„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. 

„Pianoforte” at Deadline Contenders Film Documentary panel – where to watch? 

The event will be televised and can be watched online on December 10th at 9 AM Pacific Standard Time (so at 4PM Greenwich Mean Time and 5PM Central European Time). You can register to the event on the dedicated website – Deadlinecontendersfilmdoc2023.splashthat.com.

“Pianoforte” – what is it about? 

“Pianoforte” is a gripping story about the coming-of-age participants of the legendary Chopin Competition. Eighty-seven remarkable musicians advanced to the first stage of the last edition in 2021, and after over a dozen days, only the best twelve were qualified for the finale. The main characters are young people from all over the world. They have one thing in common – since childhood, they have devoted themselves completely to playing the piano. 

Their struggles are a real emotional roller coaster. They have to learn to resist the huge pressure connected with competition. For the first time in history, the film crew managed to peek to such an extent behind the scenes of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw to show the atmosphere of the pressure of the competition there. Jakub Piątek also accompanies the characters in their daily lives, presenting the multidimensional picture of talented people with extraordinary personalities. 

POLAND, GERMANY 2023

Screenplay and director: Jakub Piątek

Cinematography: Filip Drożdż

Editing: Ula Klimek-Piątek

Producers: Maciej Kubicki (Telemark), co:producers: Artur Szklener, Joanna Chorzępa (Fryderyk Chopin Institute), Anna Spisz (Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission), Mateusz Wajda and Paweł Ziemilski (MX35), Hanka Kastelicova (HBO), BBC Storyville (Lucie Kon), Hans Robert Eisenhauer (Ventana Film), Arte and ZDF.