FOCUS ON POLISH ANIMATION AT ASIANA FESTIVAL
Next Thursday the Asiana International Short Film Festival begins. Celebrating the 70th anniversary of Polish animation, the festival prepared a special section devoted to Polish animated films.
Asiana Festival is one of the most important short film festivals in Asia. This year the guest of honour in Seoul is Poland. In the special film programme "Meet Polish Animated Films through Time", organized to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Polish animation, we will see 21 Polish animations starting with the most important works from the '50s up till the '80s and finishing with the contemporary films awarded at international festivals.
In the first part of the programme the Polish animation classics will be presented: "The Changing of the Guard" by Halina Bieleńska and Włodzimierz Haupe, "The Labyrinth" by Jan Lenica, "The Red and the Black" by Witold Giersz, "Cages" by Mirosław Kijowicz, "The Roll-Call" by Ryszard Czekała, "Banquet" by Zofia Oraczewska, "Reflections" by Jerzy Kucia, "Tango" by Zbigniew Rybczyński, "Gentle Spirit" by Piotr Dumała and "The Race" by Marek Serafiński.
Whereas in the second part we will see film produced in the 21st century: "After Apples" by Marta Pajek, "Sequence" by Robert Sowa, "Chick" by Michał Socha, "Millhaven" by Bartek Kulasa, "The Cathedral" by Tomasz Bagiński, "The Gallery" by Robert Proch, "Noise" by Przemysław Adamski, "Ziegenort" by Tomasz Popakul, "Baths" by Tomek Ducki, "Woolen Cogwheels" by Bartosz Kędzierski and "Creatures" by Tessa Moult-Milewska.
Apart from the screenings the festival audience in Seoul will also have a chance to attend the workshops devoted to Polish animation held by Robert Sowa, animation filmmaker and the Head of Animation Film Studio at Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Sowa will talk about Polish animation, its connection to literature, art and music and the most important filmmakers. He will also discuss the curricula of film schools in Poland and introduce the audience to the Polish animated film production system.
Polish focus is a part of the POLISH DOCS / POLISH ANIMATIONS INTERCONTINENTAL project which is coordinated by the Krakow Film Foundation with the support from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The event marks the 70th anniversary of Polish animation.
There will be one more Polish element at the festival – film "The Escape" by Jarosław Konopka has entered the festival's official selection.
In Korea the Krakow Film Foundation will be represented by Marta Świątek, the coordinator of the Polish Animations programme.
Asiana International Short Film Festival will take place from November 2nd to 7th. More information is available at the festival's website.