The 6th Annual New York Polish Film Festival has come to an end.
And The Winners Are…
Audience Award: The Lesser Evil by director Janusz Morgernstern was chosen by audience members who attended the 6th Annual NYPFF.
Best Feature Film: All that I love by director Jacek Borcuch received the Festival’s main “Beyond Borders” Award in the name of Krzysztof Kieslowski for Best Feature Film.
Best Short/Documentary: Where the Sun Doesn’t Rush by director Matej Bobrik received the “Beyond Borders” Award for Best Documentary.
Honorary Award: “50 Years in Cinema” went to director JANUSZ MORGERNSTERN.
The Festival Jury included Anna Bogusz, Roza Brzozowski, Clara Markowicz, Joanna Ney, Izabela Blackwood and was led by Adam Holender.
Special Jury recognition went to the Feature “Black” by Domink Matwiejczyk and for the Documentary “Life Is Bearable…At Times” by Katarzyna Kolena Zaleska.
AUDIENCE AWARD: "Drowsiness" by Magdalena Piekorz.
Special recognition: Honorable Mention to "Three Buddies", a documentary directed by Anna Ferens and Ewa Stankiewicz
Festival JURY: Agata Galanis ( Journalist), Izabela Kalinowska – Head of Jury; Professor, Stony Brook), Czeslaw Karkowski ( Editor in Chief, Polish Daily News), Zofia Klopotowska (Editor in Chief, Kurier Plus) Aneta Radziejowska (Editor, Super Express USA), Charles Silver ( Curator, Film Department, MoMA),
"Four Nights with Anna" by Jerzy Skolimowski wins "Krzysztof Kieslowski's Beyond Borders Award" at the 5th New York Polish Film Festival.
"The film impressed us with its artistry and austerity, with a masterfully developed narration and excellent cinematography", said Izabela Kalinowska, the chairman of the jury, which included Czeslaw Karkowski (Nowy Dziennik), Zofia Klopotowska (Kurier Plus), Aneta Radziejowska (Super Express), Agata Galanis and Charles Silver, curator of the Department of Film at the MoMA. "Krzysztof Kieslowski did not shy away from asking difficult questions about humanity’s basic tenets, and he often violated established paradigms of speaking about life, love, violence and death. Skolimowski does the same", Kalinowska continued.
The Short Film Award went to Wiola Sowa for her animated film "Refrains" for an interesting presentation of timeless issues and "engaging the viewer in a contemplation of the eternal rhythms of feminity".
Jolanta Dylewska’s "PO-LIN, Slivers of Memory" won this year’s prize in the category of the Documentary. Her film was recognized as a captivating collage of Polish-Jewish home movies from the 1930s and contemporary interviews with catholic Poles, enriched by a voice-over narration that incorporates passages from Holocaust Memory Books.
"After a period of fascination with Western popular culture, Polish film makers are now speaking with their own voices again. They direct cameras towards a society in transition, in which troubled social and personal relations abound. We are impressed with the insightfulness and candor, with which the documentary and short films portray contemporary Poland", the jury stated.
Throughout the entire festival the viewers had a chance to vote for their favorite feature film. Their award went to "Drowsiness" by Magdalena Piekorz.
Additionally the jury decided to grant an honorable mention to "Three Buddies", a documentary directed by Anna Ferens and Ewa Stankiewicz for "an inquisitive engagement with socio-political realities of communist Poland".
The Award Night of the 5th New York Film Festival took place in the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan and wrapped up with the screening of the winning productions: "Refrains" and "Four Nights with Anna".
Aleksandra Słabisz,
Polish Daily News
4th NYPFF - 2008
Feature Film: Tricks by Andrzej Jakimowski
Documentary: Where do Wild Strawberries Grow by Anna Ferens
Short Film: Aria Diva by Agnieszka Smoczynska
Special Beyond Award: Time to Die by Dorota Kedzierzawska
Special recognition: Sonia Bohosiewicz for her creation in Preserve by Lukasz Palkowski
Audience Award: Extras by Michal Kwiecinski
3rd NYPFF - 2007
The film festival’s jury granted the "Beyond Borders" Award, named in honor of Krzysztof Kieslowski, for the best feature film and the best short film (only Polish productions and NY premieres at the festival qualified to compete).
The audience voted for their choice of the best Polish film and the winner was presented with the "New York’s Audience" award.
The main prize of the festival, the "Beyond Borders Award"
a beautiful bronze sculpture by the artist Krystyna Spisak-Madejczyk www.krystynaspisak.com was given to the feature film "Persona Non Grata", directed by Krzysztof Zanussi.
The New York’s "Audience Award" for best feature film was presented to Michael Rosa’s "What the Sun Has Seen".
The "Beyond Borders Awar" for best short film was awarded to "Three for the Taking" directed by Bartek Konopka, created as part of "30 minutes" program at the Andrzej Wajda’s Master School of Film Directing in Warsaw.
Other honorable mentions from the student films shown this year are: Filip Marczewski’s "Melodrama", Thierry Paladino’s "On the Datcha", Wojciech Kasperski’s "Refuge City", Marcin Sauter’s "Behind the Fence" and Marcin Janos Krawczyk’s "Rendez-vous".
2nd NYPFF - 2006
Krzysztof Kieślowski Memorial Award 'BEYOND BORDERS' for:
