It’s not the films alone that the festivalgoer lives by, but also the surrounding events. Meetings after screenings, KFF Talks, masterclasses, concerts, an exhibition and even a book launch. The program of accompanying events at the 64th Krakow Film Festival is as rich as the film events.
TIME SCHEDULE:
26.05 SUN 12:00 | KINO KIJÓW 1.06 SAT 14:00 | AGRAFKA Retro Cartoons. Family Screening Partner: FINA Free admission
A set of 6 episodes of the animated series ‘Enchanted Pencil’ produced by the Se-Ma-For Film Studio in Łódź in 1964-1977 and later digitised by FINA. In Polish only.
26.05 SUN 15:00 | AGRAFKA 1.06 SAT 11:00 | Kino ASP 75th Anniversary of the WHO Educational Film Studio Partner: WFO Educational Film Studio in Łódź Admission by ticket
With 4500 films, over 1200 Polish and international awards, and a prestigious place in the history of cinematography, it’s hard to imagine Polish documentary filmmaking without the involvement of the WFO Film Studio in Łódź. It was there that masters such as Wojciech Wiszniewski, Bogdan Dziworski, Piotr Szulkin, Jacek Bławut, and Grzegorz Królikiewicz created their works. The celebrations of the WFO Film Studio’s 75th anniversary during the 64th Krakow Film Festival are a unique opportunity to see seven exceptional films created in the Łódź-based studio on the big screen.
26.05 SUN 16:00-17:30 | PAŁAC POTOCKICH KFF Talks: AI. Ugly, Dirty and Bad
Partner: Pulsar
Free admission
In Polish only On the one hand, it is marketed as salvation from earthly trivialities, a facilitator of scientific reasoning and a catalyst of artistic efforts. On the other, as a destructive force hiding the machinations of the big capital under an attractive interface. What to think about artificial intelligence? Our special guests representing a variety of creative endeavours – literature, music and astronomy – will speak about it. All of them have their own concerns and hopes related to the increasing presence of AI. Are they different or similar? Or, possibly, when exploring this invention’s benefits and costs only, what is overlooked is its most intriguing aspect – separate, ‘inhumane’ sensitivity?
27.05 MON- 1.06 SAT 9:00-20:00 | ASP Akademia Sztuk Pięknych DOP Shoots. Exhibition of photographs made by cinematographers. The exhibition was developed by the Janos Foundation (Film & Gallery) in collaboration with PSC. Free admission
The exhibition of photographs made by cinematographers affiliated with the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC) is a journey through the world of cinema and the art of photography. Polish artists present their individual perspectives on reality and the world outside of their work on the set, which are often combined. Inspiring exploration into photography and cinema, the exhibition enables us to discover the variety of styles and techniques employed by cinematographers. It is a pleasure to watch and an incentive to become involved in creative endeavours.
28.05 TUE 11:00 | KIJÓW Studio CASE STUDY: Peter’s Plan Free admission
The protagonist of Grzegorz Pacek’s film ‘Peter’s Plan’ suffers from EHS syndrome and is allergic to electricity. During the making of the film, the crew had unique formal and technical challenges; they could not use electricity-powered equipment. The film was shot with a BOLEX 16mm crank camera, and a special device was constructed to record sound without electricity as well. During the case study, Grzegorz Pacek will talk about the idea and the formal difficulties in telling this story. Krystian Matysek, cinematographer – will present the method of filming. Joanna Napieralska will demonstrate FONDUKTOR and recordings with the visualisation of a magnetic field. Producer Monika Braid will talk about the specifics of working with a traumatised protagonist and the new trend of ‘slow filming’.
28.05 TUE 17:00 | ASP 1 Promotion of Jadwiga Hučková’s book ‘From Wiertov to Skonieczny. Peasant Fate According to Chroniclers, Diarists and Documentarians’. Meeting with the author. Partner: UNIVERSITAS Free admission
‘From Wiertov to Skonieczny. Peasant Fate According to Chroniclers, Diarists and Documentarians’ is a book exploring how documentary film shaped peasants’ perceptions and influenced changing attitudes to village life. The time frame, symbolically defined by the work of Dziga Wiertov and Zygmunt Skonieczny, demonstrates the importance of these images in shaping historical and social narratives. The discussion devoted to the image of the peasant in the twentieth century, created by documentary filmmakers, will be attended by the author Jadwiga Hučková, Ph.D., Professor at the Jagiellonian University, A. Marek Drążewski, Professor Anna Citkowska-Kimla and Professor Piotr Kimla.
28.05 TUE 17:30-19:00 | PAŁAC POTOCKICH KFF Talks: New narratives. Desinformation is not the (greatest) problem
Partner: Raport o stanie świata
Free admission
In Polish only From Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin to historical movie scripts, alternative visions of history and contemporary politics feature in the media, films and television series. Never before did we have such an easy and inexpensive access to information. AI is already used by propagandists. Do subjective truths or rather new narratives based on them pose a new threat for the recipients of the media and culture? When creating them, do the authors of such fiction always enjoy unlimited freedom? The challenges faced by the media and the boundaries of art will be discussed by Małgorzata Majewska, Dariusz Rosiak and Marcin Żyła.
28.05 TUE 18:00 | Małopolskie Centrum Kultury Meeting with Ana Blandiana, a legendary Romanian poet, the main protagonist of the documentary ‘Between Silence and Sin’. Partners: Romanian Cultural Institute, Krakow- UNESCO City of Literature Free admission
Not very many people are aware of her real name — Otilia Valeria Coman. As a daughter of the ‘enemy of the people’, she had to adopt a new name, Ana Blandiana, to be able to have her poems published. Her poetry outraged Nicolae Ceaușescu and his entourage, but it enchanted and touched her readers and literature aficionados, also from outside of communist Romania. The new system did not change her. She remained a master of words, faithful to herself and critical of the authorities. The protagonist of ‘Between Silence and Sin’ (dir. Diana Nicolae) will meet with her readers and the festival audience to talk about her work.
29.05 WED 22:00 | ALCHEMIA Night with WFO at the Kazimierz Jewish District. Witold Janiak Trio in concert Partner: WFO Educational Film Studio, GAD Records Admission with festival pass or accreditation
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the WFO Film Studio, we would like to invite you to an exceptional concert featuring the music of Krzysztof Komeda combined with the premiere of the album ‘Krzysztof Komeda. Crash’ from Edward Etler’s films made at WFO, released jointly with GAD Records. Witold Janiak Trio offers a new interpretation of it, proving that the last word has not yet been said about the compositions of this outstanding jazzman. Komeda’s pieces, mixed with the virtuoso guitar of Marek Kądziela and enlaced with Kacper Kaźmierski polyrhythms, turn into a harmonious whole under the keyboard of Witold Janiak. The result is a surprisingly friendly encounter of the avant-garde with tradition, an experiment with jazz roots. Witold Janiak – pianist, Hammond organ player, composer and arranger Marek Kądziela – guitarist, composer looking for new sounds and musical challenges Kacper Kaźmierski – percussionist representing the young Polish jazz scene.
30.05 THU 11:00 | KIJÓW STUDIO The School, A World. Special screening of an interactive documentary by Iga Łapińska Free admission
Sławek runs through the fields with a metal detector. Marzena is browsing Facebook in the barn. Adam with a bending barbell breaks the world record in weightlifting. Only cows still go to school. Where? In Chlebiotki, a small village in Poland. Only 60 people live here. In houses rimmed with thujas to ward off neighbours. In the evening everyone is online. Longing for something different. This interactive documentary is based on observations, annoyance and love. The director grew up in the village and returned years later. What did she find there?
30.05 THU 18:00 | MANGGHA cinema room
Premiere screening of “Wałęsa by Wałęsa” by Andrzej Fidyk
Partner: The Manggha Museum In Polish only Invitations applyThis special screening features the last film retained on the archive shelves tagged as ‘threatening for Polish audiences.’ Made in 2015, it will finally be aired by Polish Television on June 4, which marks the 35th anniversary of the first free parliamentary elections in post-war Poland. The film is a portrayal of Lech Wałęsa – the Solidarity movement leader, a Nobel Prize laureate and Poland’s president – from his own perspective in a conversation with the director – Andrzej Fidyk, the script co-author – Anna Więckowska, the protagonist’s wife – Danuta Wałęsa and son Bogdan, who presides over the Wałęsa Institute Foundation.
30.05 THU 19:30 | KIJÓW STUDIO | ONLINE (streaming on YouTube, Facebook) Godfrey Reggio online Masterclass Partner: U.S. Consulate General in Krakow In English Free admission
According to Godfrey Reggio, art is the ability to provoke and ask questions. The borderline moment is near and we have an opportunity to find a way out. By means of sensations, emotions and perception, we need to find our own path in the thicket of messages and traces hinted by language, culture and civilization. A wealth of trigger lines and the focus on bullet points will bring back to us the ability to communicate and collaborate to understand all the meanings. The objective of this meeting is to ask questions, talk to each other and discover what we already know.
31.05 FRI 12:00 | PAŁAC POTOCKICH Jacek Petrycki Masterclass Free admission The masterclass of Jacek Petrycki, a renowned cinematographer and director, will be devoted to the impact of documentaries upon the cinematic landscape. Last year’s laureate of the Dragon of Dragons will speak about the international response to some of the films he co-created, the importance of archiving, the found footage phenomenon and how these techniques may contribute to the development of authentic narratives in documentary cinema. He will also present a case study – the analysis of the use of documentary photography in feature films on the example of ‘Man of Marble’ by Andrzej Wajda and ‘Black Thursday’ by Antoni Krauze.
31.05 FRI 18:00 | MANGGHA cinema room
Screening of ‘A Strong Man’ with live music
Partner: FINA Audiovisual Institute, Silent Film Festival in Krakow Admission by ticketThe Krakow Film Festival in collaboration with the FINA National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute invite to the screening of a silent film ‘A Strong Man’ with live music. The film will be presented on the 35mm film from the FINA archive. ‘A Strong Man’ by Henryk Szaro is an adaptation of Stanisław Przybyszewski’s novel, a formal reference to German expressionism. This psychological drama presenting successive stages of an artist’s moral decline is one of the last Polish films of the silent cinema era, which was considered to be lost for almost 70 years. Live music will be performed by Piotr Orzechowski and Kuba Więcek. A partner of the screening is the Silent Film Festival in Krakow.
31.05 FRI 18:30 | Italian Culture Institte Screening of “Berchida Live” by Gianfranco Cabiddu, Michelle Mellara, Alessandro Rossi, meeting with filmmakers and invited guests. Partner: Italian Culture Institute in Krakow Free admission
Time in Jazz festival is inherently linked to the place where it has been organized since 1988, i.e. the town of Berchidda in Sardinia. In beautiful natural surroundings one may absorb a variety of music traditions and the film is a portrayal of this atmospheric event and the people who create it. The meeting with the filmmakers will be attended by representatives of the Krakow jazz scene.
01.06 SAT 18:00 | KINO KIJÓW CLOSING TITLE: World Premiere All Inclusive dir by. Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert Admission by ticket
Yet again, Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert return with a proposal of non-obvious artistic cinema which escapes categorisation, yet contains many cinephilic flavours. All Inclusive displays the full spectrum of Polish attitudes, vices and personalities. Talking heads typical of documentaries are placed next to musical scenes and existential dramas, while amateur actors meet such professional performers as Andrzej Chyra or Izabela Kuna. The screening will be attended by the film authors.
Traditionally, the festival will not lack Q&A meetings after selected screenings.
Passes and tickets for the 64.th Krakow Film Festival are on sale now!
The schedule of screenings and accompanying events is available here.
The Krakow Film Festival is on the exclusive list of qualifying events for the Oscars® in the categories of short film (live action, animated, documentary) and documentary feature, as well as a recommending event for the European Film Awards in the same categories.
The Kraków Film Festival is organised with the financial support of the Municipality of Kraków, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the European Union’s Creative Europe program, the Lesser Poland Province, the Polish Film Institute. The festival is co-organised by the Polish Filmmakers Association.
The 64th Krakow Film Festival will be held in cinemas from 26 May to 2 June and online across Poland on the KFF VOD platform from 31 May to 16 June 2024.