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KRAKOW 2020 Krakow Industry

Krakow Film Festival gives out its industry awards

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- The prizes for Krakow’s three pitching events were announced during an online gala this past Friday

Krakow Film Festival gives out its industry awards
Until the Wedding by Daniel Stopa, the winner of the ColorOffOn Award in Docs to Go!

Despite being denied a wholly physical event thanks to COVID-19, the 60th Krakow Film Festival still continued in earnest, with its traditional pitching sessions (Animated in Poland, Docs to Start and Docs to Go!) all occurring online in the presence of numerous industry professionals. Amongst them were representatives of international documentary industry events like Baltic Sea Forum, IDFA Forum and CPH:Forum; sales agents and buyers from the likes of Square Eyes, New Europe Film Sales, Taskovski Films and Deckert Distribution; and some of the major festivals presenting documentary films, including IDFA, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, Visions du Réel, Karlovy Vary, Cannes, Venice and the Berlinale.

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At the festival’s industry gala, held on Friday night, the winners of the industry awards were announced. In Animated in Poland, the Best Pitch Award went to Gonâve, directed by Róża Duda and Michał Soja. Set in the 1920s, the film tells the story of Gonâve, a small Haitian island in the Caribbean Sea, and Faustin Wirkus, a marine sergeant and the island’s administrator, who befriends its inhabitants. Amidst the winds of colonialism and a whole host of strange circumstances, Wirkus finds himself proclaimed king. Based on a true story, the 3D animation is being produced by Krakow Film Klaster.

A Special Mention went to the project Slow Light, directed by Katarzyna Kijek and Przemysław Adamski, and produced by Animoon Studio.

In Docs to Start, focusing on recent Polish documentary projects at the development stage, the HBO Award – which comes with 10,000 PLN (€2,250) for film production – went to Debut, directed by Aleksandra Maciejczyk and produced by Marta Gmosińska, of Lava Films. The movie follows Marysia, who comes from aristocratic lineage – a lineage from which her parents have withdrawn. In an act of rebellion, she attends the Debutants’ Ball, an opulent social gathering attended by 64 young people who come from noble families, as she searches for her identity.

The ColorOffOn Award, with a 25,000 PLN (€5,600) voucher for image post-production, went to the project Don’t Mess with Gienek, directed by Grzegorz Szczepaniak and produced by Joanna Popowicz, of WF Anagram. The film follows Gienek, a beloved folk musician who – at the age of 70 – must go abroad for the very first time out of love for his beloved daughter.

Other award winners were: Gypsy Gadji, directed by Dasa Raimanova and produced by Rafał Sakowski, of Story Vehicle, which got the DOK Leipzig Special Mention and an invitation to the co-production meetings in Leipzig; Easy Rider Behind the Iron Curtain, directed by Andrzej Miękus and produced by Olga Bieniek, of FilmIcon, which garnered the FIPA DOC Special Mention and an invitation to pitch the project at FIPA DOC in Biarritz; When the Harmattan Blows, directed by Edyta Wróblewska and produced by Marta Dużbabel, of With Passion Production, which netted the Polish Docs Pro Special Mention and an invitation to a key European documentary industry event; and Nina Gets Married, directed by Andrzej Szypulski and produced by Anna Reichel, of Fine Day Promotion, which pocketed the Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mention and an invitation to a key European documentary festival.

In Docs to Go!, showcasing a selection of documentaries in post-production, the ColorOffOn Award – consisting of 25,000 PLN (€5,600) for image post-production – went to the project Until the Wedding, directed by Daniel Stopa, and produced by Małgorzata Staroń and Joanna Tatko, of Staron-Film. The film is a bittersweet depiction of a mature marriage, showing how an elderly couple look back on their life together as their son prepares for his own wedding.

The Institute of Documentary Film in Prague Special Mention was awarded to Workcenter (directed by Aniela Gabryel and produced by Agnieszka Dziedzic, of Koi Studio) and comes with an invitation to East Doc Platform, while I Am One of Them (directed by Nadim Suleiman, and produced by Luiza Pietrzak and Jacek Bławut, of Palmyra Films) and Lesson of Freedom (directed by Tadeusz Chudy and Bartosz Bieniek, and produced by Rafał Sakowski, of Story Vehicle) garnered Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mentions and invitations to key European documentary industry events.

The full list of presented projects can be found here.

Here is the full list of industry winners:

Animated in Poland

Best Pitch Award
Gonâve - Róża Duda and Michał Soja
Producer: Krakow Film Klaster

Special Mention
Slow Light - Katarzyna Kijek and Przemysław Adamski
Producer: Animoon Studio

Docs to Start

HBO Award
Debut - Aleksandra Maciejczyk
Producer: Marta Gmosińska, Lava Films

ColorOffOn Award
Don’t Mess with Gienek - Grzegorz Szczepaniak
Producer: Joanna Popowicz, WF Anagram

DOK Leipzig Special Mention
Gypsy Gadji - Dasa Raimanova
Producer: Rafał Sakowski, Story Vehicle

FIPADOC Special Mention
Easy Rider Behind the Iron Curtain - Andrzej Miękus
Producer: Olga Bieniek, FilmIcon

Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mention
Nina Gets Married - Andrzej Szypulski
Producer: Anna Reichel, Fine Day Promotion

Polish Docs Pro Special Mention
When the Harmattan Blows - Edyta Wróblewska
Producer: Marta Dużbabel, With Passion Production

Docs to Go!

ColorOffOn Award
Until the Wedding - Daniel Stopa
Producers: Małgorzata Staroń and Joanna Tatko, Staron-Film

Institute of Documentary Film Special Mention
Workcenter - Aniela Gabryel
Producer: Agnieszka Dziedzic, Koi Studio

Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mention
I Am One of Them - Nadim Suleiman
Producers: Luiza Pietrzak and Jacek Bławut, Palmyra Films

Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mention
Lesson of Freedom - Tadeusz Chudy and Bartosz Bieniek
Producer: Rafał Sakowski, Story Vehicle

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