Polish Winners of ScripTeast 2013

Bartosz Konopka and Przemysław Nowakowski have been selected as winners of the seventh edition of the Krzysztof Kieślowski ScripTeast Award for their script entitled Niemy (The Mute). The Award was presented on May 22, 2013 during the 66th Cannes International Film Festival.

Polish Script Wins Award

On May 22, 2013, during the 66th Cannes International Film Festival, members of the international advisory board of the ScripTeast programme (Sandy Lieberson, Antonio Saura, Manfred Schmidt, and Dariusz Jabłoński) along with the programme’s creative advisors (Tom Abrams and Christian Routh), awarded the seventh Krzysztof Kieślowski ScripTeast Award for Best Screenplay from Eastern and Central Europe to Polish filmmakers Bartosz Konopka and Przemysław Nowakowski for their screenplay entitled Niemy (The Mute).

Intriguing Story with High Potential

In addition to a statuette by Adam Fedorowicz, the winners received a cash prize of 10,000 EUR. The advisory board issued the following statement: “The award goes to a strikingly original screenplay that confronts themes of spirituality, loyalty, and family dynamics in an ancient setting, while relating an exotic and thought-provoking personal conflict set against the clash between early Christianity and paganism. The jury are confident that the strong dramatic potential of this engrossing screenplay will result in an excellent quality film with international audience.”

Another ScripTeast Award for Polish Filmmakers

The screenplay by Bartosz Konopka and Przemysław Nowakowski now joins the ranks of projects awarded in previous years, including The House by Zuzana Liova from Slovakia (Berlinale 2011), Womb by Benedek Fliegauf from Hungary (Locarno 2011), Japanese Dog by Ioan Antoci from Romania, The Day of Chocolate (Dzień czekolady) by Jacek Piotr Bławut and Anna Onichimowska from Poland, and False Witness by Iglika Triffonova from Bulgaria (shooting scheduled to begin in autumn of 2013). Bartosz Konopka and Przemysław Nowakowski worked on their script with advisors Trygve Allister Diesen and Neasa Hardiman, supervised by Christian Routh.

Special Mention

The advisory board also awarded Special Mention of ScripTeast 2013 to The Painted Bird, a screenplay by Vaclav Marhoul from the Czech Republic based on the acclaimed novel by Jerzy Kosiński. According to the official statement, the advisory board was impressed with this bold attempt at adapting Jerzy Kosiński’s acclaimed and harrowing tale of an abandoned boy fighting to survive during World War II. “It is a challenging and ambitious project that the writer has taken on tenaciously, resulting in a fascinating and moving script that we believe will lead to an imaginative and moving film.”

Twelve Projects from Eight Countries

The seventh edition of the ScripTeast programme featured twelve projects from eight different countries:

  • 1989 – Andras B. Vagvolgyi – Hungary
  • 18 % Gray – Borislav Chouchkov, Victor Chouchkov, Zachary Karabashliev – Bulgaria
  • Black Maria – Adi Voicu – Romania
  • I Miss You – Małgorzata Pilacińska – Poland
  • Painted Bird – Vaclav Marhoul – Czech Republic
  • Retro Paradise – Katarina Uhrova – Slovakia
  • Soldier – Mart Kivastik – Estonia
  • The Mute – Bartek Konopka, Przemysław Nowakowski – Poland
  • The Year of the Kuker – Nadejda Koseva – Bułgaria, Bojan Vuletic – Serbia
  • The Young Friends of the USSR Club – Stephan Komandarev, Emil Spahiyski – Bulgaria
  • Traces – Wiktoria Szymanska – Poland
  • Viking Line Story – Xandra Popescu, Stefan Constantinescu – Romania

Programme for Experienced Screenwriters

The ScripTeast programme is aimed at experienced screenwriters from Eastern and Central Europe. The goal of the programme is to support writers in strengthening a ready script, making it interesting for an international audience, and increasing its marketing potential. It is also an opportunity to network with some of the world’s top filmmakers and learn about the film industry at the Cannes and Berlin film festivals.

Programme Supported by the Polish Film Institute

The ScripTeast programme is organized by the Independent Film Foundation with support from the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, the Polish Film Institute, and Apple Film Production, and in co-operation with the European Film Academy, the ACE Programme, Producers Network, Film New Europe, Final Draft, and Telewizja Polska.

 

Further details about the programme are available at: www.scripteast.pl.

 

Written by Paulina Bez based on the press release

 

Translated by Karolina Kołtun

25.05.2013