The 62. Krakow Film Festival began in the packed auditorium of the Kijów cinema with a screening of the documentary “The Hamlet Syndrome” directed by one of the most important duos in Polish cinema: Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski. The film was completed just before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, and – in light of current events – it doesn’t let you stop thinking about the fate of its protagonists, some of whom are now fighting on the front line.
One of them, Sławik Gawianiec, received a special pass just the day before and – with the help of the Ukrainian army – managed to reach to Krakow for the event to give his personal testimony of the hell that takes place across the eastern border. The audience present in the hall of the Kijów cinema welcomed him with a long, standing ovation. The film’s director, Elwira Niewiera, gave an emotional speech about the need for the entire western world to help Ukraine.
The ceremony was also attended by Nina Gabryś, the Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Krakow for Equality Policy, who emphasised that “the Festival gives space to talk about freedom and equality, and gives voice to those who so often have not had such voice in history. It builds in us a sense of solidarity, community, empathy, and sensitivity – so necessary, especially at this time”.encie.
The gala included a mini recital by composer and pianist Włodek Pawlik, the only Grammy award winner in the history of Polish jazz, who presides over the jury of this year’s music documentary competition DocFilmMusic. Krzysztof Gierat, director of the Krakow Film Festival, traditionally introduced all the members of the festival’s jury and welcomed the director of the Docudays UA festival director, Victoria Leshchenko.
Exceptionally, this year the DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival – the largest documentary film festival in Ukraine – will be held alongside the Krakow Film Festival. This year’s edition was to start on 25 March in Kyiv. This is no longer possible due to Russia’s brutal assault and the ongoing war. The organisers of the Krakow Film Festival decided to support their friends and, against cruel fate, to organise a part of the Ukrainian festival in Krakow… in the Kijów cinema.
Krakow Film Festival is Poland’s most significant celebration of documentary, short, and animated film. The program of this year’s event features over 190 films from around the world, including approximately 100 world and Polish premieres. The festival will be held in cinemas (from 29 May to 5 June) and online (3–12 June)! Films will be presented as part of 4 competitions: 3 international competitions (documentary, short film, and DocFilmMusic), the national competition, and numerous non-competitive series and special screenings.
Czech cinematography is also a special feature of this year’s edition. The Focus on the Czech Republic series will feature the latest documentaries and short films from the Czech Republic as well as a program for children and adolescents. Numerous festival meetings will provide representatives of the Czech and Polish film industries the opportunity to establish contacts in the area of co-productions. The audience will get to see iconic Czech bedtime cartoons in the Pod Wawelem open-air cinema.
The Finnish director and producer Jarmo Jääskeläinen passed away on 2 January 2022. A month earlier, on 2 December 2021, the Programme Council of the Krakow Film Foundation decided to grant him the Dragon of Dragons award for his contribution to the development of world documentary cinema. A retrospective of his output, attended by his immediate family and colleagues, will be held during the festival.
Open-air screenings during the Sounds of Music segment at Kino pod Wawelem are a treat for viewers thirsty for good music, exceptional cinema, and beautiful surroundings. From Monday to Thursday (30 May – 2 June) under the starry sky and overlooking the Wawel Castle, you will be able to see the most interesting documentary music films in the rhythm of Africa on the big screen. This year, open-air cinema will also come to Nowa Huta, to the gardents of Teatr Łaźnia Nowa.
Traditionally, the Festival program will include the Docs+Science segment – screenings of fascinating scientific films. “If I have been feeling worried or sad during the day, I have a habit of recalling scenes from childhood to calm me”, says Dr Eberhard Isak Borg, the protagonist of Wild Strawberries, the 1957 Ingmar Bergman film. And it is to memory, to reminiscence, to the process of reaching back in time that this year’s Docs+Science series, co-organised by Projekt Pulsar, is devoted to.
As always, we will also be screening films awarded at partner festivals, the most interesting Polish documentaries made by both young filmmakers and established directors as part of the Polish Documentary Panorama. Kids&Youth. Kids&Youth Fest is a film review for the youngest viewers. The programme also includes last year’s most notable documentaries from all over the world and fascinating European productions.
KFF Industry is an equally important part of the Festival – it is Poland’s largest meeting space for the documentary and animated film industry. Every year, 1000 guests from all over the world attend conferences, debates, workshops, presentations of projects in various stages of production, or film fairs. The programme will include also include the Doc Lab Poland session, co-organised by the Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation.
A new addition to the festival program is the KFF TALKS section, which will include three fascinating discussion: On Memory (with physicist Krzysztof Meissner, neuroscientist Mateusz Hohol, and writer Anna Bikont), On Happiness (with Marcin Borchardt, director and journalist, and Bogdan de Barbaro, psychotherapist), and On Liberty (with Adam Michnik and Vytautas Landsbergis – former Head of Parliament of Lithuania who led the country’s independence movement).
Krakow Film Festival is included on the prestigious list of film events qualifying for the Academy Awards in the short film competition (fiction film, animated film, documentary film) and feature-length documentary film competition, as well as recommending films for the European Film Awards in the same categories. The festival also qualifies for BAFTA awards in the short documentary and fiction film category.
The Kraków Film Festival is organised with the financial support of the European Union as part of the “Creative Europe” program, the City of Kraków, the Polish Film Institute, the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sports, and the Lesser Poland Province. The co-organiser is the Polish Filmmakers Association, and the main organiser is the Krakow Film Foundation.
Kategoria: News.