Tuesday at 44. PFF
The second day of the 44. Polish Film Festival offers many Main Competition screenings, a chance to watch a number of non-competitive films in different sections and Platinum Lions Laureate Film screening.
Among other things, viewers will get to watch the pre-war Halka illustrated with live music performance, selected international film co-productions and also digitally remastered films which will recall significant people of the Polish cinematography. In the evening not less than 4 exhibitions will have their vernissages and the official Gala of the Polish Film Institute is scheduled.
The Main Competition and the Polish Film Panorama
All for my Mother directed by Małgorzata Imielska (debut), Proceder by Michał Węgrzyn, Supernova by Bartosz Kruhlik (debut), Dolce Fina Giornata by Jacek Borcuch – the crews of these four films participating in the Main Competition of the 44. PFF will attend celebratory screenings at the Musical Theatre on Tuesday. The first of them will start at noon.
Not later than at 8.00 the first press screening starts at the Gdynia Film Centre. On this day media representatives will have a chance to meet the creators of: Dark Almost Night by Borys Lankosz, Mr Jones by Agnieszka Holland, Interior by Marek Lechki and Proceder by Michał Węgrzyn.
Festival Tuesday also gives the chance to watch other Main Competition films at the Helios Cinema featuring 6 viewing rooms. Also films from the non-competitive Polish Film Panorama section are presented here – among others – Eastern by Piotr Adamskiego and Servants of War by Mariusz Gawryś. After the screening of Their Lucky Stars at the City Theatre of Gdynia a meeting with the creators has been scheduled.
Pre-War Cinema Treasures
Tuesday will also bring an exceptional show of the remastered Halka by Konstanty Meglicki from 1929, created at the dusk of the mute cinema era. The screening at the small stage of the Musical Theatre will be accompanied by live music performed by musicians under the direction of the composer Jerzy Rogiewicz.
Three more films will be presented in the Pre-War Cinema Treasures section: People of the Vistula from 1938 directed by Aleksander Ford and Jerzy Zarzycki, There is a Ball Today by Jerzy Zarzycki and Tadeusz Kowalski from 1932 and Girl Looking for Love by Romuald Gantkowski from 1937.
70 Years of Documentary and Feature Film Studios
The anniversary of WFDiF – the legendary establishment, which has been creating Polish films since 1970s – is a good opportunity to present its biggest achievements and rich cinematographic output during the 44. FFF. Jubilee screenings will take place at the Gdynia Film Centre on Tuesday and on three following days. Each will be composed of different selected documentaries and feature films created over the period of several dozen years.
The Tuesday’s block will feature among others, the documentaries by Kazimierz Karabasz – Muzykanci from 1960 – and by Krzysztof Kieślowski – Siedem kobiet w różnym wieku from 1978. The screenings will be adorned by the introductory speech by Andrzej Bukowiecki.
80th Anniversary of the Outbreak of War World II
This anniversary will be commemorated on Tuesday by the screening of Lotna, a film by Andrzej Wajda from 1959 at the Museum of the Polish Navy. On Wednesday, at the same place, Westerplatte by Stanisław Różewicz from 1967 will be shown, and on the following day – Orzeł by Leonard Buczkowski from 1958.
The Film by the Platinum Lions Laureate
Also at the Museum of the Polish Navy, in the Auditorium, a stone’s throw away from the municipial beach, A Woman’s Decision from 1974 by Krzysztof Zanussi will be presented to honour the director as he is this year’s laurate of the award for lifetime achievements.
Polonica
On Tuesday it is also worthwhile to visit the Helios Cinema to watch a Polish-Spanish co-production Penelope by Eva Vila Purti or the Gdynia Film Centre to watch Pity by Babis Makridis, created by Polish and Greek team and awarded at the International Film Festival in Odessa in 2018. In total, this year’s Polonica section features 8 new international co-productions created with significant Polish input.
Pure Classics. In Memoriam
To commemorate Zofia Czerwińska, an exceptionally celebrated actress, and a faithful guest to many editions of the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, Teddy Bear by Stanisław Bareja will be screened on Tuesday at the Gdynia Film Centre.
Films from Gdynia
At the same venue, you are welcome to meet the director Karol Starnawski and watch his documentary entitled Shadows of the Empire. This is his full-lenght debut. He completed the Pomeranian Film Workshop and graduated from Film and TV Directing Department at the Lodz Film School.
Kraków Film Festival Catching Waves
On Tuesday, the KFF invites to the Helios Cinema to watch Advocate by Rachel Leah Jones, a film awarded with the Golden Horn at the International Documentary Competition of the 59. KFF.
Outdoor Screenings
The Lure by Agnieszka Smoczyńska-Konopka, the best director’s debut of the 40. FPFF, constitutes an offer of the Kino Polska TV for the Tuesday night outdoor screening at the Grunwaldzki square. The Film starts at 20.00. Admission free.
Gala of the Polish Film Institute
It is for the 12th time that the Polish Film Institute gathers people and insitutions who have contributed to the development of Polish cinematography. Awards in 9 different categories will be given during the evening Gala at the New Stage of the Musical Theatre in Gdynia. Admission by invitation only.
Four Vernissages
One might spend the Tuesday Festival evening at a Cinema but not exclusively. In consecutive order, at 17.00, 18.00, 19.00 and 20.30, the following exhibitions will be officially opened: Film by Grzegorz Królikiewicz at the Gallery of the Gdynia Film Centre, Warszawa Cinema and other Places which have become Supermarkets at the Gdynia City Museum, Home Cinema. Photos of Kuba Owczarek at the Tłok Café, Modern Movie Posters – poster competition prepared by PISF – at the foyer of the Musical Theatre.
Book promotions
On Tuesday, at the Gallery of the Gdynia Film Centre a cycle of discussions on cinematography-related books starts. A meeting with the authors of Money-Production-Market. Financing Films in Poland by Artur Majer, Agnieszka Orankiewicz and Anna Wróblewska is scheduled for 15.00. At 18.00 a meeting concerning The Polish Film School by Marek Hendrykowski will start. Admission free.
Acting Worksops by Małgorzata Potocka
On Tuesday, the participants of How do they Act? acting workshops held by the actress Małgorzata Potocka will dissect the film Gods by Łukasz Palkowski. On Thursday, on the other hand, they will have a chance to look at How to be Loved by Wojciech Jerzy Has. The workshops are held in a room at the Museum of the Polish Navy. Registration required. Contact: warsztaty@festiwalgdynia.pl.
Booking screenings
We would like to remind, that all Accreditation and Pass holders are obliged to book seats at screenings. Every day, 30 minutes before the first screening (i.e. from 7.30) seats may be booked for this and following day: on Tuesday you may book screenings for Tuesday and Wednesday, on Wednesday – for Wednesday and Thursday etc.
To book a seat you need to access www.system.festiwalgdynia.pl and log in into your account. You may also do it using the free Festival App, available at Google Play and Play Store. The App is prepared for the Accreditation and Pass holders.
Should you change your plans and resign from initially selected screening, please cancel your reservation 15 minutes before the screening at the latest. Otherwise, 4 penalty points will be added to your account. One point translates to one film which may be watched during the Festival.
Press Conferences
All press conferences devoted to the films in the Main Competition are broadcast online at the YouTube Festival Channel. You may follow them on screens installed in several places: At the Gdynia Film Centre in the Press Office and FaBuła Cafe, at the Musical Theatre in the chill-out zone next to the reception desk, at the Helios Cinema next to the cashiers counters and at the Consulate of Culture.
Festival Bus
Every day Festival Guests use a free bus Connection between the Musical Theatre and the Helios Cinema at the Riviera Retail Centre. It is enough to present Festival Accreditation, Pass or Screening Ticket. The bus departs every 30 minutes (departure from the Grunwaldzki square) between 9.00-14.00 and 21.00-23.00 and every 20 minutes between 14.00-21.00. The route leads along Władysława IV street. There an additional stop near the Witold Gombrowicz City Theatre.
We have also planned additional morning and evening connections which will stop by selected hotels in Gdynia and Sopot. Detailed time-table of the Festival Bus is available at the Festival website: HERE.
More information on the programme and accompanying events is available at www.festiwalgdynia.pl.
44. Polish Film Festival takes place between 16-21 September 2019 in Gdynia.
