Wojciech Szczudło, documentary film producer and our friend has died on 9 December.
On 9 December, in Warsaw died Wojciech Szczudło, a documentary film producer, the co-owner of Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop, our friend, a recurring guest at Krakow Film Festival.
He began his film career as production manager, and in 1990s he started to produce documentary films in Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop, which he co-founded. He produced, among others, films such as: "Benek Blues" (1999) – the winner of the Golden Dragon and the Golden Hobby-Horse in 2000 – " for showing human struggle against suffering and loneliness in a moving way;" "Himilsbach – Truths, Lies, Black Holes" (2002) – the winner of the Golden Hobby-Horse in 2002; "Scrap Odyssey" (2010); "Druga strona plakatu" (2010); "Survive Afghanistan" (2012). Together with his business partners from Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop, he won the best producer award at KFF twice – in 2002 and in 2005. Wojtek came to Krakow every year, and at the 51st KFF in 2011, together with his business partner Piotr Śliwiński, he played an unusual role – acting as the DJs at the traditional Industry Party.
"It would be hard to imagine any film event without his presence. Wojtek was everywhere, he loved people and loved being with them. He was an element, but one of the building, creative kind, not the destructive one, as it used to be called: life and soul of the party. As the producer, he was like a battering ram, always protecting the director. As he used to do every year, he was going to visit his beloved China. May he find it somewhere there, far away, though he stays among us." – this is how Krzysztof Gierat, Director of Krakow Film Festival, remembers the deceased.
Below, we share our memories of Wojtek.
Industry Party 51st.KFF (from 3:23):
Interview with Wojtek Szczudło and Małgorzata Imielska at Festival Studio at 52nd KFF: