"Świteź" Wins in Belarus

Świteź (The Lost Town of Świteź), a film directed by Kamil Polak and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, has won the Animaevka International Animated Film Festival in Belarus.

Świteź (The Lost Town of Świteź)

Świteź (The Lost Town of Świteź), a film adaptation of the romantic-era ballad by Adam Mickiewicz, is a 20-minute-long animated film that combines digital 3D with CG animation and classic animation based on traditional oil painting techniques. The film tells the story of a mysterious lake with an enchanted medieval city resting on the lake bed. The story is set on two time planes, the first being Mickiewicz’s contemporary age, the second being medieval times when, as legend has it, the town of Świteź found itself under water.

Animated Film Supported by the Polish Film Institute

Świteź imports elements of oil painting and tempera into 3D and combines means of classic animation technology with CG animation and visual effects. The unique aesthetic result was achieved using state-of-the-art techniques. The development process of the film, from idea to finished project, lasted a total of seven years. Świteź (The Lost Town of Świteź) was produced by the Warsaw-based Human Ark studio of graphic design, and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

Another International Award

The prize received at the Animaevka Film Festival marks yet another international award for Kamil Polak’s animated film. To date, Świteź (The Lost Town of Świteź) has won top prizes at film festivals in Palm Springs, Las Palmas and Rimini, and received further awards at the Annecy Film Festival and the ‘Message to Man’ Festival in Russia.

Paulina Bez

Translated by Karolina Kołtun