Polish Films at 35th Moscow IFF

Four Polish films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute will screen in competition and out of competition at the 35th Moscow International Film Festival, which runs from June 20 through June 29, 2013.

Drogówka (Traffic Department) in Main Competition

Drogówka (Traffic Department), a film directed by Wojciech Smarzowski, has been selected for screening in Main Competition at this year’s Moscow International Film Festival, competing against 15 other films for the festival’s grand prize – the Golden St. George Award for Best Film. Three Polish directors have received top laurels in Moscow to date: Andrzej Wajda in 1975 for Ziemia obiecana (The Promised Land), Krzysztof Kieślowski in 1979 for Amator (Camera Buff) and Krzysztof Zanussi in 2000 for Życie jako śmiertelna choroba przenoszona drogą płciową (Life as a Fatal Sexually-Transmitted Disease).

Ojciec i syn (Father and Son) in Documentary Competition

The lineup of Moscow’s ‘Free Thought’ International Documentary Film Competition will feature a Polish film entitled Ojciec i syn (Father and Son), directed by Paweł Łoziński. The competition will be judged by jury members Claas Danielsen, Coco Schrijber and Sergei Dvortsevoy. The winner of the documentary competition will receive the Silver St. George Award and a cash prize of $5,000.

Ostatnie piętro (Last Floor) and Fuck For Forest

The ‘Around the World’ section of the festival will screen Ostatnie piętro (Last Floor), directed by Tadeusz Król. The film’s Moscow screening will mark its world premiere. The ‘Wild Nights’ section of the festival will feature the documentary Fuck For Forest, directed by Michał Marczak.

Awards for Films Co-Financed by the Polish Film Institute

Previous editions of the Moscow IFF also brought awards for several films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. In 2011, Urszula Grabowska received the Silver St. George Award for Best Actress for her performance in Joanna, directed by Feliks Falk. Joanna also won the Award of Russian Journalists and the Award of Russian Film Clubs. In 2010, Jan Kidawa-Błoński received the award for Best Director for his feature Różyczka (Little Rose), while Rewers (Reverse) by Borys Lankosz was voted Best Film in the ‘Perspectives’ section of the festival. In 2009, Mała Moskwa (Little Moscow) by Waldemar Krzystek received the Audience Award.

Polish Films Supported by the Polish Film Institute Screening in Competition

At the 2012 edition of the festival, Waldemar Krzystek’s 80 milionów (80 Million) screened in Main Competition. Along with Feliks Falk’s Joanna, the 2011 Moscow competition lineup featured another Polish film: W imieniu diabła (In the Name of the Devil) by Barbara Sass.

Moscow IFF

The Moscow International Film Festival is considered to be one of the world’s top film events. Since its last edition, the festival has ben headed by Russian actor-director Nikita Mikhalkov.

Further details about the festival are available at: www.moscowfilmfestival.ru.

Paulina Bez

Translated by Karolina Kołtun