Polish Presence at Berlinale
The 64th Berlin International Film Festival launched on February 6. The festival lineup features several films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. This year’s edition of the festival runs through February 16.
Generation Section
Anna Kazejak’s Obietnica (The Word) will screen in the festival’s Generation 14plus competition. Obietnica (The Word) is a psychological drama about the teenage love of Lila and Janek, set in Szczecin and based on a true story. The leading roles were played by first-time actors Eliza Rycembel (Lila) and Mateusz Więcławek (Janek), with supporting performances by Sara Sobania, Nikodem Rozbicki, Magdalena Popławska, Andrzej Chyra, Dawid Ogrodnik, Bartłomiej Topa, and Jowita Budnik.
The Word at the 2012 Berlinale Co-Production Market
The script, which qualified for the finale of the 2013 Script Pro Screenwriting Competition, was written by Anna Kazejak and Magnus von Horn. The project was later presented at the 2012 Berlinale Co-Production Market. Lensed by Klaudiusz Dwulit, Obietnica (The Word) is produced by Opus Film and made as an international co-production between Poland and Denmark, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute and Eurimages.
- February 13, 8:00 pm – Haus der Kulturen der Welt Kino 1
- February 14, 3:30 pm – Zoo Palast 1
- February 15, 4:30 pm – CinemaxX 3
Berlinale Shorts: To Thy Heart Screening in Competition
Do serca Twego (To Thy Hear), a short animated film directed by Ewa Borysewicz and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, is the only Polish film in the lineup of the Berlinale Shorts competition. The film was made by Ewa Borysewicz after she graduated from the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, and had its world premiere at the 53rd Krakow Film Festival. Borysewicz’s student film Kto by pomyślał (2009) received multiple awards in Poland and screened in competition at several international film festivals, including MIAF, Animateka, and Premiers Plans.
Berlin Premiere on February 11
The film’s Berlinale premiere is scheduled for February 11. Do serca Twego (To Thy Heart) will screen in competition as one of 25 films produced in 21 countries. The film was produced by Animaso and Serafiński Studio. Festival promotion abroad is handled by the Krakow Film Foundation.
- February 7, 4:00 pm – CinemaxX 5
- February 11, 10:00 pm – CinemaxX 3
- February 13, 5:45 pm – Colosseum 1
- February 14, 4:00 pm – CinemaxX 5
- February 14, 9:30 pm – Eiszeit Kino Saal 1
Parasite Screening in Forum Section
39 films are scheduled to screen in Berlinale’s Forum section, which marks its 44th edition this year. Huba (Parasite) by Anka and Wilhelm Sasnal will screen along such films as Velvet Terrorists by Pavol Pekarčík, Ivan Ostrochovsky and Peter Kerekes, and She’s Lost Control, a US production directed by Anja Marquardt.
- February 12, 7:30 pm – CinemaxX 4
- February 13, 8:00 pm – Colosseum 1
- February 14, 7:30 pm – Delphi Filmpalast
- February 15, 12:30 pm – Kino Arsenal 1
Orbitalna and Pogorszenie widzenia Screening in Forum Expanded
Two experimental short films by Polish filmmakers will screen in the Forum Expanded section of the festival. Orbitalna by Marcin Malaszczak (whose earlier film Sieniawka screened at the 63rd Berlin IFF) and Pogorszenie widzenia by Wojciech Bąkowski will screen in this relatively new section, first organized in 2006 and dedicated to short experimental films and video art.
2014 Shooting Star
Polish cinema in Berlin will also be represented by Mateusz Kościukiewicz, a Polish actor invited to participate in this year’s edition of the European Shooting Stars programme. The press conference will take place on February 9 (1:30 pm, Hotel de Rome), and the Shooting Stars ceremony is scheduled for February 10 at the Berlinale Palast.
Further details available at: www.shooting-stars.eu.
2014 Berlinale Talents
Berlinale Talents is the new name of the festival’s Talent Campus for young filmmakers, organized annually for the past 14 years as a side event of the Berlin International Film Festival. This year’s edition will be attended by Polish producer Aleksandra Wojtaszek, film critic Ewa Wildner, and directors Justyna Tafel and Magdalena Szymków. The 2014 Berlinale Talents runs from February 8 through February 13.
Further details are available at: www.berlinale-talents.de.
Co-Production Market
This year’s eleventh edition of the Berlinale Co-Production Market features 39 projects from 30 countries, including Zjednoczone Stany Miłości (United States of Love), the latest project by Tomasz Wasilewski. This project is part of the Berlinale Co-Production Market thanks to the “Rotterdam-Berlinale Express” initiative that brings films screened at Rotterdam’s CineMart to Berlin.
2014 European Film Market
The lineup of the European Film Market at the 64th Berlin IFF features the following Polish films and co-productions: Psie pole (Field of Dogs) by Lech Majewski, Gabriel by Mikołaj Haremski, Happy Birthday Woody Allen & Keep Going by Dariusz Zawiślak, Chce się żyć by Maciej Pieprzyca, Małe stłuczki (Little Crushes) by Aleksandra Gowin and Ireneusz Grzyb, Papusza by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze, and Wałęsa. Człowiek z nadziei (Wałęsa. Man of Hope) by Andrzej Wajda.
Polish Cinema Stand at the 64th Berlinale
Polish Cinema Stand No.152
European Film Market Berlin 2014
Martin-Gropius-Bau
The Polish Cinema Stand is co-hosted by the Polish Film Institute, the Polish Filmmakers Association, Film Commission Poland, and TVP. This year marks the ninth consecutive year of Polish presence at EFM, and the fourth year as an independent Polish stand. This year’s stand will be in the same location as last year, marking an exhibition space for meetings with film industry reps. The Polish Cinema Stand will feature brochures promoting the Polish film industry, including the 2014 New Polish Films and 2014 Production Guide Poland catalogues.
The New Polish Films mobile app also has a new edition this year, available for the iPhone and iPad at https://itunes.apple.com/pl/app/new-polish-films/id807902950?mt=8# and Android version at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.pisf.newpolishfilms2014.
Further details about the festival are available at: www.berlinale.de.
Marta Sikorska
Translated by Karolina Kołtun