26/02/2009

Cinematographer Slawomir Idziak will be in the spotlight in his hometown of Katowice at the fourth edition of the festival Celuloid Człowiek Cyfra (“Celluloid, Man, Digital”), to be held from February 27-March 5.

The event will explore the work of the accomplished professional who last year celebrated 40 years of a career that began with Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s The Game. Recognised as one of Poland’s greatest DoPs, Idziak is known in particular for his collaborations with Krzysztof Kieslowski (The Double Life of Veronique, Three Colours: Blue), Krzysztof Zanussi and Andrzej Wajda, and for his work in the US.

His filmography includes Gattaca, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, which earned him an Oscar and Bafta nomination in 2002.

The festival line-up features a retrospective of films lensed by Idziak, as well as titles he has directed. Organisers have also planned a workshop with students from the virtual film studio set up by the DoP, and a conference looking at internet film distribution.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw the opening of the 16th Prowincjonalia Film Art Festival, to be held in Wrzesnia from February 25-28. Centred around a competition of Polish auteur films, the event aims to reflect "rustic themes, of small villages where simple and universal values prevail, as well as the subtlety and aesthetics of narration”, according to its organisers.

The line-up includes over 50 features and documentaries, with works by Jerzy Skolimowski, Michal Rosa, Waldemar Krzystek, Malgorzata Szumowska, Jacek Blawut, Maciej Pieprzyca, Miroslaw Dembinski and Witold Leszczynski.

A section entitled "Provinces of the World" will give pride of place to Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danny Boyle
film profile], as well as Russian, Indian, Mexican and West African productions.

The festival will also present an honorary award to actor Roman Klosowski, who has starred in films by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Andrzej Munk, Aleksander Ford, Wojciech Has, Andrzej Kondratiuk, Tadeusz Chmielewski and Stanislaw Rozewicz, among others.

(Translated from French)