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
.
.
..
.
.
.
Program
of the 26th Annual Polish Film Festival Los Angeles:
.
..
November
20th, Thursday, 9:00
PM
El
Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hollywood, CA 91601
FREE
SCREENING
ANTONI
PATEK PATRIOT AND WATCHMAKER (Antony
Patek patriota i zegarmistrz)
Director
Krzysztof Henryk Paluszyński, Documentary Film, 65 min
.
...
The
film is a fictionalized documentary depicting
the life and work of Antoni Patek – a
November Uprising fighter settled in
Switzerland, a figure of the Great Emigration,
and a prominent entrepreneur. The film's
protagonist left a lasting mark on world
history, creating one of the most
recognizable, exclusive, and coveted watch
brands in the world – Patek Philippe. Antoni
Patek created watches that not only measured
time but were also masterpieces of art! It's
no wonder he is called the watchmaker of
kings. His products were worn by Queen
Victoria, Queen Louise of Denmark, King Victor
Emmanuel III, and Tsar Nicholas II, among
others. Throughout his life in exile, Patek
actively supported those who found themselves
there, seeking refuge from the persecution of
the occupying powers. The name Antoni Patek
actively shaped the image of a vanished Poland
in Europe and around the world. He adorned the
watches produced in his factory with patriotic
and religious motifs, such as portraits of
Polish national heroes, battle scenes
commemorating Poland's greatest victories, the
coats of arms of Polish noble families, and
images of the Virgin Mary. Along with other
prominent figures from the post-uprising
emigration, he cultivated Polish culture,
striving to lay the foundations for the
reconstruction of the Polish state. Although
everything he did was with his lost homeland
in mind, for many years he was greatly
underappreciated. Almost forgotten. This film
aims to restore Antoni Patek to his rightful
place in the pantheon of great Poles. Patek's
efforts to promote Polish culture, his
patriotic and social activities, and above
all, the contribution of the company he
founded to the development of global
watchmaking, provide excellent material for a
film that explores not only this exceptional
figure but also the extraordinary and
difficult times for our country, when Poland
was being erased from the map of Europe.
10:05
PM – Q&A with the filmmakers
.
November
21st, Friday, 8:00 PM
Hellada
Gallery, 117 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
FREE
SCREENING
DR.
ZYGMUNT KLUKOWSKI ANATOMY OF FREEDOM (Dr. Zygmunt Klukowski
anatomia wolnosci)
Director
Damian Bieniek, Documentary Film, 31 min
...
The
Catholic University of Lublin Library
preserves the rich legacy of Dr. Zygmunt
Klukowski in its manuscript collection.
During
his rich and productive life, this physician,
social activist, regionalist, bibliophile, and
Home Army soldier amassed a substantial book
collection, as well as a wealth of materials
on the history of the Zamość region.
Prominent among these are his memoirs from
1918-1939 and his diaries written during the
German occupation and the first years after
the Red Army entered Poland.
These
are invaluable sources depicting life in a
small town in the interwar period, presented
from the perspective of an educated man who,
through his activities in the fields of health
care and culture, sought to improve the
standard of living of its residents as a
physician and researched the history of this
place as a regionalist.
During
the dark night of occupation, he continuously
documented the lives of the inhabitants of
Szczebrzeszyn and the surrounding towns and
villages. It describes German crimes and the
attitudes of local residents, not avoiding
difficult topics, negative behavior, and
brutal everyday life.
In
2024, Zygmunt Klukowski's diary from the years
of occupation of the Zamość region
(November 18, 1939 - March 18, 1954) was
included on the prestigious Polish National
Register of the UNESCO Memory of the World
Programme.
8:40
PM – Q&A with the filmmakers
.
..
.
November
22nd, Saturday,
1:00 PM
Laemmle
Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd, #121, Encino, CA 91316
FREE
SCREENING
.
BUTTERFLY
EFFECT
Director
Aglaja Semienova, Short Film, 9 min.
..
.
After
undergoing a great shake and losing his loved
ones... Michael the butterfly has to choose
between letting go of his past and moving
on... or getting revenge.
EWA’S LETTER
Director
Keaton James Browning, Short Film, 12 min
..
.
As
martial law grips 1980’s Poland, a single
mother spearheads the Solidarity Movement,
defying the oppressive government in the hopes
of providing a brighter future for her son.
FROM
YOU (Przez ciebie, po
tobie)
Director
Jędrzej Górski, Short Film, 15 min
..
.
From
You" is the story of a father and son
who, after the death of their grandfather, a
famous journalist, come together for one night
to discuss the deceased. Everything takes a
turn when hidden family secrets come to light,
reshaping the dynamics of their relationship.
ENDS
AND BEGINNINGS(Konce
i poczatki)
Director
Klaudia Fortuniak, Short Film, 18 min
..
.
Wednesday.
Wrong lemons, Anna's pipes and stolen tram
rails. And these beautiful apples, champions.
What is ending today and what is beginning?
FATHERLAND
Director
Ania Johnston, Short Film, 15 min
..
.
Sabina,
a 22-year-old medical student, is tasked with
burying her grandfather’s ashes in
Rutki-Kossaki, Poland. According to her
grandfather’s will, she must enlist the help
of her estranged half-uncle, Mietek, a
78-year-old farmer and Rutki-Kossaki local. As
Sabina and Mietek navigate their contrasting
values and personalities—her quiet demeanor
and trust in scientific progress contrasting
with his outspoken attitude and naturalist
mindset—the story explores themes of
mortality, generational grief, and how family
lineage can lead the heart to peace.
.
.
MOTHER (Matka)
Director
Sebastian Kwidziński, Short Film, 29 min
.
..
.
Paulina
is released after serving a sentence for the
murder of her husband, Andrzej. She returns to
her hometown to reunite with her
eleven-year-old son, Nikodem. Jadwiga,
Paulina's mother-in-law and Nikodem's daily
caregiver, refuses to allow this reunion. The
elderly woman is still grieving the loss of
her son, Andrzej, and is unable to forgive
Paulina for what she has done.
The
film explores the subject of domestic violence
and its consequences.
LET’S
WAIT A LITTLE LONGER
Director
Wiktoria Kwoka, Short Film, 15 min
..
.
Post-war
Poland. 10-year-old Marysia lives in the
countryside with her mother, Helena, who
managed to survive a concentration camp. One
day Helena announces that her brother -
Marysia's uncle - is coming to join them for
dinner. Although Marysia herself survived the
occupation in shelter, she experiences
first-hand that the nightmare of war does not
end with the ceasefire.
2:45
PM - Q&A with the filmmakers
November
22nd, Saturday,
3:15 PM
Laemmle
Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd, #121, Encino, CA 91316
GDYNIA
FILM SCHOOL PRESENTS:
FREE
SCREENING
.
NOTHING
SERIOUS (Nic powaznego)
Director
Kamil Czudeja, Short Film, 21 min
...
Daniel
ends up at a party where he can't find his
way. By coincidence, he gets caught up in
paying a delivery girl for a stack of pizzas.
When Daniel manages to settle the debt, the
newly met girl is stolen by an employee's
bicycle. The unexpected situation breaks the
ice and prompts the youngsters to have a frank
conversation.
SUCH
A PERFECT DAY (Taki szczesliwy dzien)
Director
Piotr Pluta, Short Film, 18 min
...
Tomasz
needs money. Today he will win it all back -
his manufacture, his wife, and his son, who is
turning 10 years old. Fortunately, his
gambling addiction helps him win a lot of
money. Today will be the day. However, trying
to make his son happy may turn out to be a
disaster for him
.
ATTRACTION
(Przyciaganie)
Director
Aleksandra Szczepaniak, Short Film, 19 min
...
A
scorching holiday in a countryside puts a
close relationship of teenage siblings into a
test. Charmed by her younger brother Ania,
makes an effort to fight for his feelings.
OLGA
Director
Lulu Pomorova, Documentary Film, 17 min
...
Breaking
stereotypes, Olga shares her daily life in
hope of being understood. Even though the
world is not yet ready to accept her rights as
sexual worker, she is trying to fight for them.
LOVE
PROXY
Director
Marcin Niemkiewicz, Short Film, 24 min
...
Gniewko,
a sensitive, and shy software engineer works
for a major IT company. His life takes a turn
when he gets a chance to use an extraordinary
invention – a robot doppelgänger. This
robot not only looks better, but also behaves
in a more confident manner. It’s calm,
persistent, and comes with a built-in speech
auto-correction feature.
The idea of using the robot for work is
enticing, but Gniewko has something else in
mind. He plans to use his mechanical alter ego
to get closer to Lena – a co-worker he's
secretly in love with.
5:00
PM – Q&A with the filmmakers
.
.
.
November
22nd, Saturday,
5:30 PM
Laemmle
Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd, #121, Encino, CA 91316
WAJDA
SCHOOL AND STUDIO PRESENTS:
FREE
SCREENING
.
THE
TRAP
Director
Vitalii Havura, Short Film, 9 min
..
.
Ukraine,
2022. Kherson under Russian occupation. Son,
who is involved with the armed underground,
visits his mother to find out if she has given
the Russians his whereabouts. The woman is
certain that the occupation is actually
salvation, and that everyone should cooperate
with the Russians. The mother and son quarrel.
The already tense situation results in an
unexpected twist as the son decides to leave.
STIMULANTS
& EMPATHOGENS (Stymulanty i empatogeny)
Director
Mateusz Pacewicz, Short Film, 25 min
..
.
Antek
(18), a a closeted teenage gay from a wealthy
family, invites a drug dealer - Kuba (18) - he
has a hopeless crush on - to his villa under
the pretext of another drug transaction.
However, he does not know that Kuba has a
mission that he received from his superiors -
his Father and his Brother. The dealer's
family suspects that Antek resells their
mephedrone at a profit at his school, so Kuba
is supposed to investigate the situation. The
story begins as a romantic comedy of errors,
turns into a social satire to end, after
various adventures, with an emotional plot
twist.
GETTING
TO KNOW ME (Jeszcze mnie nie znasz)
Director
Joanna Krzyżewska, Experimental Film, 30 min
.
Surprised
by unexpected news of a pregnancy, the couple
decides to capture this peculiar time in their
lives on film. The mobile phone they pass from
one to another witnesses their everyday life
and instigates questions and doubts.
She
experiences extreme emotions that should
better be hidden than revealed. He
consequently renovates the flat and feels that
there is no room for his weakness. However,
they try to hold hands. Everyday life exposes
the dynamics of a couple who have to get to
know each other once again.
BASIA:
THREE SHORT STORIES (Trzy opowiadania o Basi)
Director
Mateusz Pietrak, Documentary Film, 29 min
.
An
intimate portrait of Basia, an energetic lady
in her eighties. We observe her as a
grandmother, mother and sister. In simple
scenes from her daily life, humour meets
nostalgia as the essential themes of love,
aging and death are unexpectedly touched upon.
Passing away is a leitmotif that fully
resonates in the unpredictable finale.
6:50
PM – Q&A with the filmmakers
.
.
.
November
22nd, Saturday, 7:30 PM
Laemmle
Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd, #121, Encino, CA 91316
TICKETS:
$16 at the ticket office before the screening.
BIDET
Director
James Brylowski, Short Film, 7 min
..
.
A
group of best friends are hunted by a
possessed bidet.
In
a ruined world where survival is the only
goal, a lone wanderer roams the wastelands.
Haunted by fragmented memories of a life once
lived, he meets a stranger and begins to
unravel his dark past. As time loses its
meaning and the last remnants of humanity slip
through his fingers, the journey becomes a
battle not only against the void around him
but against the turmoil within his own soul.
.
9:00
PM – Q&A with the filmmakers
November
23rd, Sunday, 1:30 PM
Hellada
Gallery, 117 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
FREE
SCREENING
.
ESSENCE
OF YOURSELF
Director
Patrycja Kupczyk, Animation Film
, 1,5 min
..
.
In
a moment of turmoil, stress, and overwhelm,
Celly, the brain cell escapes her body seeking
excitement in the outside world, unaware that
her body is in grave danger, if she doesn’t
take a break.
IT’S
SHOWTIME!!!
Director
Jakub Kostewicz, Animation Film
, 4 min
..
.
The
pre-emptive explanation of the artist's
intentions stands in opposition to their
mysterious persona. The babble of a clumsy
host makes it harder and harder to engage with
the performance.
'It's
Showtime!!!' is a spoof on the mechanism of
assimilation of queer culture by the
mainstream audience. Underground drag practice
is commodified by the artworld to fit its
narrow criteria.
MARGO
Director
Michalina Sąsiadek, Animation Film, 9,5 min
A
puppet animation short film called Margo tells
the story of a young inventor facing the
challenge of creating an invention. However,
she lacks some of the plans for the device in
question and is also interrupted by mysterious
drawers in the middle of her work. The
character has to deal with constant failures,
as well as interference from an unknown entity
- an enemy, or perhaps a friend?
.
.
NUTCRACKER
GIRL (Dziewczynka do orzechow)
Director
Michalina Musialik, Animation Film, 14 min
.
.
..
The
Nutcracker Girl" is a film in the
therapeutic genre that symbolically addresses
the issue of gender inequality. One Christmas
evening, a little girl discovers toys under
the tree—a rocking horse, an army of toy
soldiers, and a dollhouse. One of the toy
soldiers becomes interested in her cherished
doll. While dancing together, he unexpectedly
crosses a line by putting his hand under her
skirt. Shocked, the doll rejects him, leading
to a retaliatory act where he smashes her
head. This incident initiates a series of
events, offering the little girl a glimpse
into the real world of adults, full of sexual
needs, lust for power and the pursuit of
personal satisfaction.
THERE
WILL BE NO OTHER END
Director
Piotr Milczarek, Animation Film
, 8 min
..
.
A
short film about society (in five chapters).
THE
DOOR (Drzwi)
Director
Paulina Woźniak, Animation Film, 2 min
It’s
the middle of the night, and the protagonist
wakes up, disturbed by sounds coming from
behind her bedroom door. In the darkness, she
tries to make sense of the unsettling
situation, observing the light seeping through
the door and listening intently to the noises.
Unable to see what is happening, she realizes
that, while she is observing the unseen,
something is also watching her.
The
film was created as a form of art therapy,
based on the personal experience of losing
someone in a shared space. It serves as a
sensory analysis of those events, examining
feelings of fear and uncertainty.
PAPER
LOVE
Director
Jeremi Rzadowski, Animation Film, 6,5 min
..
.
One
night, a terrified princess appears before a
cruel ruler. When she learns of her father's
plans for her, the princess decides to escape.
The ruler's trusted servant, Putok, sets off
in pursuit of her. Will the desire for freedom
and the right to make her own choices triumph
over the possessive vision of the despotic
king? The characters created by the author,
cut out of paper and animated under the
camera, come to life, showcasing the
extraordinary nature of a child's imagination,
spontaneity, and the joy of bringing ideas to
life.
.
THE
EXECUTION OF MEMORY (Ekzekucja pamieci)
Director
Gabi Bania, Animation Film, 10 min
..
.
The
film is a metaphorical story about the
"demons of the past" and the fight
that must be taken to be able to free
ourselves from them.
The
animation is a screen adaptation of Jerzy
Ficowski’s poem under the same title from
the poetry volume "A Reading of
Ashes" that is devoted to the subject of
the Holocaust and World War II.
The
poetry volume was published on the occasion of
the fiftieth anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto
Uprising.
.
.
.
FLAME
Submitter
Elzbieta Muskietorz, Animation Film, 2 min
..
.
"Flame"
/ "Spark" is a new interpretation of
the lyrics of a classic Polish lullaby,
rewritten in a way that highlights the issue
of social pressure faced by women. From a
young age, girls are taught to believe that
getting married is the key to a fairytale
life. In this story, the spark symbolizes the
influence of pop culture and princess movies,
while the shadows reflect societal
expectations.
However,
it soon becomes clear that happiness is not
guaranteed for everyone, and some find
themselves trapped in toxic relationships.
Will the protagonist be able to break the
cycle? And what awaits her at the crossroads?
The
animation was created using an original,
experimental wood-burning technique, giving it
a distinctive character. The entire piece
revolves around the symbolism of fire: the
spark associated with emotions, the candle
representing the heart, toxic smoke, and
mysterious will-o'-the-wisps.
TO
THE KINDERGARTEN, LA LA LA(Do przedszkola la, la, la)
Director
Kajetan Łukasz Pochylski, Animation Film, 8,5 min
..
.
This
is a short story inspired by the everyday
journey to kindergarten of a father and
daughter. The encountered characters are an
exaggerated depiction of residents of Polish
apartment blocks. What adults might see as a
kind of "pathology", for a child is
a normal situation, which they name and
describe in a way understandable to
themselves, their age, and maturity. The daily
journey to kindergarten depicted in the film
is a real challenge and cultural shock.
PLEASE
DON’T CALL
Director
Agnieszka Łukasiewicz, Animation Film, 2 min
A
chase in which a motorcyclist is being pursued
by their inner demons.
NIBBLING
OF THE NIGHT (Nocne podgryzanie)
Director
Gabi Bania, Animation Film, 10 min
..
.
Nibbling
of the Night" is a women-empowering film
and a black comedy with an inspiring moral,
which, under a mask of humor, presents a story
about the mutual understanding of three women
who help each other, creating a female
alliance. Although they seem to be the exact
opposite of one another, they are united by a
common desire for freedom, happiness and
living as independent and emancipated.
The
film also tells the problem of unhappy people
who lack the strength to make the necessary
changes in their lives and who need the
stimulus given to them by others to take
control of their fate again.
Suzy
and Billy are an unhappy middle-aged couple
whose affection has long faded away. Suzy
feels used by her careless husband, enslaved
by the role of a subordinate housewife. She
escapes from her worries and loneliness into
an addiction of night's gluttony, spending
night hours next to the kitchen’s
refrigerator. However, one night, her
depressing fate is going to change thanks to a
visit of two female vampires, who become for
her a model of the strong, independent, and
emancipated woman she always wanted to be.
The
animation contains references to Gothic
literature, and all the characters' dialogues
are spoken in rhymes similarly to the Polish
stage dramas of the Romantic era.
The
film was made using the classic stop-motion
puppet animation technique and took over three
years to create. Everything we see on screen
was hand-made and hand-painted.
FOUR
WALLS OF MEMORY (Cztery sciany pamieci)
Director
Joanna Płatek, Animation Film
, 12 min
..
.
A
story about a girl who wanted to escape her
own fear, but accidentally traps herself
together
with it in a small cabin in the woods. Locked
inside four walls, with no way out, she has to
deal with hunger, cold and the fear of
something that once wanted to hurt her... but
now lies dead beside her.
.
3:00
PM - Q&A with the filmmakers
.
.
November
23rd, Sunday, 3:30
PM
Hellada
Gallery, 117 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
FREE
SCREENING
.
SYNC
Director
Carolina Alvarez, Feature Film, 84 min
..
.
In
a near-future, micro-chipped Los Angeles, a
new communications app "Sync" allows
individuals to sync minds with one another in
order to communicate more efficiently and
foster closer connection. A young, anxious
woman, Ayla, decides to move in with a new
roommate, Devin, who is a childhood friend
with whom she lost touch. The women decide to
sync their minds for a chance to foster a
closer friendship. Ayla begins to notice some
very disturbing thoughts and behavior from
Devin and as their relationship quickly grows
toxic, she starts dreaming about Devin's
memories. Ayla realizes she has less than 72
hours to save herself from permanent mental
domination before the sync is officially
complete.
.
5:00
PM - Q&A with the filmmakers
November
23rd, Sunday, 5:20
PM
Hellada
Gallery, 117 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
FREE
SCREENING
THE
MULTIDIMENSIONALS: STAR ENVOY
Director
Ewa Pirog-Rojas, Feature Film, 83 min
..
.
Ulrin,
a born underdog is tasked with getting an
unacknowledged Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
black budget program known as STAR ENVOY up
and running. Ulrin locates and recruits
civilians with extraterrestrial connections
for government service as
"ambassadors". Along the way he is
helped by different species working within the
government structure while navigating other
unseen forces which threaten to destroy the
program. Will it be a failure of cosmic
proportions?
6:45
PM - Q&A with the filmmakers
November
23rd, Sunday, 7:00
PM
Hellada
Gallery, 117 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
FREE
SCREENING
.
.
.
DISCOVERING
EDMUND
Director
Isabella Kolb, Documentary Film, 49 min
.
When
director Isabella Kolb learned that her
great-great-uncle was imprisoned in Stutthof,
the first German concentration camp
established on Polish soil during the Second
World War, she begins an investigation into
his story and the camp's little-known history.
Despite its significance, Stutthof remains one
of the least documented sites of Nazi
persecution, leaving families of its victims
with lingering questions.
Through
witness testimonies and archival traces, the
film follows Kolb's search for Uncle Edmund
and the lives of those who endured Stutthof,
offering a quiet reflection on memory, loss,
and the lasting echoes of trauma that continue
to shape the generations that followed.
.
7:50
PM - Q&A with the filmmakers
November
23rd, Sunday, 8:10
PM
Hellada
Gallery, 117 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
FREE
SCREENING
.
PEOPLE
ON THE MOVE (Ludzie w drodze)
Directors
Dominika Laster, Trevor Meier, Documentary Film
, 17 min
..
.
This
film documents the dire humanitarian crisis of
non-white refugees stranded on the
Poland-Belarus border and explores the local
activist interventions to address the
situation. The film aims to draw international
attention and spark the political will to
redress this crisis, which is both acute and
chronic, and requires urgent and strategic
intervention.
The film further amplifies the work of local
activists engaged in developing varied
interventions from the very outset of this
humanitarian crisis.
ELMI
Director
Bartosz Wróblewski, Documentary Film
, 31 min
.
..
.
Over
30 years ago Elmi Abdi left his home in a
shirt and sandals, without documents or money.
To this day he has not returned. The civil war
in Somalia unexpectedly led him to a
years-long journey around the world, which
ended in Poland. There he played soccer with
Poles, worked behind a bar in Warsaw, and sold
drinks as a non-drinking Muslim. He learned a
new language and eventually decided, based on
his own difficult experiences, to dedicate his
life to helping people who found themselves in
similar situations. He was named Social Worker
of the Year in 2019. He believes that one
should never give up but always try to
overcome difficulties, no matter how serious
they are.
IN
LIMBO
Director
Alina Maksimienko, Documentary Film, 71 min
.
First
days of the War Alina, one of the film’s
protagonists, disabled after leg surgery,
spends alone
with
the cat, in her home in a small city near Kyiv.
She looks for the ways to escape. The bridges
are
destroyed. Alina manages to find the only road
useful and get away with the cat to her
parents, caught by the War in their cottage in
the nearby village. For the first weeks of the
invasion everyone tries to live normally. The
mother conducts online lessons, the father
takes care of the cats and all the other
animals in the neighborhood left behind, Alina
records current events with her camera. The
sounds of the approaching front force the
family to alter their perspective. The way one
sees and feels changes. When the neighbors
leave their homes, Alina and her parents,
under the cover of the night, hurry to pack.
However, at the last moment, the father
decides to stay. The camera tells the story of
people caught in the war situation caused by
the aggressive invasion. It portraits the
process of how the family ties, the emotional
bonds, relationship with the animals and the
country itself – are getting deeper and
stronger.
.
10:10
PM - Q&A with the filmmakers
.***
.
.
.
.Friday, May 2nd,
7:00PM
PFFLA Screening Room,
117 Linden Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802
November
7th, 2024. Pawel Chmielewski Director of HUNT and Marek Dzida, Director
of PFFLA
at
the 25th Annual Gala Opening of Polish Film Festival Los Angeles at El
Portal Theatre, N. Hollywood.
.
.
PFFLA
NEWS FLASH ( VIII )
October
24th, 2024
Polish
Film Festival Los Angeles welcomes Waldemar Wilk as part of the team.
Waldemar Wilk is the
driving force behind the festival's creative vision,
and
he is working tirelessly putting together the 25th Polish Film Festival
in Los Angeles!
***
Film
expert, cinema historian, film critic, publicist.
In 1984
he connected to film forever! A cinema programmer, film distributor and
a journalist. A script and edit doctor for Aurum Film.
In
1985 he was elected chairman of the Polish Federation of Film Clubs. The
jury of the International Federation of Film Clubs FICC. From 1988 he
collaborated with the Lagow Film Festivals as the curator of
retrospectives and programmer.
Chairperson
of the Polish Film Festivals in Lubomierz, Jelenia Gora and many others.
Jury for the International Film Festivals, co-author and book editor.
.
PFFLA
NEWS FLASH ( VI )
September
20th, 2024
The
films of 25th Polish Film Festival Los Angeles have been selected. They
are:
.
FEATURES
GAME
OVER, 84 min
WHEN
F***KING SPRING IS IN THE AIR, 111 min
THE
DOG, 90 min
.
DOCUMENTARIES
THE
DELUGE. POSTSCRIPTUM, 60 min
JULIAN
KULSKI AND THE MANAGEMENT
OF
OCCUPIED WARSAW, 63 min
LELIWA,
54 min
THE
ONE I LOVE, 93 min
A
LIFE BURNED OUT IN CLAY, 63 min
ALWAYS
FRESH MONEY, 82 min
FOR
OUR FREEDOM AND YOURS, 58 min
A
THEATER MANIFESTO OF AN OLD MAN, 37 min
.
SHORTS
A
BEAR NAMED WOJTEK, 28 min
WARMTH,
15 min
CHRONOS,
13 min
BE
SOMEBODY, 27 min
THE
ONLY SON, 15 min
HEART
FLUTTERS, HERCKLEKOTY, 23 min
FRAME,
4 min
THE
LIGHTS ABOVE, 17 min
DOUGHY
CAKE, 11 min
TRENY
JANA KOCHANOWSKIEGO, 31 min
LIVE,
13 min
I’VE
BEAN THERE, 14 min
LIFE:
8TH CHAPTER, 23 min
PUPA
LIBERIA, 10 min
ON
THE POLISH TRIANGLE, 41 min
ANIMATIONS
THE
CORPSE, 5 min
SHE
CAT HIM, 22 min
WAWEL
DRAGON, 6 min
LACK,
11 min
THE
SAD FOREST, 3 min
FRAME, 3,5 min
.
PFFLA
NEWS FLASH ( II )
August
14, 2024
.
To
add to a festive celebration of the 25th anniversary of the festival
everyone
who donates $175 or more for a Gala Award Reception on November 7th will be able to bring
guests for free
- as long as they
are 25 years of age or younger.
.
.
Marek
Dzida
PFFLA
Executive Director
.
.
.
.
.
PFFLA
NEWS FLASH ( I )
August
6, 2024
.
The
2024 film submission open window has concluded.
From
now on until September 30th, the PFFLA Selection Committee
will
choose the films to be nominated to the Hollywood Eagle Awards and
to
be included in the 25th Annual Polish Film Festival Los Angeles program.
.
There
are 55 films submitted.
19
animations, 16 short films, 17 documentaries, 3 feature films.
There
will be additional, not competing for the awards feature films
included
in
the program and will be announced in a later day.
.
Let's
wait for the list of accepted to the festival films patiently.
We
will publicize the lucky ones as soon as we make our decision.
..
Marek
Dzida
PFFLA
Executive Director
.
Screen
shot from an animation film “JOKO” by Dr. Izabela Pluciński
and
4 films: “Identities”, “Identities 2”, “Travels”, and
“Mathieu” by Dr.Piotr Perski.
Program:
5pm
to 8pm - Reception and artist's presentation.
8pm
- film screenings.
Snacks
and refreshments will be available.
***
Dr.
Izabela Plucińska
She
is a multi-awarded Polish animator and director who lives and works in
Berlin. She has developed her own technique for creating animated films:
she films figures that she herself makes from clay and plasticine.
Thanks to the developed, special way of animation, the director manages
to achieve the effect of smooth penetration of colors and even
"painting" with plasticine.
Dr.
Piotr Perski
He
is a Polish artist and university professor from Kalisz, lives in
Barcelona. He participates in the publication and illustration of:
artist's books from the workshop directed by Karen Stahlecker. Since
2020 he has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the
University of Barcelona. He has participated in more than 70 group
exhibitions in Spain, Poland, Germany, Cyprus, Singapore, USA and in
Spanish and Polish art competitions.
PFFLA
NEWS FLASH ( XI )
January
26th, 2025
.
.
.
Oscar
nominations for 2025 Academy Awards
Award
annoucement: March 2nd, Dolby Theatre, Hollywood
Free
admission, Polish snacks and beers will be available.
Janek,
a graphic designer from a big city, is summoned to the
opening of the last will of a complete stranger. Eager to
learn the history of his family, he and his younger sister
drive to a small town. Unexpectedly, Janek receives a
house by a lake, but he's not the only one who claims the
right to the property. Janek's acceptance sets off an
avalanche of disastrous events that throw his organised
life out of kilter.
Free
admission, Polish snacks and beers will be available.
In
the early 1990s, in crisis-stricken Poland, a
controversial TV star Jurek Owsiak responds to the plea of
two doctors. They desperately need money for medical
equipment. Owsiak starts a fundraiser and, consequently,
creates the largest charity organization in the country,
the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Over the next
two decades, the Orchestra grows stronger with Polish
democracy, mixing charity with rock music and a hippie
ethos. Przystanek Woodstock, an event that is intended to
be a free music festival for Orchestra volunteers, has
become the largest free festival in Europe, celebrating
the ideals of rock'n'roll.
"Phenomenon"
is an intimate portrait of Owsiak. We see him as he
transforms from a carefree hippie into a symbol of
charity, unaware that he will inadvertently place himself
in the centre of a brutal political conflict. In 2019,
Paweł Adamowicz, the president of Gdańsk, dies
during the annual final of the Great Orchestra of
Christmas Charity.
Utopian
vision based on music, love and friendship clashes with a
new era ruled by internet hate. The resulting tragedy is a
huge blow to the very heart of Owsiak's idealism. We
witness how he and his Orchestra cope with this challenge.
Nawoja,
a tormented witch, buries the head of a dead animal under
the barn, casting a curse on the perfect life of her
neighbor Bielakowa. Young Bielakowa organizes a rehearsal
of an all-female folk band in her house, even though she
feels that evil forces are creeping into her world. A
friendship develops between the band members. Before the
day is over, the girls will have to face the curse of
Nawoja. They meet again a few decades later for another
rehearsal - older, wiser, but still a tight-knit and
spirited group. An elderly woman is visited by the
memories of a friend she had in her youth. The two young
girls were inseparable, like one soul inhabiting two
bodies. Her memories, falling into place like pieces of a
puzzle, conjure a story of women's hard fates: failed
marriages, unkept promises, dashed hopes and dreams.
When
teenage trouble maker orphan Hela learns that her 5 years
old sister has been adopted, she decides to run away from
the reformatory with hope to find her sibling.
Incredible
story of Ina Benita, one of the most enigmatic figures of
Polish cinema of the 1930s. She was a star whose chances
of a great international career were buried by a war. For
years her fate was shrouded in mystery. Throughout the
post-war period the legend was that she died in the sewers
during the Warsaw Uprising. It was only in 2019 that a
young journalist, Marek Teler, discovered that she had
actually died in Pennsylvania in 1980s. What did she do
during the war? Why was she infamous? Why did she never
tell her American family who she had been before the war?
This documentary film attempts to unravel the amazing
story of this extraordinary actress.