15/09/2014 - The Polish Film Festival kicks off today with topline films including titles by Pasikowski, Komasa, Stuhr, Smarzowski, Majewski and Piekorz

The 39th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia gets under way today, and incorporates several new elements and changes to its format in comparison to previous editions. Helmed by the event’s new artistic director, Michal Oleszczyk, the selection of the titles in competition was particularly contentious this year, and 13 feature films were eventually chosen for the starting line, making for a line-up that is truly tantalising, given the identity of the filmmakers in the selection.

Indeed, a good number of the directors in competition are already well known and have built up a considerable fan base: Wojciech Smarzowski (The Mighty Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Wladyslaw Pasikowski (Jack Strong [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Waldemar Krzystek (The Photographer), Jerzy Stuhr (Citizen [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Magdalena Piekorz (Close Ups).

Young, up-and-coming filmmakers are also present in the line-up. Names such as Jan Komasa (Warsaw 44 [+see also:
trailer
interview: Zofia Wichlacz
film profile]) and Anna Kazejak (The Word [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) are accompanied by three directors who will be arriving with their debut features: Krzysztof Skonieczny (Hardkor Disko [+see also:
film review
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interview: Krzysztof Skonieczny
film profile]), Grzegorz Jaroszuk (Kebab & Horoscope [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Michal Otlowski (Waterline).

The list of hopefuls duking it out for the top prize is rounded off by the famous filmmaker and visual artist Lech Majewski (Onirica – Field of Dogs [+see also:
film review
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interview: Lech Majewski
film profile]), Grzegorz Królikiewicz (Neighbors [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Lukasz Palkowski (Gods). 

The festival in Gdynia also offers many competitive sections and other programmes, including the Young Cinema Competition, the Polish Independent Cinema Review, Pure Classics, Pre-War Treasures and the Archives of Horror. And finally, as part of the special screenings, audiences will be able to see titles such as Nude Area [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Urszula Antoniak, Tears of Joy and Home Shopping by Oscar Dawicki, and News by Zbigniew Libera, one of today’s biggest Polish artists. 

(Translated from French)