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Revealing the program of the 39th Warsaw International Film FestivalThe 39th Warsaw International Film Festival will begin on Friday, October 6, and end on Sunday, October 15, 2023. The festival cinemas will be Atlantic and Multikino Zlote Tarasy. We have selected films for the program from 4,800 submissions, sent from 111 countries. During the WFF we will present: - 77 feature-length films, including 23 world premieres, 9 international premieres, 6 European premieres, 15 Eastern European premieres and 17 Polish premieres. - 61 short films.
Films will be presented in the following sections: A. Competition sections: 1. International Competition - 14 films; 2. 1-2 Competition - 15 films; 3. Creme de la Creme Competition, which presents films previously screened and awarded at major festivals - 11 films; 4. Free Spirit Competition - 11 films; 5. Documentary Film Competition - 15 films; 6. Short Film Competition - 23 films. Each of the competition sections has its own Jury, and on top of that, films at the WFF will be judged by: - FIPRESCI Jury and Young FIPRESCI Jury, which will select the best debut from Eastern Europe; - NETPAC Jury, which will select the best film from the Asia-Pacific region; - The Ecumenical Jury, which will view films from the International Competition.
B. Non-competitive sections: 1. Polish Classics, 2. Special screenings, 3. Family film weekend, 4. Best Polish Short Films.
Advance ticket sales for the 39.WFF begin Friday, September 22 at 2 p.m. online at www.wff.pl. Starting Monday, October 2, tickets will be sold at Atlantic cinema box offices, and starting Friday, October 6, also at Multikino Złote Tarasy.
OPENING FILMS: Song of Goats, dir. Andrzej Jakimowski, Poland, Greece, Ireland 2023, 104 min. Andreas arrives on a remote Greek island to sell a plot of land inherited from his uncle. He falls in love with the granddaughter of a local farmer, who brings him bread and cheese every morning. He's unaware of the danger hanging over the valley and the nearby village...
Murals, dir. Alex Topaller & Daniel Shapiro, Ukraine/Poland 2023, 9 min. MURALS is an immersive visual experience that places viewers face to face with the war devastation in Ukraine. The not-for-profit art project follows captures of Banksy's artwork left on the rubble of people's homes, schools and infrastructure.
CLOSING FILM: Defiant, dir. Karim Amer, Ukraine/UK/US 2023, 91 min. A gripping documentary that chronicles the extraordinary journey of Ukraine as it stands its ground against the might of Russia during the invasion of February 2022. The acclaimed filmmakers behind Oscar winner "Navalny" and the Oscar-nominated "The Square" and "Hell and Back Again", Karim Amer, Mike Lerner and Odessa Rae, bring us behind the scenes with key figures in Ukraine's government.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION with the Warsaw Grand Prix Prize of PLN 100,000, funded by the President of the capital city Warsaw.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION JURY: Dorota Kędzierzawska, director, Poland 2. Nadejda Koseva, director, Bulgaria 3. Yuri Andrukhovych, writer, Ukraine 4. Georges Goldenstern, head of Cinefondation, France 5. Alejandro Torres Kennedy, director, Mexico
FILMS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
1. ANXIETY LĘK Poland / Switzerland / Germany | 2023, 96 min. dir. Sławomir Fabicki Producer: Violetta Kamińska, Izabela Wójcik, Dariusz Jabłoński Apple Film Production / co-produced by: Cinédokké / Ma.ja.de. Fiction / RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera (Production Company) applefilm@applefilm.pl
A female road movie. A touching story about the close relationship between sisters Małgorzata (Magdalena Cielecak) and Łucja (Marta Nieradkiewicz).
2. BLACK BOX Germany / Belgium | 2023, 120 min. International Premiere dir. Asli Özge Producer: Daniel Mann, Till Derenbach, Michael Souvignier Zeitsprung Pictures / Les Films du Fleuve (Production Company) info@zeitsprung.de / https://lesfilmsdufleuve.be/ Beta Cinema GMBH (Sales Agent)
The exits of a Berlin courtyard are blocked by the police due to an unclear event. Without information, uncertainties fuel the fear of the residents. Is the real danger coming from inside or outside? Aslı Özge looks right into the mind of the German middle class.
3. CROSSING PRZEPRAWA Belgium / Croatia / Netherlands | 2023, 108 min. World Premiere dir. Jacqueline van Vugt Producer: Germen Boelens, Raymond van der Kaaij Fortissimo Films (Sales Agent)
A penetrating and realistic drama which threads the universal feelings of love, fear, hope and loss in a tense and dramatic two-hour ferry crossing between Morocco and Spain.
4. THE GLASS HOUSE ДІМ ЗА СКЛОМ Ukraine / Cyprus / Romania / Germany | 2023, 108 min. World Premiere dir. Taras Dron Producer: Igor Savychenko, Valeria Sochyvets, Sergei Konnov, Taras Dron Directory Films (Production Company) HighBit Media (Production Company)
The life of ambitious architect Victoria changes after her daughter disappears, accused of drug trafficking. Victoria launches her own investigation and tries to prove her daughter's innocence and avoid losing an important project.
5. I DON´T LOVE YOU ANYMORE UŽ TĚ NEMÁM RÁD Czechia / Romania / Slovakia | 2023, 110 min. World Premiere dir. Zdeněk Jiráský Producer: Jordi Niubó, Zdeněk Jiráský i/o post s.r.o. (Production Company)
Tereza (12) and Marek (13) struggle with unhappy home lives. They board a train to escape, but their game of adulthood takes an unexpected turn.
6. THE LAST MEN LES DERNIERS HOMMES France | 2023, 123 min. International Premiere dir. David Oelhoffen Producer: Jacques Perrin, Nicolas Elghozi & Mathieu Simonet Galatée Films (Production Company) galateefilms.com/ Orange Studio (Sales Agent) orange-studio.fr/internationalsales / contact.orangestudio@orange.com
9 March 1945. The Japanese army launches a sudden and brutal attack on French units in Indochina. Hunted by the enemy, a column of weakened legionnaires dashes through the heart of the jungle in an effort to reach Allied bases over 300 km away.
7. NEANDRIA Turkey | 2023, 90 min. World Premiere dir. Reha Erdem Producer: Ali Ömer Atay, Kaan Mestut, Serra Ciliv Atlantik Film (Production Company)
Here in Neandria, it's the same as everywhere. Things are run by older men who know it all, environmental destruction looms, and greed beats in most hearts. Here in this village, only the young ones seem to search for freedom in the cracks.
8. NOT A WORD KEIN WORT Germany / France / Slovenia | 2023, 87 min. European Premiere dir. Hanna Slak Producer: Michel Balagué VOLTE (Production Company) Beta Cinema GMBH (Sales Agent)
Nina leads a structured life, pursuing an ambitious artistic career. When her teenage son Lars has a strange accident at school, she decides to take a break from city life and together they head to their holiday home on the rugged Atlantic coast. Their already brittle relationship is pushed to the edge.
9. A ROOM OF HIS OWN Israel / Italy | 2023, 80 min. International Premiere dir. Matan Yair Producer: Maya Fischer, Gal Greenspan, Roi Kurland, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery Coccinelle film sales (Sales Agent)
Uri makes a mistake in his introductory interview for the army – he tells the truth about his life. He says he's been sharing a room with his mother for some time, that his father is about to leave them, and that he doesn't think he'll fit in in the obligatory army service like everyone else. Where will he fit in?
10. THE SHADOW OF CATIRE LA SOMBRA DEL CATIRE Venezuela / Mexico | 2023, 81 min. World Premiere dir. Jorge Hernandez Aldana Producer: Cristina Velasco L, Jorge Hernandez Aldana, Rodolfo Cova Paloma Negra Films / Chula Vista Cine (Production Company) Genuino Films (Production Company)
Seeking redemption, a criminal with a violent past nicknamed "Catire" is forced to face his estranged adult children and admit that in spite of the blame, pain and bloodshed, they are still a family.
11. SONG OF GOATS UŚMIECH LOSU Poland / Greece / Ireland | 2023, 104 min. World Premiere dir. Andrzej Jakimowski Producer: Mike Downey, Andrzej Jakimowski, Pandelis Mitropoulos Studio Filmowe Jakimowski / Piece Of Cake / Film & Music Entertainment / Filmoteka Narodowa - Instytut Audiowizualny / Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych I Fabularnych / Canal+ Polska (Production Company)
Andreas arrives on a remote Greek island to sell a plot of land inherited from his uncle. He falls in love with the granddaughter of a local farmer, who brings him bread and cheese every morning. He's unaware of the danger hanging over the valley and the nearby village...
12. TAKE MY BREATH المباين Tunisia | 2023, 95 min. World Premiere dir. Nada Mezni Hafaiedh Producer: Slim Hafaiedh, Ziad Hamzeh LEYTH PRODUCTION (Production Company) Slim Hafaiedh HAMZEH MYSTIQUE FILMS (Production Company) Ziad Hamzeh
Shams, they/them, hides their true self in the face of social rejection. In the middle of love and rivalry, they travel a difficult path of self-discovery and survival.
13. VALLEY OF EXILE Canada / Lebanon | 2023, 107 min. European Premiere dir. Anna Fahr Producer: Anna Fahr, Lara Abou Saifan Morning Bird Pictures (Production Company)
Two sisters arrive in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley at the onset of the Syrian war, embarking on a journey into exile that tests their loyalty to their country, their family and each other.
14. WEREWOLF LLOBÀS Spain | 2023, 103 min. World Premiere dir. Pau Calpe Rufat Producer: Pau Calpe Rufat, Xavier Crespo, Juan Carlos Claver GALÁPAGOS MEDIA S.L. (Production Company) DACSA Produccions S.L. (Production Company)
Adrià is a boy who lives from village to village with his older brother and his brother's girlfriend. He is mute, can't stand enclosed spaces, and finds it hard to keep his attention when spoken to. Wherever he goes, everyone makes fun of him, insults him, throws stones at him. Adrià has a secret: on full moon nights, he can't sleep and wanders the streets. And he smells blood...
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FILMS IN THE COMPETITION 1-2
1. ALL THE SILENCE TODO EL SILENCIO Mexico | 2023, 78 min. World Premieredir. Diego del Rio Producer: Luis Salinas, Inna Payan Stoupignan, Maria Ayub Animal de Luz Films (Production Company) This is Why Cinema (Production Company)
Although Miriam lives a life closely tied to deaf people, her world starts to crumble when she discovers that she's losing her sense of hearing. A remarkable film, also in terms of sound.
2. ALL THE SONGS WE NEVER SANG WSZYSTKIE PIOSENKI, KTÓRYCH NIGDY NIE ŚPIEWALIŚMY Japan | 2023, 115 min. World Premiere dir. Chris Rudz Producer: Jeffrey Rowe, Lucas Oliver-Frost Mirus Pictures (Production Company) Lucas Oliver-Frost (Production Company)
Rebellious teenager Natsumi arrives from Tokyo on a small provincial island in search of the treasure left by her deceased mother. She's in shock to find out that Reiko – her aunt – is a local Ama-San, a traditional Japanese pearl diver. Because of the yearslong conflict between the sisters, the aunt and the girl have never met or even heard about each other till now.
3. THE BLUE STAR LA ESTRELLA AZUL Spain / Argentina | 2023, 125 min. Polish premiere dir. Javier Macipe Producer: Simón de Santiago, Amelia Hernández, Hernán Musaluppi MOD PRODUCCIONES, S.L. (Production Company) EL PEZ AMARILLO, S.L. (Production Company) CIMARRÓN (Production Company) LA CHARITO FILMS, S.L. (Production Company) PRISMA (Production Company) FILM FACTORY ENTERTAINTMENT SL. (Sales Agent)
The nineties. A Spanish rock and roll musician trying to reconnect with his vocation travels across South America, where he meets an elderly musician going through hard times. Their encounter leads to the creation of a Don Quixote-like duo with all the makings of an absolute commercial failure.
4. THE CLOWNS BŁAZNY Poland | 2023, 85 min. World Premiere dir. Gabriela Muskała Producer: Agata Golańska, Ewa Hoffman Lodz Film School / co-prod EC1 Łódź – Miasto Kultury w Łodzi (Production Company) Agata Golańska Studio Filmowe Indeks (Sales Agent)
Students from the Faculty of Acting find out that their graduation film will be made by the famous director Gajda. The news is electrifying – everyone wants to be in the cast. As rehearsals begin, the students' personalities, dreams and ambitions are revealed. The line between reality and fiction slowly starts to blur.
5. DIAGNOSIS: DISSENT БОЖЕВІЛЬНІ Ukraine | 2023, 118 min. World Premiere dir. Denys Tarasov Producer: Artem Koliubaiev, Valeria Ivanenko, Taras Bosak Common Victory Production (Production Company) Mountain Bear Production (Production Company) FILM.UA / NCU (National cinemateque of Ukraine (Production Company) FILM.UA Distribution (Sales Agent)
The film takes the viewer back to the previous century. Its topic, raised for the first time in feature films, opens one of the most shameful and terrifying pages in the history of the USSR: the so-called "punitive psychiatry" used by the KGB in the fight against political and religious dissidents.
6. DYAD DIADA Bulgaria | 2023, 89 min. World Premiere dir. Yana Titova Bułgaria 2023, 89 min. Producer: Vanya Rainova, Aleksandar Aleksiev, Nikolay Stoichkov Portokal (Production Company) Vanya Rainova
Smart, angry, self-reliant Dida (15) will stop at nothing to be able to buy a plane ticket so she can join her estranged mother in the United States. A special offer on a ticket to New York is to expire in a few hours. Dida steals, punches and bullies for cash. As the pressure builds up, she loses her temper and is suspended from school.
7. GETAWAYS & DREAMS PAKOJA & HAAVEITA Finland | 2023, 82 min. International Premiere dir. Kaisa El Ramly Finlandia 2023, 82 min. Producer: Erik Andersson, Klaus Heydemann Inland Film Company, LÄSK (Production Company) The Finnish Film Foundation (Film Instititue/Film School)
During the course of one summer's day, nine people either dreaming of life or escaping from it, plus one dog on the loose, either encounter, pass by or collide with one another on a certain road. After having come face-to-face with the randomness of life, they each awaken to appreciate the value and strength in their own limited existence.
8. LA SUPREMA Colombia | 2023, 83 min. European Premiere dir. Felipe Holguín Caro Producer: Maria Teresa Gaviria Cumbia Films (Production Company)
In a town erased from the maps that doesn't even have electricity, a girl dreams of boxing. When she learns that her uncle will box for the world title and it will be broadcast live on TV, she and the community will do everything to watch the fight, while battling oblivion.
9. MELK Netherlands | 2023, 96 min. Eastern European Premiere dir. Stefanie Kolk Producer: Erik Glijnis, Leontine Petit Lemming Film (Production Company)
Days after her baby is stillborn, Robin's breasts begin to produce milk. Unable to throw it away, she decides to donate the milk. As her quest for a place to donate is more difficult than she anticipated, more and more milk starts to crowd her freezer and her life.
10. PRAY FOR PEACE, TRAIN FOR WAR CHCESZ POKOJU, SZYKUJ SIĘ DO WOJNY Poland | 2023, 71 min. World Premiere dir. Agnieszka Elbanowska Producer: Ewa Jastrzębska, Jacek Bromski, Jerzy Kapuściński Studio Munka – Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich (Production Company) Bartosz Friese Canal + (Production Company) Solo Film (Production Company)
Coming from a family with military traditions, Tytus applies to join a local paramilitary group. Confronting his weaknesses, he matures and musters some courage for the first time in his life.
11. PUSH PAUSE ココでのはなし Japan | 2023, 86 min. World Premiere dir. Ryoma Kosasa Producer: Izuho Kasai, Kengo Watanabe, Kimiko Kobayashi, Takuma Obara BPPS INC. (Production Company)
The film is set in Tokyo during the Olympics amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tired of rushing through life, young people gather at a small guesthouse in Tokyo, where they explore their own paths and grow through new relationships and experiences. The youthful ensemble drama is centred around the theme of "break" and depicts the modest growth of young people.
12. SMOKING TIGERS USA | 2023, 91 min. International Premiere dir. So Young Shelly Yo Producer: Guo Guo Smoking Tigers Film LLC (Production Company) smokingtigersfilm@gmail.com / shellsyo@gmail.com WME Independent (Sales Agent) Katie Irwin kirwin@wmeagency.com / MNeil@wmeagency.com
Los Angeles in the early 2000s. A lonely Korean-American teen named Hayoung spends the summer at an academic bootcamp. There, she meets three wealthy students who let her into their world. She discovers the bittersweet pains of adulthood. The film premiered at the 2023 Tribeca film festival and won the awards for best screenplay, best performance, and a Nora Ephron Award Special Jury Mention.
13. TALK TO ME SPRICH MIT MIR Germany | 2023, 80 min. International Premiere dir. Janin Halisch Producer: Clara Gerst Name: German Film and Television Academy Berlin (Production Company) Softspot Productions / Achtung Panda! (Production Company) UCM.One (Sales Agent)
Karo is 28, freshly separated from her boyfriend and, like every year, she is going on holiday with her mother Michaela. They travel to the Baltic Sea, and what starts as an annual trip soon turns out to be a journey into the past of two women who couldn't be more different.
14. VELO GANG Switzerland | 2023, 87 min. World Premiere dir. Alex Kälin Szwajcaria 2023, 87 min. Producer: Alex Kälin Alex Kälin
What's the story of the guy delivering your sushi? "Velo Gang" is a film about a refugee becoming a food courier, who soon gets in the way of Zürich's most dangerous bicycle gang.
15. WITHOUT AIR ELFOGY A LEVEGŐ Hungary / Romania | 2023, 105 min. European Premiere dir. Katalin Moldovai Producer: Béla Attila Kovács, András Muhi, Katalin Moldovai NFI World Sales (Sales Agent) Magma Cinema (HU) with Spotfilm (RO) & Salamandra Film (HU) Supported by the National Film Institute Hungary Incubator Program (Production Company)
A high school teacher starts an absurd struggle to justify herself as she is accused by a parent of promoting homosexuality among students. She recommended Agnieszka Holland's "Total Eclipse" to her 17-year-old students so they might better understand Rimbaud's work. She has to decide whether to stand up for the values she represents or to withdraw quietly.
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39th Warsaw International Film Festival, organized by the Warsaw Film Foundation, is supported by the City of Warsaw, Polish Film Institute, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and the Mazovian Voivodeship Government. WFF Sponsors and Partners: Epson, Fabryka Wyobraźni, Max-Film, and Pardon To Tu. Festival Cinemas: Atlantic and Multikino Zlote Tarasy. Official cars are Mercedes Benz, provided by MB Motors. The festival hotel is the Marriott Warsaw. WFF Media Partners: AMC, Filmweb, Gazeta Wyborcza, Pani, RMF FM, RMF Classic, SundanceTV, Twój Styl, Viva!, and Wirtualna Polska. 01.10.2023 | Editor's blog Cat. : FESTIVALS
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