4TH FESTIVAL OF POLISH CINEMA IN PERTH

OPENING NIGHT: AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE OF “SILENT NIGHT” 6 SEPT 6:30PM

POLISH FILM FESTIVAL IN PERTH proudly presents its 4th edition taking place from 6 to 24 September 2018 with an additional special event planned for 25 October 2018.

The 2018 Festival will feature a selection of nine award-winning titles and audience favourites, comprising of a variety of film genres to show the vast spectrum of contemporary Polish cinema. The year 2018 marks an important event in Polish history – the centenary of Poland regaining its independence after 123 years of foreign rule, which is going to be celebrated with a special screening on Thursday 25 October.

Kicking off with SILENT NIGHT (Cicha Noc), the unquestionable winner of the 2018 Eagles (Polish Oscars) that won in astonishing 10 out of 11 nominated categories including Best Film, Audience Award, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Discovery of the Year. It also won the Golden Lions Grand Prize for Best Film at the 2017 Gdynia Film Festival. The feature debut by Piotr Domalewski is a Christmas-time family drama infused with black humour with exceptional performances by Dawid Ogrodnik (Life Feels Good – PFFP 2015, The Last Family – PFFP 2017), Arkadiusz Jakubik (Life Feels Good, Carte Blanche – PFFP 2015, I’m a Killer – PFFP 2018), Agnieszka Suchora and Tomasz Schuchardt (Warsaw 44 – PFFP 2015).

Highlights of 2018 program also include:

Winner of the Golden Goblet for Best Director at the Shanghai International Film Festival 2017 and the Silver Lions for Best Film at the Gdynia Film Festival 2016, I’M A KILLER (Jestem Mordercą), by the award-winning director of one of the most successful Polish films in recent years, the internationally awarded LIFE FEELS GOOD (Chce się żyć).  I’M A KILLER by Maciej Pieprzyca is a fascinating psychological thriller that flawlessly combines elements of comedy, drama and gripping murder investigation. It was inspired by the true story of a man sentenced to death in a circumstantial trial in the 1970s.

Awarded the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at 2018 Berlin Film Festival, MUG (Twarz), by the acclaimed Polish director Małgorzata Szumowska, who will sit on the Jury of the Main Competition of the 75th Venice Film Festival. It’s a tragicomedy about a young construction worker who is disfigured in a near-fatal accident that forever changes not only his appearance but also his life.

The last feature film of the highly successful husband and wife duo of Joanna  Kos Krauze  and  the  late  Krzysztof  Krauze set in Rwanda and in Poland. BIRDS ARE SINGING IN KIGALI (Ptaki Śpiewają w Kigali) depicts  the  process  of  recovering  from  trauma and  the tragic  necessity of choosing life after miraculously  surviving the hell  of  genocide, witnessed by two women: Anna, a Polish ornithologist working in Africa and Claudine, a Tutsi woman rescued by Anna. The film won multiple awards worldwide, including Silver Hugo Best Director and Silver Hugo Best Actress (Jowita Budnik, Eliane Umuhire) at the Chicago International Film Festival and Best Actress (Jowita Budnik, Eliane Umuhire) at the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to name only a few.

The Festival will close with one of the most spectacular recent debuts about anxieties overpowering the modern society. In PANIC ATTACK (Atak Paniki) by Paweł Maślona comedy and tragedy come together when seemingly unrelated stories of ordinary people lead to a dramatic climax showing how one’s entire world can collapse at any given moment. The film light-heartedly touches on first world problems people face in 21st century cities.

The year 2018 marks an important event in Polish history – the centenary of Poland regaining its independence after 123 years of foreign rule. Numerous events and celebrations marking the occasion are being held around the world. POLISH FILM FESTIVAL IN PERTH celebrates 100 Years of Poland’s Regained Independence with a special screening on 25 October of the newest film release about the legendary Polish 303 Squadron that will premiere in Poland on 31 August.

SQUADRON 303 (Dywizjon 303) tells the thrilling story of the celebrated Polish 303 “Kościuszko” Squadron and their heroic fight for a free Europe alongside RAF pilots in the Battle of Britain. They were the highest-scoring Allied fighter squadron, downing three times the average Royal Air Force score while suffering only one third of the casualties. The Polish-British coproduction is based on the non-fiction book by Arkady Fiedler, a writer and journalist who chronicled the extraordinary achievements of 303 Squadron after noticing the attention of British press on Polish pilots.

The 4th POLISH FILM FESTIVAL IN PERTH is presented by Nicheliving and organised with the support and under the honorary patronage of the Consulate General of Republic of Poland in Sydney , with the support of Polish Film Institute and many other partners and sponsors.  

2018 Festival will screen exclusively at Luna Leederville in Perth.

Full details at  http://www.polishfilmfestival.org

Tickets are now on sale at Luna Leederville, online or in person at the box office.

The festival lineup features nine recent Polish films and marks the Australian premiere screenings for six of them and Western Australian premiere for all of them. The tenth film SQUADRON 303 screens a month later on 25 October, also in Luna Leederville.

• SILENT NIGHT (Cicha Noc) by Piotr Domalewski;          Thursday 6 September 6.30pm
• I’M A KILLER (Jestem Mordercą) by Maciej Pieprzyca; Sunday 9 September 6.30pm
• MUG (Twarz) by Małgorzata Szumowska;                  Tuesday 11 September 6.30pm   
• READY TO ROLL.EXTERMINATOR (Gotowi na Wszystko) Thursday 13 September 6.30pm by Michał Rogalski;      

• BIRDS ARE SINGING IN KIGALI (Ptaki Śpiewają w Kigali) Sunday 16 September 6.30pm  
• by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze;
• VOLTA (Volta) by Juliusz Machulski;                                Tuesday 18 September 6.30pm
• LULLABY KILLER (Ach Śpij Kochanie) by Krzysztof Lang;  Thursday 20 September 6.30pm 
• TAXING LOVE (Podatek od Miłości) by Bartosz Ignaciuk;     Sunday 23 September 6.30pm
• PANIC ATTACK (Atak Paniki) by Paweł Maślona;         Monday 24 September 6.30pm 

SPECIAL SCREENING:

• SQUADRON 303 (Dywizjon 303) by Denis Delic Thursday 25 October 6.30pm 

2018 Polish Film Festival  in proudly presented with the support of: General Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Sydney, Polish Film Institute, Nicheliving 

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POLISH FILM FESTIVAL IN PERTH is a community driven local initiative that showcases the breadth of modern Polish cinema to West Australian audiences. Established in 2015, it is the only annual event dedicated to presenting Polish films to West Australians. The Festival aims to present a range of contemporary, award winning works and box office hits from renowned and up and coming Polish filmmakers. It creates a unique opportunity for Perth audience to experience the rich Polish culture and watch film productions that are rarely presented in Australian theatres or television.

POLISH FILM FESTIVAL IN PERTH 
w: www.polishfilmfestival.org
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