News

”The Zone of Interest” with two Oscars. Great success for the Polish co-production!

Jonathan Glazer’s ”The Zone of Interest” has received two Academy Awards. The motion picture, shot entirely in Poland and with the participation of over 110 Polish creators, was awarded during the 96th Oscar Gala in the following categories: Best International Feature Film and Best Sound. The Polish producer of the film is Ewa Puszczyńska (Extreme Emotions) and co-produced by Bartek Raiński. The film is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. ”The Zone of Interest ” with two Oscar statuettes. Jonathan Glazer’s film is a direful story focusing on the family life of the commandant of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, Rudolf Höss. The story, based on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis, is described as an “idyll in the shadow of the crematoria”, which shows how easily we can turn a blind eye to human suffering. The film is praised by critics primarily for the shocking way in which this message is illustrated on screen.
11.03.2024

Polish Film Institute at EFM 2024

The General Director of Polish Film Institute, Radosław Śmigulski, alongside representatives from PFI will attend the European Film Market 2024 during this year’s Berlinale Film Festival. The industry event will take place from 15th until 21st of February. The General Director of Polish Film Institute, Radosław Śmigulski, alongside representatives from PFI, as always, will attend the European Film Market. The Polish Cinema Stand – number 184 –  situated in the Martin-Gropius Bau building at Stresemannstr. 110, will be the Polish hub for meetings with industry representatives, interested in obtaining the most important information regarding collaboration with the Polish Film Institute. At the Polish Cinema Stand market attending industry can find information about the different film financing programes offered by PFI, examples of great Polish filming locations, current Polish film productions as well as its a great place for meeting with Polish creatives and Polish producers.
15.02.2024

„The Peasants” with international premiere dates

“The Peasants” by DK and Hugh Welchman are conquering the World. We know when the animated feature will premiere in additional countries in Europe and US. Film, co-produced by Polish Film Institute, still has a chance for an Oscar nomination in the Best Animated Feature Film category. Based on the Nobel prize winning novel by Wladyslaw Reymont, The Peasants tells the story of the small village of Lipce and its inhabitants. At the heart of the story is Jagna, the prettiest girl in the village. Jagna is a young sensitive woman struggling to establish her identity and independence in a world where all the men desire her, and all the women envy her. Jagna gets caught up in a rivalry between her secret lover Antek, and his father Boryna, whom her mother has convinced her to betroth. As things begin to go bad for the village, the residents blame their woes on Jagna.
11.01.2024

„In the Rearview” continues to conquer the World. Dates of special screenings in 7 cities 

Maciek Hamela’s documentary feature “In the Rearview” continues to travel the World. Film, co-produced by Polish Film Institute, is on the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. We learned the dates of special screenings with members of the creative team from the film. Where viewers can watch “In the Rearview” in the upcoming days?  „In the Rearview” (pol. „Skąd dokąd”) is a group portrait of people with different experiences, who all have the same goal: to find a safe heaven. In the van – their temporary asylum – there are no rules: no gender, age, race, physical fitness, ancestry, political affiliation and religion beliefs. In Ukrainian language „from” (звідки / zvidky) and „to” (куди / kudy), is also a routine question, asked by people who try to cross the numerous control points, that are placed in different parts of Ukraine. 
11.01.2024

„The Zone of Interest” with two awards from Alliance of Woman Film Journalists 

„The Zone of Interest” by Jonathan Glazer has just received two EDA Awards from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Polish-British-American co-production, co-financed by Polish Film Institute, was honoured in the most important categories: Best Film and Best International Film.  „The Zone of Interest” is winning additional prizes. Jonathan Glazer’s film, dealing with a true story of commander of Auchwitz-Birkenau Camp, Rudolf Hoss and his family, was just awarded by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists – a non-profit organization, whose members are female film journalists. This year there are 84 members. The organization has been awarding movies since 2007. In recent year’s AWJF has awarded Polish film „IDA” by Paweł Pawlikowski in the Best Non-English Feature (previous name of the Best International Feature) category.  
05.01.2024

Polish films and co-productions on the Oscars 2024 Shortlists

“In the Rearview”, “Apolonia, Apolonia” and “The Zone of Interest” are on the Oscars 2024 Shortlists in several categories. Productions, co-financed by Polish Film Institute will compete for nominations to the Academy Awards in March 2024. On 23rd of January the official Oscars nominations will be announced.  „Yet another moment of success for Poland’s strong film industry. I am thrilled that once again Polish creatives are shortlisted and that films co-financed by Polish Film Institute are represented in the categories: Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature, Best Original Score and Best Sound.” says General Director Radosław Śmigulski.
21.12.2023

"The Zone of Interest" nominated for Critics Choice 2024

Co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, “The Zone of Interest” was nominated in the Best Foreign Film category for Critics Choice 2024. The British-Polish co-production directed by Jonathan Glazer will compete for the award with five other films: “Anatomy of a Fall”, “Godzilla Minus One”, “Perfect Days”, “Society of the Snow” and “The Taste of Things”. The winners of the 29th edition will be announced on January 14, 2024. Critics Choice is one of the most important awards granted overseas. They are awarded by the Critics’ Choice Association, which has over 600 members. It is the largest organization of critics and journalists working in the entertainment media in the USA and Canada. Critics Choice, like the Golden Globes, also appreciates television productions.
20.12.2023

„The Zone of Interest” wins big at Los Angeles Film Critics Awards and Agnieszka Holland gets an Achievement Award

“The Zone Of Interest” – a haunting and spellbinding feature film by Jonathan Glazer has received four awards during the Los Angeles Film Critics Awards. The film, co-financed by Polish Film Institute, has received the honors in top categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance and Best Musical Score. During the same ceremony Agnieszka Holland was awarded the Career Achievement Award. “The Zone of Interest” by Jonathan Glazer has been awarded four major accolades during the Los Angeles Critics Awards 2023. The film, which is a co-production between US, UK and Poland, has received four major awards. The film was titled the Best Picture of the year and the director, Jonathan Glazer, was called the Best Director. The film’s score was named Best Musical Score. The critic’s association made a special note that the recognition goes not only to the composer Mica Levi, but also to sound designer Johnnie Burn, for the harrowing and ever-present sound.
18.12.2023

“The Peasants” – watch the interview with Hugh Welchman for Deadline Contenders International

Hugh Welchman was a guest of Melanie Goodfellow for a special Deadline Contenders panel, in which the co-director and co-writer of “The Peasants” spoke about the production of the hit film and artistic choices made for the painted animation. Watch this intriguing video. Hugh Welchman said during the panel that “It’s a story of a community over the course of a year and these very dramatic events, but it also tells the cycle of the agricultural year, the changing of the seasons. It’s got some of the most breathtaking descriptions of nature.”
15.12.2023

Oscar Watch 2024: Polish Guide to This Year’s Qualifying Animated Shorts

Polish Film Institute has compiled a list of the Polish animated shorts that have won a qualifying prize at one of the world’s top film festivals or booked theatrical screening engagements to be considered by the Academy. The official Oscar shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21. The BridgePolandDirector: Izumi YoshidaProduced By: Wojciech Leszczynski, Anna Mroczek, Justyna Rucinska, EC1 Lódz – Miasto Kultury, EJT Labo, Likaon, WJTeamSynopsis: The film’s inspired by events of the year 1920 that brought Poland and Japan closer. The story is told from a 10-year-old boy’s perspective, showing the history of orphans who lost their families and had to rush into manhood to fight for their lives.Qualifying Win: Short Shorts Film Festival (Best Short – Animation)
14.12.2023

„Pianoforte” at Deadline Contenders Film Documentary – watch the exclusive interview 

Jakub Piątek, the director of “Pianoforte” – a splendid documentary feature about the Chopin Competition, was a guest of Deadline Contenders panel, focused on documentary films. The director talked about the need to look behind the curtain of the famous music competition and conveying his story through “high tensions and emotions” rising in all participants. The movie, co-financed by Polish Film Institute, had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2023. Watch the exclusive interview.  Jakub Piątek introduced „Pianoforte” to the participants of Deadline Contenders Film Documentary panel, by saying that: 
12.12.2023

„The Zone of Interest” with three Golden Globes nominations  

„The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer has received three Golden Globes nominations. The Film, which is co-financed by Polish Film Institute, was granted nominations in the ; Best Picture – Drama, Best Picture – Non-English Language and Best Original Score categories. The 81st Golden Globes ceremony will take place on January7th.  “The Zone of Interest” will compete for three Golden Globes. Hollywood Foreign Press Association has decided that the Polish co-production will compete in three categories: Best Picture – Drama, Best Picture – Non-English Language and the film score by Mica Levi will compete in the Best Original Score category. 
12.12.2023

Hugh Welchman on Golden Derby – watch the insightful interview

Hugh Welchman, co-writer and co-director of “The Peasants” talked with Denton Davidson about the making of the box-office hit film and the Polish contender for an Academy Award nomination. The topics included the ever-looming “threat” of Artificial Intelligence, power of oil-painting and importance of good storytelling. Watch the insightful interview. Hugh Welchman was a guest of Denton Davidson ot tge Golden Derby website. The host and the guest discussed the fascinating process of making the film, precisely focusing on the animation technique.
06.12.2023

FOCUS 2023 – a meeting place for promoting shooting locations

Polish Film Institute representatives will be attending FOCUS London 2023 which will take place on the 5th and 6th of December. The event will be a great opportunity for representatives of film companies from around the world to meet and share experiences. The event is a plattform for exploring new trends, sets networking opportunities and gives space for discussions with experts. FOCUS London offers more than sixty discussion panels and presentations with over than 150 professionals from the film, TV and advertising worlds. Representatives of Polish Film Institute will also participate in the event. Polish Film Institute stand, marked DS9, will be a space for networking meetings and a platform to promote and present Polish locations and share experiences between different branches of the industry.
05.12.2023

„Pianoforte“ at Deadline Contenders Film Documentary panel

„Pianoforte“ will be presented during a special Deadline Contenders Film Documentary event, that will take place on December 10th. The director, Jakub Piątek, will talk about the production of the film, which was co-financed by Polish Film Institute and had its World Premiere during Sundance Film Festival.  “Pianoforte” is a second feature film by Jakub Piątek. After the success of “Prime Time”, the young Polish filmmaker turned his eyes on the Chopin Competition and the pianists competing in the 18th edition of a well-known event. By critics, the documentary has been compared to “Game of Thrones” and “Whiplash”, as  the competition is so stark and that emotions are flying high. 
04.12.2023

„The Peasants” at Deadline Contenders Film L.A – watch the exclusive interview

Hugh Welchman attended the special event – Deadline Contenders Film on 18th of November in Los Angeles to talk about making of his hit movie “The Peasants”. The film, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, will represent Poland as a contender for the Best International Feature Film category. The film’s music has also been submitted to the Best Original Score category by the composer – Łukasz “L.U.C” Rostkowski. Learn what the co-director had to say about making the film during the times of COVID and war. Hugh Welchman is the co-author and co-director of the hit film “The Peasants”, based on the Nobel-winning book by Wladyslaw Reymont, published back in the beginning of 20th Century. With his wife, DK Welchman (nee Dorota Kobiela), he already gave the viewers a visual masterpiece in Oscar-nominated “Loving Vincent”. With “The Peasants” the whole team took the job a step further, expanding on the choreography, filming locations and the amount of actors and extras. The end result is spellbinding and intriguing and critics are raving about the way the story taking place over a century ago has found its contemporary footing.
24.11.2023

„Pianoforte” with Best Music Documentary nomination from IDA

“Pianoforte” by Jakub Piątek received Best Music Documentary nomination from International Documentary Association. Film, co-financed by Polish Film Institute, had its World premiere during Sundance 2023 and opens in American cinemas on December 1st. Watch an intriguing interview with the director during IDA FallDocs. Jakub Piątek was a guest of IDA FallDocs in October, where he answered questions by Matt Carey about his approach to filmmaking, the power of music and inspirations for his breakthrough documentary. Take a look at what he had to say:
23.11.2023

Jackpot for Polish productions at IDA

“Pianoforte” by Jakub Piątek nominated in the special selection: Best Music Documentary. “In the rearview” and “Apolonia, Apolonia” with a chance of becoming the Best Feature Documentary. Three films co-financed by Polish Film Institute have been nominated six times for IDA Documentary Awards. “Pianoforte” by Jakub Piątek, „In the rearview” by Maciek Hamela and “Apolonia, Apolonia” by Lea Glob have been nominated by International Documentary Association (IDA). Three films co-financed by Polish Film Institute have garnered six nominations. Moving “Pianoforte” will compete in the Best Music Documentary, whilst “In the rearview” will compete for the Best Feature Documentary awards. “Apolonia, “Apolonia” was nominated in four categories: Best Director (Lea Glob), Best Editing (Andreas Bøggild Monies, Thor Ochsner), Best Writing (Lea Glob, Andreas Bøggild Monies).
22.11.2023

Polish Film Institute’s presence at 48th TIFF

Toronto International Film Festival has been a great home for Polish cinema in recent years. Many of the acclaimed productions had premieres or Special Screenings during the “Festival of festivals”, as TIFF is often being called. That includes well received films by Andrzej Wajda (“Afterimage”), Wojciech Smarzowski (“Rose”), Jerzy Skolimowski (“Essential Killing”, “11 Minutes”), Agnieszka Holland (“In Darkness”), Marcin Wrona “The Christening”, “Demon”) alongside others, including big titles as: “Imagine”, “Sponsoring”, “Afterimage”, “Blindness” and “Maria Skłodowska-Curie”. Radosław Śmigulski on Polish films screened at Toronto International Film Festival
07.09.2023

Polish Film Institute’s co-financed productions at the 80th Venice Film Festival

We are pleased to announce that three films co-financed by Polish Film Institute will premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival. It’s another stellar example of recent expansion of Polish cinema on the festival circuit. In recent years all major film festivals, including Cannes, Toronto, Berlin and Venice have been screening Polish films with great success to audiences and Jury members.
01.09.2023

Łukasz Żal will be awarded at Toronto International Film Festival

Polish cinematographer Łukasz Żal will be honoured during the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.  Żal will be awarded  a special TIFF Variety Artisan Award for his Cinematography in „The Zone of Interest” by Jonathan Glazer. The film which was interely shot in Poland is a British-Polish co-production co-finansed by the Polish Film Institute. “We are thrilled that two-time Academy Award – nominated Polish cinematographer Łukasz Żal is to receive TIFF Variety Artisan Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023. We are not surprised that once again international film industry has chosen to honour the remarkable talents and contributions in film steaming from Poland” – said Radosław Śmigulski, General Director of the Polish Film Institute.
23.08.2023