The Polish Film Institute Awards

A ceremonial gala was held at Multikino “Zlote Tarasy” to inaugurate the first edition of the Polish Film Institute Awards, which will be presented annually. Statuettes were presented in 11 categories.


The Polish Film Institute (PISF) created the awards to show appreciation for the efforts of many cinema enthusiasts and organizations who propagate knowledge about cinema, promote Polish films in this country and abroad, educate young viewers, publish information about films, and organise festivals, retrospectives, exhibitions, and meetings with creators. There are thousands of people who have a tremendous impact on the development of Polish cinematography, and they are the targets for these annual awards.

The winners in 11 categories were chosen by an Award Chapter composed of Feliks Falk, Krzysztof Gierat, Wiesław Godzic, Andrzej Goleniewski, Barbara Hollender, Juliusz Machulski, Jerzy Płażewski, Jacek Rakowiecki, Wiesław Saniewski, and Agnieszka Odorowicz, General Director of PISF. The choice was made out of submissions sent by cultural institutions, film schools, government authorities, foundations, film associations, and the Chapter.

The premiere hall at Multikino, the biggest cinema in Poland with 777 seats, was full for the gala, with an audience including Andrzej Wajda, Waldemar Dąbrowski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Barbara Krafftówna, Janusz Morgenstern, Janusz Zaorski, Agnieszka Grochowska, Maria Klejdysz, and Jan and Irena Laskowscy.

The gala was led by Cat and the Minotaur, animated characters by Mariusz Wilczyński. The Cat was a bit arrogant, while the Minotaur resembled his creator – he did not talk at all.

The awards were given by the members of the PISF Council and Chapter Awards. Voices of famous actors and directors invited the award recipients on stage, including Grażyna Szapołowska, Andrzej Jakimowski, Małgorzata Szumowska, and Krzysztof Zanussi. Michał Kwieciński and Feliks Falk presented themselves, while Dominique Lesage announced the winner in the category of International Film Event in French.

The ceremony and a very witty film presenting the award categories were directed by Krzysztof Materna. Various people – famous and anonymous – underlined the importance of each particular category.

 

Lech Wałęsa told about the importance of discussion in social life while explaining the Film Discussion Club category. Otylia Jędrzejczak, who spends most of her time abroad and under water, was glad that there are great festivals in Poland presenting the most interesting achievements of world of cinematography, so that she can catch up on the latest trends.

 

A farmer, while feeding horses, said how important are good film reviews for him. He said he didn’t have much time but owing to the reviews he can make the right choice when he does go to the cinema. A border guard announced the category of Film Promotion Abroad.

 

Jerzy Bralczyk introduced the Publications on the Film Industry category, saying: “A book about film has the advantage that it can be not only be read but also watched.”

 

Winners of the Polish Film Institute Awards:

 

ENTITIES RUNNING FILM THEATRES:

Cinema Muranów, Gutek Film Sp. z o.o., Warsaw

Nominees:

  • Charlie Cinema in Lódź, Agencja Wydarzeń Artystycznych Pro Ciemna, Lódź;
  • Muranów Cinema in Warsaw, Gutek Film Sp z o.o., Warsaw;
  • Film Centre Neptun-Helikon-Kamerlane in Gdańsk, Capital Park Sp. z o.o., Gdansk.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL FILM EVENT OF THE YEAR

15th International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Plus Camerimage, Tumult Foundation, Toruń

Nominees:

  • 15th International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Plus Camerimage, Tumult Foundation, Toruń;
  • 23th Warsaw International FilmFest – Warsaw Film Foundation, Warsaw;
  • 47th Kraków Film Festival – Kraków Film Foundation, Kraków;
  • 7th International Film Festival Era New Horizons – New Horizons Association, Warsaw.

 

POLISH EVENT OF THE YEAR

Summer Film Academy in Zwierzyniec – Film Association CineEuropa, Lublin

Nominees:

  • Film Debut Festival “The Youth and Film” Koszalin – the Polish Filmmakers Association, city of Koszalin, City Centre of Culture;
  • Summer Film Academy in Zwierzyniec – Film Association CineEuropa, Lublin;
  • Tarnów Film Award – Tarnów Centre of Culture, Tarnów;
  • Exhibition at Museum of Cinematography in Lódź, “Krzysztof Kieślowski. Traces and Memory”;
  • The Museum of Cinematography, Łódź.

 

FILM PROMOTION ABROAD

19th Polish Film Festival in America, The Society for Arts, Chicago

Nominees:

  • 5th Polish Film Festival in London – Polish Culture Institute in London;
  • 5th Filmland Polen (Hamburg, Lübeck, Hannover, Bremen) — Grażyna Słomka;
  • 19th Polish Film Festival in America, The Society for Arts, Chicago.

 

POLISH FILM DISTRIBUTION

ITI Cinema, ITI Group, Warsaw

Nominees:

  • Polish Audiovisual Publishing House, Warsaw;
  • ITI Cinema, ITI Group, Warsaw;
  • Best Film Co. Sp. z o.o., Warsaw.

 

FILM REVIEWS

 

“KINO” Magazine, KINO Foundation, Warsaw

 

Nominees:

  • “KINO” Magazine, KINO Foundation, Warsaw;
  • “ODRA” Magazine, Centre of Culture and Art in Wrocław;
  • “Tygodnik Powszechny” – Tygodnik Powszechny Sp. z o.o., Kraków.

 

RADIO/TV PROGRAM

“Kino Polska” TV

Nominees:

  • “Kocham Kino” – TVP 2, Grażyna Torbicka and Tadeusz Sobolewski;
  • “Kino Polska” TV;
  • “Trójkowo-filmowo” – Polskie Radio PR 3, Ryszard Jaźwiński.

WEB PORTAL

www.filmpolski.pl, The Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź

Nominees:

  • www.stopklatka.pl – Stopklatka Sp. z o.o., Szczecin;
  • www.filmpolski.pl, The Polish National Film, Television and Theater School in Łódź;
  • www.film.onet.pl – Grupa Onet.pl SA, Kraków.

PUBLICATION ON THE FILM INDUSTRY

Books about Krzysztof Kieślowski by Stanisław Zawiśliński, Skorpion Publishing House, Warsaw

Nominees:

  • “Historia kina polskiego”, ed. T. Lubelski and K. J. Zarębski, published by KINO Foundation, Warsaw;
  • Wojciech Marzec Publishing House – a series of textbooks for filmmakers in Polish;
  • S. Zawiśliński, “Kieślowski. Życie po życiu”, Skorpion Publishing House, Warsaw.

YOUNG AUDIENCE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

All-Poland Competition in Knowledge about Film in Gdańsk (Film Centre of Gdańsk Neptun-Helikon-Kameralne), Gdańsk

Nominees:

  • Film Academy in Warsaw – Pro Art-Tech Foundation, Warsaw;
  • All-Poland Competition in Knowledge about Film in Gdańsk (Film Centre of Gdańsk Neptun-Helikon-Kameralne), Gdańsk;
  • International Young Audience Film Festival Ale kino! in Poznań (Centrum Sztuki Dziecka), Poznań.

FILM DISCUSSION CLUB

DKF “Rotunda” in Kraków – “Rotunda” Association, Kraków

Nominees:

  • DKF “Bariera” in Lublin, Academic Centre for Culture “Chatka Żaka”, Lublin;
  • DKF “Rotunda” in Kraków – “Rotunda” Association, Kraków;
  • DKF “Żak” in Gdańsk – “Żak” Club, City Culture Institution, Gdańsk;
  • DKF Socjologów “Pod Spodem” in Warsaw, the University of Warsaw, Warsaw.

 

 

The Polish Film Institute congratulates all the winners and nominees.

The official media partners at the ceremony were Telewizja Polska, Film magazine, Radio Trójka, and the web portal Stopklatka.

Gala partners: Multikino, Trias, SPI International Polska, TPS Film Studio and Renault.

Sponsors: Telekomunikcja Polska S.A. and Bols.

The New Year’s Reception for Filmmakers and the Awardw Ceremony were organised by the Polish Filmmakers Association and the Polish Film Institute.

 

Translated by Monika Miziniak | Edited by Patricia Koza

21.01.2008