POLISH SHORT FILMS – INTERNATIONAL SUCCESSES IN 2010

11.01.2011

More than 450 screenings, including 250 competition screenings, of which 45 turned out to be successful by bringing filmmakers numerous awards gives a proper illustration for Polish Short Films’ (fiction films, documentaries and animations) presence at international film festivals.

Last year Polish Short Films reached the most distant parts of the world. They had been screened among others in: Kanada, China, Brazil, Australia, Albania, Georgia, Russia, USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Egypt and Mexico by being selected for the competition sections of the most presitigious film festivals such as Locarno IFF, Sundance FF, Valladolid FF, World Wide Short FF in Toronto, Melbourne FF, Annecy International Animation FF and Clermont-Ferrand.

In 2010 the unbeatable record-holder among the most often shown shorts turned out to be 15 minutes long fiction “Echo” directed by Magnus von Horn and produced by Polish National Film School in Łódź. Last year the film has been screened at 35 film festivals. Other titles among Polish bestsellers of 2010 were: animated “Esterhazy” by Izabela Plucińska, fiction “Hanoi-Warsaw” byKatarzyna Klimkiewicz and short documentaries “Glass trap” by Paweł Ferdek and “Six weeks” directed by Marcin Janos Krawczyk. Also two animated films – “B-1033” (dir. Paweł Kryszak) and “Millhaven” (dir. Bartek Kulas) along with documentaries “Mother” (dir. Jakub Piątek), “The Lucky ones” (dir. Tomasz Wolski) and fiction “Luxury” (dir. Jarek Sztandera) found themselves among audience’s favourites.

„Echo” also became the winner in the cathegory of the biggest amont of awards received with the number of 5. The second place was taken ex aequo by: “Hanoi-Warsaw” and “Don’t be afraid of the dark room” directed by Kuba Czekaj. Main awards were handed on to Poles 28 times, including those most significant – European Film Award presented to “Hanoi-Warsaw”. Apart from that Polish directors may be proud of receiving such awards as: Venus de Badalona for the Best Short Film for “Bad lyrics” (dir. Marcin Maziarzewski) at Filmets Badalona, Grand Prix for “Don’t be afraid of dark room” (dir. Kuba Czekaj) at International Short Film Festival “Shqip Film Fest” in Kosovo, at First Step Film Fest in Albania and Avanca Film Festival in Portugal, Golden Unicorn at Alpinale Short Film Festival for animated “Danny Boy” (dir. Marek Skrobecki), Grand Prix at the International Film Festival “In the family circle” in Russia, at 2ANNAS International Short Film Festival in Latvia, at Festival du Cinéma Européen en Essonne and at Alpinale Short FF for “Echo” (dir. Magnus von Horn). Other awards worth mentioning are: the award for the Best Animation at International Short Film Festival in Drama in Greece and at Expresion en Corto in Mexico for “Esterhazy” (dir. Izabela Plucińska), award for the Best Film at Batumi International Art-House Film Festival in Georgia and First Prize at Alcine IFF in Spain for “Hanoi-Warsaw”, Golden Dove for the Best Short Documentary for “A piece of summer” (dir. Marta Minorowicz) at DOK Leipzig, Golden Tadpole for Jakub Giza in recognition of the cinematography for “Tomorrow I won’t be here” (dir. Julia Kolberger) at Camerimage and Golden Frog for Piotr Stasik for his short documentary “The end of the summer” at the same festival, Golden Dragon for short documentary “Out of reach” (dir. Jakub Stożek) at 50th Krakow Film Festival, Grand Prix for “Mother” (dir. Jakub Piątek) at Batumi International Art-House Film Festival in Georgia and “Cinema Verite” Iran International Documentary Film Festival, then the award for the Best Short Film for the same title at FIKE International Short Film Festival in Portugal, awards for the Best Short Documentaries for “Charcoal burners” (dir. Piotr Złotorowicz) at Open St. Petersburg Student Film Festival Beginning, “Flightless birds” (dir. Michał Dawidowicz) at International Student Film Festival Early Melons in Slovakia, “Six weeks” (dir. Marcin Janos Krawczyk) at Monterrey International Film Festival in Mexico and “Where the Sun doesn’t rush” (dir. Matej Bobrik) at Cortopotere Short Film Festival in Italy, Golden Lion Award at Taipei County Film Festival in Taiwan and Grand Prix for “Charcoal burners” at Short Film Festival of Dijon and “The Lucky Ones” at Aye Aye Film Festival in France.

These are just the most important awards handed on to Polish directors. The full list naming all Polish successes of the past year can be found below.

Apart from Polish shorts presence in the competitive sections there had been many screenings focusing on Polish short cinema that were organized in the last twelve months to name just a few: at the festivals in Stambul, Austin, Barcelona, Madrid, Kijev, Toronto, Belo Horizonte, Paris, Petersburg, Vila do Conde, Nice and London. 
THE LIST OF AWARDS FOR POLISH SHORT FILMS IN 2010

52 percent, dir. Rafał Skalski

- DOXA Short Documen­tary Award (DOXA, Canada)


The Actors, dir. Tomasz Wolski

- Best Documen­tary Film (FIKE—Inter­national Short Film Festival, Portugal)

 

Bad lyrics, dir. Marcin Maziarzewski

- VENUS DE BADALONA for Best Short Film (Filmets Badalona ISFF, Spain)

 

Don’t be afraid of the Dark Room, dir. Kuba Czekaj

- Main Prize in Short Film Cathegory (First Step Film Fest, Albania)

- Grand Prix (Kyoto International Student Film and Video Festival, Japan)

- Grand Prix (International Short Film Festival 'Shqip Film Fest', Kosovo)

- Grand Prix (AVANCA 2010, Portugal)

 

Danny Boy,  dir. Marek Skrobecki

- "Golden Unicorn" for Best Animation (ALPINALE Short Film Festival, Germany)

 

Echo, dir. Magnus von Horn

- Grand Prix – (International Film Festival "IN THE FAMILY CIRCLE", Russia)

- Grand Prix Golden Anna (2ANNAS International Short Film Festival, Latvia)

- Grand Prix (Festival du cinéma européen en Essonne, France)

- Horizon Award (24fps International Short Film Festival, USA)

- Main Award (ALPINALE Short Film Festival, Germany)

 

Esterhazy, dir. Izabela Plucińska

- Best Animation (International Short Film Festival in Drama, Greece)

- Best Short Animation (Expresion en Corto, Mexico)

- Prix Spécial des Lycéens (Festival du cinéma européen en Essonne, France)



Grandma Has Gone, reż. Tomasz Jurkiewicz

- Best School Project ( FEST International Film Festival, Espinho, Portugalia)

- 2nd Best Short Film (VII Naoussa International Film Festival, Naoussa, Grecja)

- Best Fiction Film (IX Open St. Petersburg Student Film Festival Beginning!, Rosja)

- Best Cinema Stilo (Mezinárodní Festival Studentskych Filmu Ostrava Picture, Czechy)

- Special Jury Award (Filmski Front, Novi Sad, Serbia)

 

 

Grobari, dir. Bartek Cierlica

- Silver Medal (B16 - International Competitive Festival Of Short Fiction Films, Czech Republic)

 

Hanoi-Warsaw, dir. Katarzyna Klimkiewicz

- Best Film (Batumi International Art-House Film Festival—BIAFF, Georgia)

- European Film Award (The 23rd European Film Awards)

- EY 2010 Special Award (FilmFestival Cottbus, Germany)

- First Prize (ALCINE - Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares / Comunidad de Madrid, Spain)

 

The Football Father, dir. Michał Jóźwiak

- The Audience Award (Docudays Ua, Ukraine)


What is it like to be my mother, dir. Norah Mc Gettigan

- Second Price of the Jury (International Short Film Festival look&roll, Switzerland)

 

Tomorrow I won’t be here, dir. Julia Kolberger/PoD. Jakub Giza

- Golden Tadpole (Camerimage, Poland)

 

A piece of summer, dir. Marta Minorowicz

- the Gol­den Dove /Short-length Documen­tary com­petition (DOK Leip­zig, Germany)

The end of the Summer, dir. Piotr Stasik

- Grand Prix—Golden Frog (Camerimage, Poland)

Plain landscape with a cradle, dir. Arek Biedrzycki

- Silver Eye Special Men­tion (East Silver, Czech Republic)

Luxus, dir. Jarek Sztandera

- TELUS Audience Choice Award (Word Wide Short FF, Canada)

Mother, dir. Jakub Piątek

- Grand Prize of the Inter­national Short Film Com­petition (“Cinema Verite” Teh­ran Inter­national Documen­tary Film Festival, Iran)

- the Best European Short Film (FIKE—Inter­national Short Film Festival, Portugal)

- Grand Prix—Young Film­makers Com­petition Sec­tion (Batumi Inter­national Art-House Film Festival—BIAFF, Georgia)

MC. Man of vinyl, dir. Bartosz Warwas

- Golden Lion Award (Taipei County Film Festival International Student Film Golden Lion Award, Taiwan)

 

Millhaven, dir. Bartek Kulas

- Diploma for the most musical film (European Animated Film Festival BALKANIMA, Serbia)

- Honorable Mention (Anchorage International FF, USA)

 

The Fence, dir. Tomasz Matuszczak

- Special Mention (B16 - International Competitive Festival Of Short Fiction Films, Czech Republic)

 

Through glass, dir. Igor Chojna

- Diploma from the Seance magazine, Diploma of the Jury for the sharp Vision (IX Open St.Petersburg Student Film Festival Begin­ning, Russia)

Honeymoon, dir. Grzegorz Krawiec

- Special Men­tion (Los Angeles Movie Awards, USA)


Out of reach, dir. Jakub Stożek

- Golden Dragon (50th Krakow Film Festival, Poland)

- Best Short Documen­tary (DOCSDF, Mexico)


Little bride, dir. Lesław Dobrucki

– Honorable Men­tion (Expresión En Corto Inter­national Film Festival—Speak Out Against Domestic Violence, Mexico)

- Second Prize (Vil­nius Film Shorts, Lithuania)


Flightless birds, dir. Michał Dawidowicz

- Best Documen­tary Film (Inter­national Student Film Festival Early Melons, Slovakia)

-  The “Fin­dling” award of the State Association of Film Communication Mecklenburg Vorpommern  (dokumen­tART—European Documen­tary Film Festival, Germany /Poland)

Real, dir. Rafał Samusik

- Prix Cinecourts (Tous Courts Aix-en-Provence, France)

Rolls of identity, dir. Jakub Pączek

- Second Prize (Festival AZYL, Slovakia)


A screening at the Tatry cinema, dir. Igor Chojna

- Nomination for IDFA Student Award (IDFA, The Netherlands)


Charcoal burners, dir. Piotr Złotorowicz

- Grand Prix (Short Film Festival of Dijon—“Fenêtres sur courts”, France)

- Best Documen­tary Film (IX Open St.Petersburg Student Film Festival Begin­ning, Russia)

- Best Short Film (XXIV Pärnu Inter­national Film Festival, Estonia)


The lucky ones, dir. Tomasz Wolski

- Grand Prix (Aye Aye Film Festival, France)

- Jury Special Men­tion (Palm Springs Inter­national Short­Fest, USA)

- Honorary Men­tion (Kas­seler Dok Fest, Germany)

- Best Documen­tary Short Film (Los Angeles FF, USA)


Six weeks, dir. Mar­cin Janos Krawczyk

- The Award City of Neubrandenburg (dokumen­tART—European Documen­tary Film Festival, Germany /Pol­and)

- Best Short Documen­tary Film Award (Mon­ter­rey Inter­national Film Festival, Mexico)


That’s life…, dir. Daniel Zieliński

- Silver Eye Award for the Best Short Film (East Silver, Czech Republic)


Where the Sun doesn’t rush, dir. Matej Bobrik

- Best Documen­tary Film (Cor­topotere Short­Film­Festival, Italy)

- Award for Narrative Construction (Brazilian Student Film Festival, Brazil)


Birthday, dir. Jenifer Malmqvist

- Bronze Lion Award (Taipei County Film Festival International Student Film Golden Lion Award, Taiwan)

 

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* all the information was compiled according to information received from producers, filmmakers and festivals’ coordinators through Polish Shorts webside. If you know about any  international awards for Polish short films which has not been included in the given list, please inform the editorial staff of the portal by sending an e-mail to: info@polishshorts.pl

(In the picture above: still from “Echo” directed by Magnus von Horn)