Wednesday at 44. PFF
The third day of the Festival offers first screenings in the Short Film Competition. Also on Wednesday, 18 September 2019, at the 44. Polish Film Festival the Gdynia Industry – a three-days cycle of meetings for professionals starts.
Short Film Competition
As many as 27 short films produced by film schools and numerous producers, including shorts from ’30 minutes’ programme by Studio Munka – Polish Filmmakers Association, qualified for this years SFC at 44. PFF. Each of these shorts will be presented twice during the Festival. Screenings of competition blocks (6 in total) take place at the Small Stage of the Musical Theatre in Gdynia. The first three screenings will be accompanied by meetings with the creators of the presented films.
Main Competition and the Polish Film Panorama
Interior by Marek Lechki, The Iron Bridge by Monika Jordan-Młodzianowska (debut), Valley of the Gods by Lech Majewski, Icarus. The Legend of Mietek Kosz by Maciej Pieprzyca, Mister T. by Marcin Krzyształowicz – the creators of these Main Competition films at the 44. PFF will attend celebratory screenings of their films at the Musical Theatre on Wednesday.
An intense programme of press screenings combined with press conferences at the Gdynia Film Centre awaits media representatives on Wednesday. Starting already at 8.00 with Valley of the Gods by Lech Majewski, the agenda includes (in consecutive order): Icarus. The Legend of Mietek Kosz by Maciej Pieprzyca, Supernova by Bartosz Kruhlik and The Iron Bridge by Monika Jordan-Młodzianowska. All press conferences are broadcast online at the Festival’s channel on YouTube.
Wednesday also offers the opportunity to watch more films from the Polish Film Panorama, a non-competitive section of the Festival. Among others, Nothing is Lost by Kalina Alabrudzińska, Robbery by Szymon Jakubowski and Their Lucky Stars by Tomasz Konecki will be presented.
Pure Classics. In Memoriam
Wednesday’s commemorative screening of the famous Interrogation dedicated to the memory of Ryszard Bugajski will be attended by the leading actreess, Krystyna Janda. The film starts at 13.00 in the Goplana room at the Gdynia Film Centre. At 18.00, in the same venue, viewers will have a chance to meet Olgierd Łukaszewicz, an actor of Salt of the Black Earth. The screening of this film commemorates both the director, Kazimierz Kutz and the cinematographer, Wiesław Zdort.
Just next door, in the Morskie Oko room, Mother Joan of the Angels by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, featuring cinematography by Jerzy Wójcik and Criminal Records (version before digital remastering) by Andrzej Trzos-Rostawiecki will be presented. Polonica
Polonica
The Wednesday’s timetable also includes two more films from the Polonica section. The first one, already known from arhouse screenings, is Ayka (China, Poland, Germany, Rosja, Kazachstan 2018), directed by Sergei Dvortsevoy, with cinematography by Jolanta Dylewska and mak-up by Tomasz Matraszek. The Film was produced by Anna Wydra.
The other is When the Trees Fall (Ukraine, Poland, Macedonia 2018) by Marysia Nikitiuk, produced by Dariusz Jabłoński, Izabela Wójcik and Violetta Kamińska. Michał Englert and Mateusz Wichłacz were responsible for the cinematography, and Milenia Fiedler edited the film. These and other films from the Polonica section have been co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.
Films of the Platinum Lions Laureate
Two less known films by Krzysztof Zanussi from the 1970s may be watched at the auditorium of the Museum of the Polish Navy. At 11.00 Mountains at Dusk and Behind the Wall will be presented. On Saturday the director will be awarded with the Platinum Lions for his lifetime achievements.
70 Years of Educational Film Studios
To celebrate the anniversary of the Educational Film Studios (WFO) we would like to invite Festival Guests to an exceptional screening at the Museum of the Polish Navy on Wednesday at 15.30. Selected short films will be presented. Among others, Men (1969) by Grzegorz Królikiewicz, Girl with the Devil (1975) by Piotr Szulkin and Modern Pentathlon (1975) by Bogdan Dziworski.
The second WFO anniversary screening is scheduled for Friday, 20 September. It will feature selected films by Włodzimierz Puchalski, a foreruner of Polish cinematography devoted to nature. This presentation of his works has been prepared to commemorate the 110th anniversary of his birthday.
KFF Catching Waves
On Wednesday this section offers a Norwegian music documentary Once Aurora (directed by: Stian Servoss, Benjamin Langeland), awarded with the Golden Heynal in the international competition DocFilmMusic 59. of the Krakow Film Festival. Another title in the KFF Catching Waves section is a documentary by Grzegorz Paprzycki entitled My Country So Beautiful, honoured with the Golden Hobby-Horse.
Booking Seats at Screenings
We would like to remind, that all Accreditation and Pass holders are obliged to book seats at screenings. Every day, 30 minutes before the first screening (i.e. from 7.30) seats may be booked for this and following day: on Tuesday you may book screenings for Tuesday and Wednesday, on Wednesday – for Wednesday and Thursday etc.
To book a seat you need to access www.system.festiwalgdynia.pl and log in into your account. You may also do it using the free Festival App, available at Google Play and Play Store. The App is prepared for the Accreditation and Pass holders.
Should you change your plans and resign from initially selected screening, please cancel your reservation 15 minutes before the screening at the latest. Otherwise, 4 penalty points will be added to your account. One point translates to one film which may be watched during the Festival.
Outdoor Screenings
A winner of the Special Prize at 43. PFF, the film 7 Emotions directed by Marek Koterski is offered for outdoor screening on Wednesday at the Grunwaldzki Square. If the weather allows, the film will start at 20.00. Kino Polska invites everyone. Admission Free.
Gdynia Industry
Gdynia Industry, a series of meetings for professionals starts on Wednesday at the Mercure Gdynia Centrum Hotel. Panel discussions and presentations are targeted at creators, producers, film industry professionals and students of film schools.
The following topics will be discussed on Wednesday: VR cinema, arthouse phenomenon – 60 years of arthouses, box office – amendment to the cinematography act in terms of audience reporting, directing children’s film, Nespresso Talents international film competition. The Guild of Polish Directors invites to a press conference.
Gdynia Industry is organized by the Polish Film Festival in collaboration with the Polish Film Institute which this year has contributed the most to the organisation of this section. Admission to all events is free. Presenting the Festival Accreditation upon arrival will suffice.
Book Promotions
On Wednesday, in the Gallery of the Gdynia Film Centre, there is an opportunity to meet authors of two more books. The meeting with Tomasz Kożuchowski, Iwona Morozow and Roman Sawka, the authors of Social Dimension of Filmmaking in Poland is planned for 15.00. At 16.30 official promotion of Family Life of the Zanussis. Conversations with Krzysztof and Elżbieta by Barbara Gruszka-Zych.
You are most welcome to visit the Riviera Retail Centre to meet Aleksandra Szarłat, the author of the book Żuławski. Shaman. The meeting starts 19.00 at the Riviera stage.
For reasons beyond our control, the originally scheduled for Wednesday meeting with Tadeusz Sobolewski, the author of A Journal. One More Sentence, has been cancelled.
Festival Bus
Every day Festival Guests use a free bus Connection between the Musical Theatre and the Helios Cinema at the Riviera Retail Centre. It is enough to present Festival Accreditation, Pass or Screening Ticket. The bus departs every 30 minutes (departure from the Grunwaldzki square) between 9.00-14.00 and 21.00-23.00 and every 20 minutes between 14.00-21.00. The route leads along Władysława IV street. There an additional stop near the Witold Gombrowicz City Theatre.
We have also planned additional morning and evening connections which will stop by selected hotels in Gdynia and Sopot. Detailed time-table of the Festival Bus is available at the Festival website: HERE.
More information on the programme and accompanying events is available at www.festiwalgdynia.pl.
44. Polish Film Festival takes place between 16-21 September 2019 in Gdynia.
