Polish Films in Moscow

A presentation of new Polish film projects with co-production potential was held on June 24, 2013 within the framework of the fifth edition of the Moscow Business Square film market, which accompanied the 35th Moscow International Film Festival. The presentation was organized by the Polish Film Institute.

A Presentation of Nine Film Projects

The presentation was aimed at finding co-production partners for selected Polish feature film projects. The event was attended by Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik, Head of International Relations at the Polish Film Institute, by Polish filmmakers and producers who presented their projects, and by representatives of the film industry from Russia and around the world.

The presentation was launched by Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik, who outlined the regulations for co-production with Poland. Then Polish filmmakers presented a total of nine feature film projects in various stages of development.

Ja, Olga Hepnarowa

Agata Walkosz of Media Brigade presented the film Ja, Olga Hepnarowa, a co-production between Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute and the Czech Film Fund. The film, directed by Petr Kazda and Tomas Weinreb, tells the story of Olga Hepnarova, the last woman to be subject to capital punishment in the former Czechoslovakia.

Kobro

Iwona Siekierzyńska presented a project entitled Kobro, currently in development. The script, co-written by Iwona Siekierzyńska and Wojciech Pawlik, was the winning script at this year’s edition of the Script Pro screenwriting competition. The film, produced by the Łódź-based Wytwórnia Filmów Oświatowych, tells the story of the relationship between acclaimed sculptor Katarzyna Kobro and painter Władysław Strzemiński.

Pociąg

Jan Kidawa-Błoński discussed his latest film project Pociąg, which will be a remake of the classic Pociąg (The Night Train), a 1959 film directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz. The project, currently in development, is produced by Gambit Production.

Fotograf

Fotograf, a film directed by Waldemar Krzystek, was presented by Małogorzata Jurczak. The film is produced by Yes To Film. This project, currently in production, is based on a true story and tells the tale of an elusive serial killer, operating in Moscow. The film, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, stars Tomasz Kot, Agata Buzek, Adam Woronowicz, Tatiana Arntgolts, Alexander Baluev, and Artem Tkaczenko.

Czar Polesia

Czar Polesia is a war drama that focuses on the inhabitants of the Polesie region during the Second World War. The project, currently in development, is produced by Federico Film and directed by Jacek Bromski. Czar Polesia was presented by Marta Plucińska of Federico Film.

Moja matka Airam

Michał Otłowski of NK Distribution presented a project entitled Moja matka Airam, directed by Jan Jakub Kolski. Currently in development, this picture tells the story of a hermit with a mysterious past, who is raising an abandoned child. The film is set in the Caucasus.

Collapse

Tadeusz Król [Ostatnie piętro (The Last Floor), Zwerbowana miłość (Recruited Love)] presented his latest film project entitled Collapse. This film, produced by Sowa Film Media Production, is the story of Piotr, a heritage conservation officer, who, having suffered the death of his own son, now begins a father-son relationship with a ten-year-old boy.

Veles Veles

Michał Otłowski of NK Distribution also presented his own feature film project entitled Veles Veles. This film, currently in development, is the story of seven soldiers from Napoleon’s defeated army, who travel across the winter Russian countryside.

Dark Romance

The last of the projects in the presentation was a feature entitled Dark Romance, directed by Barbara Sass. This film, currently in development, was presented by Włodzimierz Niderhaus, head of the Warsaw-based Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych (WFDiF), which is producing the film. Barbara Sass’ latest project is the story of a romance between an actress and an officer in the tsar’s army, stationing in Warsaw in 1890.

Moscow Business Square

The fifth edition of Moscow Business Square ran from June 24 through June 26. The event, attended this year by over 500 film professionals, is the business platform of the Moscow International Film Festival. The main goal of Moscow Business Square is to showcase film projects that have co-production potential.

Articles about Polish projects showcased at Moscow Business Square published in foreign press are available at the following sites:
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/polish-projects-pitching-partners-russia-574085
m.screendaily.com/5057738.article

Further details about the 5th Moscow Business Square are available at www.moscowfilmfestival.ru.

Paulina Bez

Translated by Karolina Kołtun