Thursday,
November 7th
Gala
Opening Reception and Award Ceremony
6:00
PM to 10 PM. Invitations and passes only.
To
obtain the pass, make a minimum donation of $175 per person.
Any
pass holder can be accompanied by guests who are 25 years of age or
younger for free.
More
details
Thursday,
November 7th
9:45PM.
Free screening.
El
Portal Theatre
5269
Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
THE DELUGE. POSTSCRIPTUM by Lukasz Czajka, 60 min.
TRAILER
Despite
the anti-Semitic campaign unleashed by the Polish People's Authorities in
the late
60s,
director Jerzy Hoffman completed work on the film "Colonel
Wolodyjowski." This
became
the gateway to the realization of "The Deluge," the most
expensive film in the
history
of Polish cinematography. During his work, the director not only has to
deal with
mounting
production problems and the distrust of the People's Authorities but also
with the
expectations
of millions of Poles. "The Deluge: Postscriptum" takes a look
behind the scenes
of
the creation of the iconic Polish historical film, nominated for an Oscar
in 1974, as well as
the
colorful life story of its creator.
&
CURIOSA
by Tessa Moult-Milewska, 8 min
Selected
for Oscars 2025 foreign animation.
***
Friday,
November 8th
7:00
PM. Tickets $20
Laemmle
Royal Cinema,
11523
Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
After
the screening Q&A with Ewa
Kasprzyk, Pawel Chmielewski and Andrzej
Andrzejewski
HUNT (Polowanie)
by Pawel Chmielewski, 120 min.
TRAILER
TICKETS
TO THE MOVIE
.
The
film is inspired by true events and follows Michal Król, a resident of a
provincial town.
After
a tragic accident caused by government negligence, Król decides to enter
politics and run for mayor.
***
Saturday,
November 9th
Laemmle
Town Center Encino,
17200
Ventura Blvd UNIT 121, Encino, CA 91316
1:00
PM Free screening
PFFLA
all animation films
After
the screening, Q&A with Jeremy Rzadowski and Marta Chyła-Janicka
THE
SAD FOREST by
Jeremi Rzadowski, 3 min
TRAILER
The
forest holds many dark and mysterious secrets of which the main characters
become a part.
On
their night journey, they encounter a mysterious figure who shares a
terrifying tale.
The
question remains whether the heroines will manage to escape their
unfortunate fate.
WAWEL
DRAGON by
Cameron Carr, 6 min
An
award winning adaptation of a classic Polish folktale, rich in
history,
culture
and magic told with an epic cinematic lens and stunning animation
puppetry!
SHE
CAT HIM by Marta Chyła-Janicka, 22 min
A
comedy-drama showing three stories from the life of a frustrated married
couple of intellectuals - Anna and Dawid.
The
film is intended only for adults because of the sharp humor that
emphasizes the impotence and emotional problems of the characters.
THE
CORPSE by Maciej
Rosa, 5 min
When
our time comes, we must leave the world and walk away. This is a standard
procedure, but for one dead man, it was delayed.
Because
of the crack in heaven’s red tape, he needs to stay on earth one day
longer. Just to fill in the time, he goes out of his place
and
experience the world last time.
LACK
by Pawel Prewencki, 6 min
The
film tells a story about struggling with pain and suffering. It touches on
a very personal experience.
It
is a story of loneliness, anger and grief experienced by parents who lose
a child. It is an intimate and emotional
visualization
of the world in which bereaved people live. It tells about a situation for
which no one is prepared,
and
the 'catalogue' of reactions we have known up to that point becomes
useless.
.
.
FRAME
by Adi Rosenberg, 3.5 min
An
elderly man in the early stages of dementia refuses to go to a
nursing
home
and experiences tangible visions that threaten the imaginary world he has
built.
***
2:00
PM Free screening
Q&A
with Piotr Matyja and Magdalena Juszczyk after the screening
A
BEAR NAMED WOJTEK short
by Iain Gardner, 28 min
TRAILER
Displaced
by the Second World War, a troop of Polish soldiers find an inseparable
bond
through
an orphaned bear they named Wojtek. A
BEAR NAMED WOJTEK tells the fantastic journey
of
an orphaned Syrian brown bear who was adopted by Polish soldiers during
World War II,
becoming
a beacon of hope and an emblem of their fate.
.
1863.
FOR
OUR FREEDOM AND YOURS
documentary by Magdalena Juszczyk, 58 min
An
illustration of history and its forever connection to Polish strive for
freedom.
January
Uprising is the heart of the story.
THE
ONLY SON short
by Piotr Matyja, 15 min
Jack,
a Polish Immigrant living in Los Angeles, will have to decide if he'll
sacrifice
his
morals to save his son's future.
4:00
PM Tickets $20
PUPA
LIBERA short by
Magda Magdalena Trebert, 10 min
Being
paid to spend a night is a crossing of a social threshold for Oliwia,
making her feel beautiful enough that a man
would
pay for sex with her. This life-changing experience leads her to realise
her worth,
and
the film explores themes of self-discovery, the need for touch, inner
strength, and loneliness among people.
WHEN
F***KING SPRING IS IN THE AIR
feature by Danyael Sugawara, 111 min
Punky
feel-good road movie about the 17 year old, rude, Polish Kasia and her
worthless family.
6:00
PM Tickets $20
DOUGHY
CAKE short by
Katarzyna Markowicz, 11 min
“Doughy
Cake” is a short film about the anxiety before the upcoming birth of a
child, aggravated
by
a realisation it is time to say goodbye to a loved one who is dying.
Alicja, seven months pregnant, comes to her parents
(Renata
and Andrzej) to make sure that her mother will be with her during the
birth. Her parents behave a bit unusually
and
then... they invite Alicja to their wedding and inform her about their
honeymoon, which falls exactly on the expected date of delivery.
When
Alice gets nervous, Andrzej sees no other option but to let her in on what
was driving them. It turns out that Renata
has
two months left to live and this is the last moment to enjoy life and
somehow get through this difficult time of saying farewell.
Alice,
in the beginning just furious and disappointed, is now hurt and helpless.
She is to become a mum, knowing that she will soon
lose
her own mother.
HEART
FLUTTERS. HERCLEKOTY
short by Eliza Godlewska, Alan Ruczynski, 23 min
Kuba
is a young, simple lad. He works in a carpenter's workshop and devotes any
free moment to raising
his
twelve-year-old daughter. His appearance and the way of behaving contrast
with his character and tenderness
towards
his child. Family is the most important thing to him,
so
he really hopes that he will be able to create a bond with a woman he's
just started seeing.
However,
Kuba has one serious flaw – he acts before he thinks. His impetuousness
leads to misfortune.
ON
THE POLISH TRIANGLE short by Ewa Figurski, 41 min
The
movie is based on the radio play "On the Polish Triangle"
broadcast in Chicago area on Polish Radio (92.7 FM).
The movie itself is
about modern Polish immigrants in the United States and their relatives
coming
from Poland for a family event. It shows different types of
immigrants,
a wide range of experiences as expatriates, and contrasting
lifestyle ideas.
7:30
PM Tickets $20
THE
DOG feature by
Ireneusz Grzyb, 101 min
After
a mysterious disappearance of their beloved dog, two teenagers confront
their parents,
who
gradually descend into madness in their attempt to solve the mystery. The
parents install cameras
in
the house and introduce a new set of rules. Everyone is under suspicion.
The situation begins to expose
the
sick bonds of a seemingly peaceful and ordinary neighbourhood family.
Hounded and frightened,
they
find it increasingly more difficult to think logically, while the mystery
becomes harder to unravel.
The
danger escalates until the domestic investigation spirals out of control,
leading to madness and violence.
A
mysterious enemy, hiding in their own home, ensnares the characters and
robs them of their safety.
Sunday,
November 10th
Hellada
Gallery,
117
Linden Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802
.
10:00
AM free screening
.
THE
ONE I LOVE documentary by Pawel Hejbudzki, 93 min
.
The
film The One I Love explores deeply universal human issues, particularly
the theme of revenge stemming
from
a lack of love and its devastating consequences. These themes are
especially relevant today, resonating with conflicts not only
in
Ukraine but also in other regions affected by war. The story reflects how
family disputes - ranging from political disagreements, grievances
about
upbringing, and unresolved traumas - can mirror larger global tensions,
showing that even micro-scale conflicts shape the current world.
The
film has sparked engaging discussions with audiences in Shanghai and
Warsaw, and it will soon do so in Rome, proving that, despite
geographical
distance from war zones, family conflicts are universally relatable across
countries.
.
.
11:30
AM free screening
LIFE:
8TH CHAPTER short by Bartłomiej Skupień, 23
min
A
small-town family's happiness is at stake when alcoholism and ambition
collide.
12:30
PM free screening
Q&A
with Filip Gasiorowski afret the screening
A
LIFE BURNED OUT IN CLAY. THE STORY OF WANDA SZRAJBEROWNA
documentary
by Krzysztof Henryk Paluszynski, 63 min
The
film tells the story of the life and artwork of an exceptional woman
living in the early 20th century,
Wanda
Szrajberówna – the leading lady of Polish ceramics. She was a teacher,
painter, illustrator, ceramist, designer,
activist,
and promoter of art. It brings back the memory of this extremely sensitive
and at the same time successful artist
and
promoter of the folk industry, full of passion, ambition and stubbornness.
Szrajberówna
had a special love and affection for folk ceramics, allowing her to
specialize in the field.
She
acquired museum objects in the field, went on a solo journeys and
discovering folk pottery centers
in
the remotest corners of Poland.
Simultaneously,
her artistic persona was marked by extraordinary modesty and humility,
posing challenges
in
identifying her works, which she never signed. She drew inspiration from
folk culture, crafting baptismal fonts,
shrines,
saintly figurines, angels, and crosses, all esteemed for their high level
of artistic craftsmanship during the interwar period.
The
film is anchored in fictionalized scenes, illustrating Wanda Szrajberówna's
professional and artistic path.
WARMTH
short by Klaudia Fortuniak, 15 min
Mother
and daughter are going to a funeral. The mother is taking away the coal
furnace for scrap that day,
and
the daughter is wearing brown tights. The furnace turns out to be heavy
and tights inadequate for the ceremony.
CHRONOS
short by Filip Gasiorowski, 14 min
Retired
chef and timed cooking contests' champion Karol Chronowski lives stuck in
the past. One day, a sudden
phonecall
breaks him out of his bubble – his long-lost son announces he's coming
to visit. Karol once again takes up
the
race against time, attempting to prepare an adequate meal before the
guest's arrival. He doesn't yet realise just
how
meaningful the forthcoming hours will turn out to be.
BE
SOMEBODY short
by Michal Toczek, 28 min
Story
about a family discovering that they moved to an apartment of Lech Walesa.
The
story of the Solidarity leader complicates their lives in a bizarre way.
2:40
PM free screening
LIVE
short by Mara Tamkovich, 13 min
A
peaceful demonstration in Minsk is brutally put down by the police. Two
female journalists from an independent
Belarusian
TV station are the only ones broadcasting the events live. When they are
tracked down by a police drone,
they
face a dramatic choice. A drama inspired by the true story of Katerina
Bakhvalova and Daria Chultsova from BELSAT TV.
Long
synopsis (up to 500 characters):
A
peaceful demonstration in Minsk in memory of Raman Bandarenka, a young man
who was beaten to death,
is
brutally put down by the police. The world learns about it through the
live coverage provided by two female
journalists
from an independent Belarusian TV station, who are the only ones reporting
live on the unfolding events.
For
safety reasons, they report from the windows of a nearby apartment. When
the
police
start shooting at the protesters and the women are spotted by a police
drone, they have little time to decide
whether
to continue their mission despite the risk.
ALWAYS
FRESH MONEY documentary
by Krzysztof Talczewski, 82 min
The
documentary "Always fresh money" presents over 100 years of
history of the Różycki bazaar, from
the
tsarist times to the present day. We get to know the specific world of
Yiddish culture and Jewish merchants
who
dominated the bazaar before the Second World War. We show German
repressions during the occupation
and
bazaar traders cooperating with the underground. The fight against the
independent trade of the Stalinist
authorities
and the resistance of merchants. The fascination of the literary world
with the specific and unique
atmosphere
of the Różycki bazaar (Tyrmand, Nowakowski, Hłasko, Głowacki).
The fight against the mafia
in
the 90s and the slow decline of the bazaar.
4:30
PM Free screening
I’VE
BEEN THERE short
by Anja Zalewska, 14 min
Ina
decides to become a plant as she comes of age. Yet, will the world let her
grow?
LELIWA documentary
by Andrzej Wyrozębski, 55 min
The
film is a story about Henryk Leliwa-Roycewicz, colonel of the Polish Army,
Olympian,
commander
of the "Kiliński" battalion. Next to Janusz Kusociński
and Bronisław Czech, he is one of the most
outstanding
figures in the history of Polish sport.
JULIAN
KULSKI AND THE MANAGEMENT OF OCCUPIED WARSAW
documentary
by Hanna Zofia Etemadi, 63 min
The
film fills the gap between the siege of the capital in September 1939 and
the uprising in 1944,
talking
about the occupation history of Warsaw and its inhabitants, their everyday
life and underground struggle.
Through
the eyes of a historian, we look at the occupier's actions aimed at
reducing the capital to the role
of
a medium-sized German city; we observe the heroic efforts of the City
Board under the leadership of Julian Kulski,
who,
after the arrest of Stefan Starzyński, organizes a fight to save the
lives and property of Warsaw residents;
saving
national cultural treasures. There are also forgotten and memorable names
of the Management Board's employees,
who
often paid the highest price for their dedication to the city. Unique
archive materials and occupation
songs
create an interesting whole.
7:00
PM Free screening
THE
LIGHTS ABOVE short
by Luke J. Salewski, 17 min
Months
after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a series of unidentified aircraft
sightings over Los Angeles
lead
a determined journalist to reluctantly pair up with a Japanese American
photographer to prevent another attack.
GAME
OVER feature by Paweł Powolny, 84 min
WOJTEK
(29), an unemployed gamer, receives a court order to leave
the
house of his mother, JOANNA (51), within a month. Upon returning home an
argument occurs between them,
after
which Wojtek finds Joanna unconscious at the entrance to the staircase.
The diagnosis shows a brainstem injury,
resulting
in the so-called "locked-in syndrome. Joanna is conscious, but other
than eye movements she is unable to move.
Her
chance of recovery can be increased by expensive rehabilitation. Wojtek is
forced to take matters into his own hands.
8:45
PM Free screening
TRENY
JANA KOCHANOWSKIEGO
short by Damian Bieniek, 31 min
“Polish
Film Literature” is a multi-year educational project promoting Poland's
literary heritage through
artistic
film adaptations of classics of Polish literature. The first film in the
series is a screen adaptation
of
Jan Kochanowski's “Threnody.” The film did not have its official
premiere and was only partially presented,
showing
one threnody; during film festivals as part of closed screenings.
Today,
the full, finished film, did not have its official premiere.
A
THEATRE MANIFESTO OF AN OLD MAN,
short by Christopher Vened Szwaja, 37 min
In
A Manifesto of An Old Man Christopher states his philosophy of acting and
theatre of meaning.
He
thinks that meaning has been lost in the modern/postmodern culture and
needs to be restored
or
found anew. He is a proponent of the strict interpretation of the
character.
***
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