29.
01.
2021.
Others
Others
Can you remember a year, in which the world stopped, cinemas closed, film production was put on hold, festivals moved online, and we all spent month after month online, fondly?
Nearly 1000 selected films and 200 prizes for student films from the Lodz Film School in 2020!
Can you remember a year, in which the world stopped, cinemas closed, film production was put on hold, festivals moved online, and we all spent weeks on end online, in a positive way?
There is, however, a perspective from which a POSITIVE and OPTIMISTIC aspect to the year 2020 can be seen! Student short films produced by the Łódź Film School have once again conquered Polish and international festivals, winning the most important awards and distinctions.
Last year, nearly 1,000 of our student films were selected by festivals! This means that every day of the year, somewhere in the world, an average of 3 school films by our students were shown, and every other day one of them received an award or a distinction!
The films of our graduates and lecturers were also triumphant. SWEAT directed by Magnus von Horn, produced by Mariusz Włodarski, was included in the official selection of the Cannes festival. The film won prizes at festivals in Palić, Macau and Chicago, as many as 8 in Gdynia, including Silver Lions, for director and cinematographer, Michał Dymek.
CORPUS CHRISTI, directed by Jan Komasa, with cinematography by Piotr Sobociński jr, continued the success of 2019 and in 2020 received awards at festivals in Palm Springs, Brazil, Moscow and was nominated for Oscar, EFA (in 4 categories) and Goya! Piotr Sobociński jr received the PSC Award (Association of Polish Cinematographers), and the film “flew away with the Eagles” (Polish Film Award), winning 11 awards and receiving 5 nominations!
THE HATER, also by Jan Komasa, with photos by Radosław Ładczuk, received the Best International Film award at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
The full-length, animated debut film of Mariusz Wilczyński KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN, after excellent reviews at the Berlinale, a distinction in Annecy, awards in Ottawa, Palić, Lima, Vienna and Sapporo, reached for Gdynia's Golden Lions, thus making an important page in the history of Polish animation!
ANIMATED FILMS
Why do we start the summary from the animated films? In recent years, the films created at the faculty of Animated Film and Special Effects each year have been presented at the most important international festivals (Berlinale, Cannes, Sundance, Annecy), and their authors are increasingly appreciated by jurors, critics and the industry. The organizers of Animafest Zagreb noticed the fact that it is the Lodz Film School that creates trends in the art of animation and they awarded us with the prestigious Best Animation School Award 2020.
Last year belonged mainly to our four students: Julia Orlik, Yelyzaveta Pysmak, Marta Koch and Natalia Durszewicz.
Julia Orlik's film I’M HERE qualified for over 20 valued events! The Dok Leipzig main award, the Grand Prix of the Nice festival, PÖFF Shorts in Estonia, Leipzig, the Special Jury Poitiers Award, and the shortlist of the prestigious BAFTA Student Film Awards 2020, are just some of the achievements of the animator's latest film.
It is impossible not to mention the phenomenon of the animated film MY FAT ARSE AND I by Yelyzaveta Pysmak which was selected and joined just a few best international animated films to compete at the Cannes Cinéfondation 2020 section and it was awarded the 2nd prize! It is worth mentioning that out of 1,952 films submitted from 444 schools, only 17 were selected for this competition and only 4 of them were animated films! The successful presentation of Yelyzaveta Pysmak's film in Cannes opened the door to other festivals for it. The Premiers Plans D'ANGERS competition, a distinction at Bit Bang Fest, shows in Nice and at Animateka in Slovenia are the beginning of film’s festival life, which seems to be even more promising in 2021.
In 2020, Marta Koch's film SUCH A BEAUTIFUL TOWN was also noticed, which, next to I AM HERE and Natalia Durszewicz's PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN, represented the School at Annecy, one of the most important animated film festivals in the world! Besides, SUCH A BEAUTIFUL TOWN has been included in the competition selections of over 20 important festivals, such as the Best Student Animated Short competition of the prestigious Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. The film also received a distinction from the IMAGINARIA International Animated Film Festival in Italy. Awards were also won by Karolina Kajetanowicz's I SEE THE ABYSS and the experimental MARBLES by Natalia Spychała.
Animated student films also made a strong presence at the Krakow Film Festival (distinction for I AM HERE), at the New Horizons "Shortlist", at the Warsaw Film Festival, and many other festivals in Poland e.g. Etiuda & Anima (Grand Prix for I AM HERE), "Młodzi i Film" in Koszalin, Animator, O! PLA.
SHORT LIVE-ACTION FILMS
The year 2020 brought new awards and distinctions for our latest well-known live-action films. Among the important and prestigious awards, one should mention the one for BITTER HERB. The film, directed by Maria Ornaf, with cinematography by Susanna Zachara, won an international competition organized by the Moscow film school VGIK.
Importantly, the year 2020 opened the festival path for the long-awaited new school productions.
Daria Kasperek's graduation film EQUINOX, with cinematography by Michał Modlinger, received the Special Jury Prize of the Short Films Competition at the 45th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
Graduation film QUIET NOW, directed by Katarzyna Wiśniowska, with cinematography by Joanna Kakitek, qualified for the American Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival and Premiers Plans D'ANGERS.
Daniel Howlid's BALLAST won international competitions at the Transatlantyk Festival and the Camera Action Film Critics Festival. It was also in the competition selection of the Norwegian Short Film Festival.
BLOW, directed by Robert Kwilman, with cinematography by Zuzanna Zachara, had its international premiere at the prestigious Poitiers Film Festival.
The Koszalin "Młodzi i Film" Festival selected 10 new fiction films with potential for the further festival tours in 2021, including:
BEFORE I SLEEP (ZANIM ZASNĘ) by Damian Kosowski, cinematography by Ignacy Ciszewski,
LAST SNOW (OSTATNIE ŚNIEGI) by Anna Morawiec, cinematography by Tomasz Wierzbicki,
KURA by Andrzej Brzózka, cinematography by Kasper Lorek,
I AM ANDRZEJ by Michał Edelman, cinematography by Maciej Edelman, or
VENUS FROM WILLENDORF by Zuzanna Grajcewicz (Ewa Radzewicz’s cinematography diploma). The latter was also shown at the Warsaw Film Festival, in the Best Polish Short Films programme. Films KURA directed by Andrzej Brzózka, cinematography by Kasper Lorek and SZABAT directed by Damian Kosowski, cinematography by David Bajerski were screened at the Student Film Competition of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE.
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
After last year's student Oscar for FAMILY², high expectations of school documentary productions in 2020 were put forth. Although the film by Yifan Sun continues its festival path, incl. Special Mention of Alcine ISFF in Spain, new productions started to come to the fore. BREATH by Daria Kasperek, cinematography by Michał Modlinger, participated in competitions at festivals in Greece, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia.
HALO EFFECT by Patrycja Polkowska, cinematography by Alicia Devaux, won the main prize at the Off Cinema festival and the "Silver Dinosaur" at Etiuda & Anima in Krakow. It was also included in the selections of festivals in Helsinki, FIPADOC in France, and the prestigious Poitiers.
Maciej Beloruski's documentary film HIDE AND SEEK IN A PEACEFUL VALLEY, with cinematography by Jakub Dylewski, had its international premiere at the Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival. The film was also shown at the New Horizons "Shortlist", and at the Camera Action Film Critics Festival, where it won a Special Award.
Important for documentary filmmakers, Czech Ji.hlava, was welcoming for THE LAST KNIGHTS OF THE RIGHT SIDE directed by Michał Edelman, cinematography by Maciej Edelman, where the film was included in the "Between the Seas: Student Film Competition", and the Silver Eye award for the best short documentary film Ji.hlava East Silver market was won by SON OF THE STREETS directed by Mohammed Almughanni.
We would like to thank all students and artistic supervisors of their films for the films, stories, emotions, their strength and CONGRATULATIONS!!! Hoping that 2021 will bring us all at the School even more reasons to be happy!
Promotion Office of the Łódź Film School
Can you remember a year, in which the world stopped, cinemas closed, film production was put on hold, festivals moved online, and we all spent weeks on end online, in a positive way?
There is, however, a perspective from which a POSITIVE and OPTIMISTIC aspect to the year 2020 can be seen! Student short films produced by the Łódź Film School have once again conquered Polish and international festivals, winning the most important awards and distinctions.
Last year, nearly 1,000 of our student films were selected by festivals! This means that every day of the year, somewhere in the world, an average of 3 school films by our students were shown, and every other day one of them received an award or a distinction!
The films of our graduates and lecturers were also triumphant. SWEAT directed by Magnus von Horn, produced by Mariusz Włodarski, was included in the official selection of the Cannes festival. The film won prizes at festivals in Palić, Macau and Chicago, as many as 8 in Gdynia, including Silver Lions, for director and cinematographer, Michał Dymek.
CORPUS CHRISTI, directed by Jan Komasa, with cinematography by Piotr Sobociński jr, continued the success of 2019 and in 2020 received awards at festivals in Palm Springs, Brazil, Moscow and was nominated for Oscar, EFA (in 4 categories) and Goya! Piotr Sobociński jr received the PSC Award (Association of Polish Cinematographers), and the film “flew away with the Eagles” (Polish Film Award), winning 11 awards and receiving 5 nominations!
THE HATER, also by Jan Komasa, with photos by Radosław Ładczuk, received the Best International Film award at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
The full-length, animated debut film of Mariusz Wilczyński KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN, after excellent reviews at the Berlinale, a distinction in Annecy, awards in Ottawa, Palić, Lima, Vienna and Sapporo, reached for Gdynia's Golden Lions, thus making an important page in the history of Polish animation!
ANIMATED FILMS
Why do we start the summary from the animated films? In recent years, the films created at the faculty of Animated Film and Special Effects each year have been presented at the most important international festivals (Berlinale, Cannes, Sundance, Annecy), and their authors are increasingly appreciated by jurors, critics and the industry. The organizers of Animafest Zagreb noticed the fact that it is the Lodz Film School that creates trends in the art of animation and they awarded us with the prestigious Best Animation School Award 2020.
Last year belonged mainly to our four students: Julia Orlik, Yelyzaveta Pysmak, Marta Koch and Natalia Durszewicz.
Julia Orlik's film I’M HERE qualified for over 20 valued events! The Dok Leipzig main award, the Grand Prix of the Nice festival, PÖFF Shorts in Estonia, Leipzig, the Special Jury Poitiers Award, and the shortlist of the prestigious BAFTA Student Film Awards 2020, are just some of the achievements of the animator's latest film.
It is impossible not to mention the phenomenon of the animated film MY FAT ARSE AND I by Yelyzaveta Pysmak which was selected and joined just a few best international animated films to compete at the Cannes Cinéfondation 2020 section and it was awarded the 2nd prize! It is worth mentioning that out of 1,952 films submitted from 444 schools, only 17 were selected for this competition and only 4 of them were animated films! The successful presentation of Yelyzaveta Pysmak's film in Cannes opened the door to other festivals for it. The Premiers Plans D'ANGERS competition, a distinction at Bit Bang Fest, shows in Nice and at Animateka in Slovenia are the beginning of film’s festival life, which seems to be even more promising in 2021.
In 2020, Marta Koch's film SUCH A BEAUTIFUL TOWN was also noticed, which, next to I AM HERE and Natalia Durszewicz's PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN, represented the School at Annecy, one of the most important animated film festivals in the world! Besides, SUCH A BEAUTIFUL TOWN has been included in the competition selections of over 20 important festivals, such as the Best Student Animated Short competition of the prestigious Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. The film also received a distinction from the IMAGINARIA International Animated Film Festival in Italy. Awards were also won by Karolina Kajetanowicz's I SEE THE ABYSS and the experimental MARBLES by Natalia Spychała.
Animated student films also made a strong presence at the Krakow Film Festival (distinction for I AM HERE), at the New Horizons "Shortlist", at the Warsaw Film Festival, and many other festivals in Poland e.g. Etiuda & Anima (Grand Prix for I AM HERE), "Młodzi i Film" in Koszalin, Animator, O! PLA.
SHORT LIVE-ACTION FILMS
The year 2020 brought new awards and distinctions for our latest well-known live-action films. Among the important and prestigious awards, one should mention the one for BITTER HERB. The film, directed by Maria Ornaf, with cinematography by Susanna Zachara, won an international competition organized by the Moscow film school VGIK.
Importantly, the year 2020 opened the festival path for the long-awaited new school productions.
Daria Kasperek's graduation film EQUINOX, with cinematography by Michał Modlinger, received the Special Jury Prize of the Short Films Competition at the 45th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
Graduation film QUIET NOW, directed by Katarzyna Wiśniowska, with cinematography by Joanna Kakitek, qualified for the American Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival and Premiers Plans D'ANGERS.
Daniel Howlid's BALLAST won international competitions at the Transatlantyk Festival and the Camera Action Film Critics Festival. It was also in the competition selection of the Norwegian Short Film Festival.
BLOW, directed by Robert Kwilman, with cinematography by Zuzanna Zachara, had its international premiere at the prestigious Poitiers Film Festival.
The Koszalin "Młodzi i Film" Festival selected 10 new fiction films with potential for the further festival tours in 2021, including:
BEFORE I SLEEP (ZANIM ZASNĘ) by Damian Kosowski, cinematography by Ignacy Ciszewski,
LAST SNOW (OSTATNIE ŚNIEGI) by Anna Morawiec, cinematography by Tomasz Wierzbicki,
KURA by Andrzej Brzózka, cinematography by Kasper Lorek,
I AM ANDRZEJ by Michał Edelman, cinematography by Maciej Edelman, or
VENUS FROM WILLENDORF by Zuzanna Grajcewicz (Ewa Radzewicz’s cinematography diploma). The latter was also shown at the Warsaw Film Festival, in the Best Polish Short Films programme. Films KURA directed by Andrzej Brzózka, cinematography by Kasper Lorek and SZABAT directed by Damian Kosowski, cinematography by David Bajerski were screened at the Student Film Competition of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE.
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
After last year's student Oscar for FAMILY², high expectations of school documentary productions in 2020 were put forth. Although the film by Yifan Sun continues its festival path, incl. Special Mention of Alcine ISFF in Spain, new productions started to come to the fore. BREATH by Daria Kasperek, cinematography by Michał Modlinger, participated in competitions at festivals in Greece, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia.
HALO EFFECT by Patrycja Polkowska, cinematography by Alicia Devaux, won the main prize at the Off Cinema festival and the "Silver Dinosaur" at Etiuda & Anima in Krakow. It was also included in the selections of festivals in Helsinki, FIPADOC in France, and the prestigious Poitiers.
Maciej Beloruski's documentary film HIDE AND SEEK IN A PEACEFUL VALLEY, with cinematography by Jakub Dylewski, had its international premiere at the Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival. The film was also shown at the New Horizons "Shortlist", and at the Camera Action Film Critics Festival, where it won a Special Award.
Important for documentary filmmakers, Czech Ji.hlava, was welcoming for THE LAST KNIGHTS OF THE RIGHT SIDE directed by Michał Edelman, cinematography by Maciej Edelman, where the film was included in the "Between the Seas: Student Film Competition", and the Silver Eye award for the best short documentary film Ji.hlava East Silver market was won by SON OF THE STREETS directed by Mohammed Almughanni.
We would like to thank all students and artistic supervisors of their films for the films, stories, emotions, their strength and CONGRATULATIONS!!! Hoping that 2021 will bring us all at the School even more reasons to be happy!
Promotion Office of the Łódź Film School