Polish director JERZY SKOLIMOWSKI has accepted to come to Bucharest as Guest of Honor of BucharEST International Film Festival (B-EST IFF), 5th edition.

Apart from 4 NIGHTS WITH ANNA / Cztery noce z Anna (2008), screened for the first time in Romania within the off-competition section of B-EST IFF , Jerzy Skolimowski will also bring to Bucharest his expressionist painting exhibition, one that has already gathered praises in the United States, France and Central and Eastern Europeean countries, but also whitin international film festivals (Berlin, Venice or Salonic).

4 NIGHTS WITH ANNA is Jerzy Skolimowski’s first film in over 17 years, during which time the Polish filmmaker, retired in Malibu, had traded cinema for concentrating on his painting and poetry. 4 Nights with Anna was first screened within Directors’ Fortnight section at Cannes International Film Festival in 2008 ; the film depicts the equally happy and sad story of Leon (Artur Steranko), „peeping-tom” hospital caretaker who plants sleeping pills in his favourite assistant’s tea so that he can watch her sleep, and that was critically acclaimed – „The film has the metaphysical tone and control of a story from Kielowski’s Decalogue”, according to Variety magazine.

JERZY SKOLIMOWSKI studied etnography, history and literature, even flirting with boxing, a passion he dispayed overtly in his documentary Boks in 1961. At the age of 20 he had already achieved fame as poet, writer and dramatist. His his passion for jazz and his friendship with composer Krzysztof Komeda lead to him coming in contact with Andrzej Wajda, leader of Polish Film School and his fututre mentor, but also Roman Polanski, for whose debut feature film, Cutitul in Apa/ Le Couteau dans l’eau, Skolimowski wrote the screenplay.

His talent and special spot in contemporary cinematography were confirmed more than once throughout his career. He was rewarded with the Golden Bear and the UNICRIT awards at Berlin Film Festival with Le Départ, Grand Prize of the Jury (The Shout) and Best Screenplay (Moonlightning) at Cannes International Film Festival (Skolimowski’ films were also selected for the official competition - King, Queen, Knave, Success Is the Best Revenge and Torrents of Spring), or the Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival for The Lightship, not to mention his presence within the juries of Cannes and Venice Film Festivals (twice).

BucharEST International Film Festival is sustained by the Ministery of Culture, Cults and National Patrimony, through the National Center of Cinematography.