by Endorfina Studio, producer of the multiple award winning documentary 15 stron świata (15 Corners of the World) and Pulse Films, producer of 20,000 Days on Earth. The film was co-produced by Telewizja Polska and the Mazovia Film Fund, and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, the Sundance Institute, and Brit Doc Circle Fund.

Thanks to its extraordinary authenticity in filming actors, Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights) had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where Michał Marczak received the award for Best Director in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights) Screening Dates:

  • 06.07, 18:30 Čas Cinema
  • 07.07, 14:00 Drahomíra Cinema

Klara Kochańska in the Future Frames Programme

Photo courtesy of European Film Promotion

In the second edition of the Karlovy Vary festivals Future Frames programme focusing on ten young filmmakers to watch, Poland will be represented by Klara Kochańska. This new initiative of the KV festival and European Film Promotion is aimed at drawing the attention of industry representatives and film critics to young filmmakers. During the event, ten young directors will showcase their accomplishments, meet with audiences, and participate in a number of industry events.

Klara Kochańska is the director of several short films that have screened at film festivals in Poland and abroad. In 2015, her short film Lokatorki (Tenants), produced by the Łódź Film School, screened at the 31st Warsaw Film Festival, winning the award for best short and the festival’s Short Grand Prix. Jury members Zuxin Hou (China), Paulina Skibińska (Poland), and Matúš Vizár (Slovakia) recognised Kochańska’s film for its high-quality directing and performances. Lokatorki (Tenants) went on to win the Golden Award for Best Foreign Film at the Global Chinese Universities Student Film and Television Festival in Hong Kong. Klara Kochańska is currently working on her feature debut — the development of this project is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

Lokatorki (Tenants) Screening Dates:

  • 05.07, 15:30 Small Hall
  • 09.07, 19:30 Lazne III Cinema

Other Sections

The Czech Films section, showcasing films made in 2015 and 2016, will feature Ja, Olga Hepnarová (I, Olga Hepnarová) by Tomáš Weinreb and Petr Kazda, a co-production between the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. The Horizons section will feature Zjednoczone Stany Miłości (United States of Love) by Tomasz Wasilewski. Another View, a Karlovy Vary section that focuses on films revealing an original creative approach, will feature Córki Dancingu (The Lure) by Agnieszka Smoczyńska. The presence of Marcin Dorociński marked an additional Polish accent of the festival. Polish actor took part in ‘Anthropoid’ by Sean Ellis – the Opening Film of 51st Karlovy Vary IFF. Marcin Dorociński played a role of Ladislav Vaněk.

Marta Nieradkiewicz, Julia Kijowska, Tomasz Wasilewski and Magdalena Cielecka before the premiere of Zjednoczone Stany Miłości (United States of Love) at the 51st Karlovy Vary IFF. Photo by Marzena Cieślik, PFI.

On July 3 at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival took place the first screening of the film Zjednoczone Stany Miłości (United States of Love) with the director Tomasz Wasilewski and actresses Marta Nieradkiewicz, Julia Kijowska and Magdalena Cielecka. The gallery from the premiere of the film is available on the Karlovy Vary festival website.

Ja, Olga Hepnarová (I, Olga Hepnarová) Screening Dates:

  • 02.07, 13:30 Husovka Theatre
  • 05.07, 19:30 Lazne III Cinema
  • 08.07, 17:00 Cinema B

Zjednoczone Stany Miłości (United States of Love) Screening Dates:

  • 03.07, 11:30 Grand Hall
  • 06.07, 19:30 Lazne III Cinema
  • 08.07, 19:00 Národní dům Cinema

Córki Dancingu (The Lure) Screening Dates:

  • 01.07, 10:30 Lazne III Cinema
  • 04.07, 21:30 Čas Cinema
  • 06.07, 13:00 Congress Hall
  • 08.07, 14:00 Cinema B

Docu Talents 2016 

Three of the documentary projects that have a chance to be presented to industry experts at the festival within the framework of the Docu Talents from the East 2016 programme are: Diagnoza (Diagnosis), a project directed by Ewa Podgórska and produced by Małgorzata Wabińska (Entertain Pictures); Opera o Polsce (Opera About Poland), a project directed by and produced by Anna Gawlita (Kijora) and co-production between Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland Pepik the Czech Goes to Poland in a Quest for Love of God, a project directed by Vít Klusák and Filip Remunda, produced by Jana Brožková, Zdeněk Holý (Vernes), Alena Müllerová, Jiří Vlach (Česká televize), Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda (Hypermarket Film), Joanna Plesnar, Maria Krauss (Plesnar & Krauss Films), Peter Kerekes. 

Eurimages Lab Project Award 2016

One of 8 documentary projects in production or post-production that have a chance to win Eurimages Lab Project Award 2016 (50.000 euros) is 13 Summers Under Water directed and produced by Wiktoria Szymańska (Luna W, co-production between United Kingdom, Mexico, Poland). 

The 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from July 1 through July 9, 2016. Fale (Waves), Kamper, Wszystkie nieprzespane noce (All These Sleepless Nights), Lokatorki (Tenants), Zjednoczone Stany Miłości (United States of Love), Córki Dancingu (The Lure), Ja, Olga Hepnarova (I, Olga Hepnarova) were all co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

Karlovy Vary festival lineup is available on the festival website.

Based on respective press releases

01.07.2016