The 20th edition runs until October 29, with 120 screenings across eight Lithuanian cities. It marks a return to the full festival format after several years under the name Polish Film Week, said Piotr Drobniak, director of the Polish Institute in Vilnius, which organises the event.
“This year’s festival is richer than ever before”, he said.
Twenty-six recent Polish features and documentaries will compete for the first time. They include Jan Komasa’s “Rocznica” and Łukasz Grzegorzek’s “Trzy miłości”.
“A five-member jury made up of Lithuanian film industry representatives will choose the best film of the festival. The audience award is also returning”, said Łukasz Skórko, the festival’s artistic director.
The line-up also includes productions shown earlier at festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Gdynia. Piotr Domalewski’s “Ministranci”, which won seven awards at Gdynia last year, opens the festival. Kordian Kądziela’s “LARP. Miłość, trolle i inne questy” closes it.
Wajda find
The festival’s biggest draw may be “Lekcja pływania” (“Swimming Lesson”), a Wajda film starring Marek Perepeczko. It was found in an archive in Milanówek.
“It will be one of the first screenings of this film in the world”, Skórko said.
Four retrospectives are planned, devoted to Wajda, Tadeusz Konwicki, Marcel Łoziński and Kądziela. A restored version of Henryk Szaro’s 1929 silent “Mocny człowiek” will be screened with live music in Vilnius and Mazeikiai.
Director Wojciech Smarzowski will attend screenings of his latest film, “Dom dobry”, in Vilnius.
Orlen Lietuva, the Lithuanian arm of Poland’s Orlen, is the main sponsor, and many screenings will be held in Mazeikiai, where it is based.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio, LRT