Three pitching sessions took place during this year’s edition of KFF Industry online: Animated in Poland – for Polish animated projects in production – and, co-organised with Doc Lab Poland, Docs to Start and Docs to Go! – for Polish documentary projects in development and in postproduction. On the industry award gala the awards for the best presentations were announced.
Two Animated in Poland awards found their new owners. The Audiovisual Technology Center Special Mention went to the project “Slow Light” directed by Katarzyna Kijek and Przemysław Adamski and produced by Animoon studio, and the Sound Mind Studio Best Pitch Award was given to project “Gonâve” directed by Róża Duda and Michał Soja and produced by Krakow Film Klaster.
KFF Industry partner and founder of the Special Mention – Audiovisual Technology Centre (CeTA) – is a unique space where technology, culture and art combine, intersect and complete one another. Synergy of those elements and genius loci of the place foster creative filmmakers who can develop here their original ideas. CeTA is a complex place that allows for all stages of professional film and television production to be completed. Both established and debuting filmmakers can find here support and additionally take part in numerous workshops.
Another award founder and KFF Industry partner is Sound Mind Studio – sound postproduction studio founded by Michał Fojcik, a recognised sound director, member of Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE), who worked on films like: “Gods”, “The Red Spider”, “The Art of Loving” and “The Coldest Game”.
Animated in Poland pitch had this year its eighth edition. The first pitch took place in May 2013, during the 53th Krakow Film Festival, in cooperation with Shortcut magazine. Two of the films presented during the last year’s edition were “Papa” by Maryia Yakimovich and “May You Never Have to Come Back Here” by Anastazja Naumenko, which have just begun their festival journey. This year 6 projects were presented. More about Animated in Poland projects here.
Three Doc Lab Poland awards and seven special mentions were given to the best Docs to Start and Docs to Go! presentations. In the Docs to Start session HBO Award – 10 000 PLN for the film production – went to the project “Debut” directed by Aleksandra Maciejczyk, prod. Marta Gmosińska (Lava Films); ColorOffOn Award – 25 000 PLN voucher for image postproduction – was given to the project “Don’t Mess with Gienek” directed by Grzegorz Szczepaniak, prod. Joanna Popowicz WF Anagram. Other films awarded in this section were: „Gypsy Gadji” directed by Dasa Raimanova, prod. Rafał Sakowski (Story Vehicle) – DOK Leipzig Special Mention – invitation to Co Pro Meetings in Leipzig; “Easy Rider Behind the Iron Curtain”, dir. Andrzej Miękus, prod. Olga Bieniek (FilmIcon) – FIPA DOC Special Mention – invitation to pitch the project at FIPA DOC in Biarritz; “When the Harmattan Blows”, dir. Edyta Wróblewska, prod. Marta Dużbabel (With Passion Production) – Polish Docs Pro Special Mention – active support for the project’s international promotion and invitation to one of the key international documentary industry events; “Nina Gets Married”, dir. Andrzej Szypulski, prod. Anna Reichel (Fine Day Promotion) – Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mention – invitation to key European documentary industry event.
Gonâve, dir. Michał Soja, Róża Duda 
Slow light, dir. Kijek_Adamski 
Debut, dir. Aleksandra Maciejczyk 
Don’t mess with Gienek, dir. Grzegorz Szczepaniak 
Gypsy gadji, dir. Dasa Raimanova 
Easy Rider Behind the Iron Curtain, dir. Andrzej Miękus 
Nina Gets Married, dir. Andrzej Szypulski 
When the Harmattan Blows, dir. Edyta Wróblewska
In Docs to Go! section ColorOffOn Award – 25 000 PLN voucher for image postproduction – went to the project “Until the Wedding”, dir. Daniel Stopa, prod. Małgorzata Staroń, Joanna Tatko (Staron-Film). Special mentions were awarded to three projects: „Workcenter”, dir. Aniela Gabryel, prod. Agnieszka Dziedzic (Koi Studio) – Institute of Documentary Film in Prague Special Mention – invitation to East Doc Platform, „I Am One of Them” by Nadim Suleiman, prod. Luiza Pietrzak, Jacek Bławut (Palmyra Films) and „Lesson of Freedom” by Tadeusz Chudy and Bartosz Bieniek, prod. Rafał Sakowski (Story Vehicle) – Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mentions – invitations to key European documentary industry events.
You can read more about the projects here: Docs to Start and Docs to Go!
Until the Wedding, dir. Daniel Stopa 
Workcenter, dir. Aniela Gabryel 
I’m One of Them, dir. Nadim Suleiman 
Lesson of Freedom, dir. Tadeusz Chudy, Bartosz Łuniewski
This year 21 projects took part in the second session of the DOC LAB POLAND workshops that ended with online pitching sessions under the auspices of KFF Industry during the 60th Krakow Film Festival. International tutors who prepared the participants to the public presentation of their projects were: Adriek van Nieuwenhuyzen (Head of IDFA Industry), Tereza Šimíkova (Head of CPH:Forum), Christian Popp (Head of FIPADOC Industry Days), Leena Pasanen, selector for the Biografilm Festival and Director of DOK Leipzig and Rada Šešic, selector for the Sarajevo FF and co-head of 1020 Docu Rough Cut Boutique.
The participants of 3 pitching had a chance to meet with experienced international experts: producers from Germany, Denmark, Finland, Ukraine, Japan, USA, representatives of the international documentary industry events like Baltic Sea Forum, Emerging Producers, East Doc Platform, Documentary Campus, Dok Incubator, Agora Doc Market, Hot Docs Forum, IDFA Forum, CPH: Forum, Australian International Documentary Conference, DOK Industry, Docs Barcelona Industry, commissioning editors and broadcasters, film funds, sales (i.a. Sideways Film, Cat’n’Docs, Square Eyes, New Europe Film Sales, Taskovski Films, Deckert Distribution, Rise and Shine, Women Make Movies, Visible Film, JMT Films, Autlook Films, First Hand Fims, Syndicado) and the major festivals presenting documentary films – IDFA, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, Visions du Reel, Karlovy Vary, Berlinale, Doclisboa, One World, Festival dei Popoli, Trieste FF, Docaviv, Dokufest Kosovo, DOCSMX, It’s All True DFF, New Zealand International Film Festival, Cannes FF, Venice FF.