Awards for Polish Filmmakers!

Nieulotne (Lasting) / Gwizdek (The Whistle)

Films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute have received awards at the last Sundance film festival. Nieulotne (Lasting) directed by Jacek Borcuch received the Cinematography Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize went to director Grzegorz Zariczny.

Best Cinematography in World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Michał Englert, the director of photography on Jacek Borcuch’s Lasting, received recognition at Sundance from an international jury: director Anurag Kashyap, director Nadine Labaki  and producer Joana Vicente. The award was accepted on Englert’s behalf by director Jacek Borcuch. “Thank you, Sundance. Thank you, everyone. I am also from Poland and my heart is also [beating fast],” said Jacek Borcuch.

Second Film by Jacek Borcuch Screening in World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Nieulotne (Lasting) is already the second film directed by Jacek Borcuch and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute to screen in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance. In 2010, Sundance audiences had the opportunity to see Borcuch’s previous feature Wszystko, co kocham (All That I Love).

Lasting Reviews

Screen magazine describes Nieulotne (Lasting) as a stylishly made drama about the passions of young love, “beautifully shot and engagingly performed.” Even before the start of this year’s festival, the Worldsmovies blog called Borcuch’s film one of the “10 Hottest Tickets at the Sundance Film Festival 2013”, alongside latest films by Richard Linklater, Jane Campion, Park Chan-Wook, and Michael Winterbottom. As critic Michał Oleszczyk wrote in his Sundance coverage: “Borcuch is one of the few Polish filmmakers who try to create their own visual style, and his latest film distinctly shows in what direction his efforts are headed […]. I am sure that each of his next films will be even better than the one before.”

Lasting Stars: Gierszał and Berus

Nieulotne (Lasting) is a pulsating love story focused on Michał and Karina, a couple of Polish teenagers who meet and fall in love while working summer jobs in sunny Spain. Their carefree romance is suddenly interrupted by a traumatic event that will change their lives forever.

The film was written by Jacek Borcuch, while the original score was composed by Daniel Bloom. The lead parts were played by Jakub Gierszał and Magdalena Berus, with supporting roles by Andrzej Chyra, Joanna Kulig, Ángela Molina, and Juanjo Ballesta.

Film Supported by the Polish Film Institute

Nieulotne (Lasting) was made in co-production between Poland and Spain. The film was produced by Mañana, co-produced by the Krakow Festival Office and Espiral Producciones S.A., and co-financed by the Krakow Regional Film Fund, the City of Kwidzyn, and the Polish Film Institute. The film’s Polish distributor is Kino Świat, while world sales are handled by AP Mañana. Nieulotne (Lasting) is set for release in Polish theatres on February 8, 2013, which will be preceded by the film’s European premiere at the Rotterdam IFF.

Grzegorz Zariczny Accepts Short Film Grand Jury Prize

During the Sundance awards ceremony, the Short Film Grand Jury Prize was presented to Grzegorz Zariczny, director of Gwizdek (The Whistle), who had been unable to attend the short film awards ceremony a few days earlier. “Thank you to all my friends in Poland who were helping me when I didn’t have enough strength to finish my film. Thank you. Thank you, Park City!” said Grzegorz Zariczny as he accepted the award from Trevor Groth, head of programming at the Sundance festival. Gwizdek (The Whistle) was produced by Munk Studio within the framework of the “First Documentary” programme, and co-produced by FilmFull Service.

The Sundance IFF

The Sundance film festival is one of the world’s top festivals for independent filmmaking. Created by actor Robert Redford, the festival has been organized annually since 1981 in the state of Utah, USA. The Sundance Film Institute supports independent filmmakers by granting scholarships for directors, screenwriters and producers, and by co-financing film production.

Further details about the Sundance IFF available at: www.sundance.org.

The official website of Nieulotne (Lasting) is available at: www.nieulotne.pl.

Marta Sikorska

Translated by Karolina Kołtun