Hot Docs 2013 ‘Made In’ program highlights docs from Poland.
Thanks to the efforts of Krakow Film Foundation, during the anniversary edition of one of the greatest documentary film festivals on the world, Hot Docs in Toronto, an extensive overview of Polish documentary films from recent years will be presented.
Krakow Film Foundation, whose main task is to organize Krakow Film Festival, also deals with comprehensive promotion of Polish documentary and short films abroad. Under the banner of the projects supported by Polish Film Institute, namely Polish Docs and Polish Shorts there are bilingual websites, working as information services as well as an extensive databases of Polish films and their authors. The Foundation is present at the largest industry events, where it organizes promotional stands at film markets, among others in Clermot-Ferrand (short films) or Annecy (animation). Networking is an important part of the promotional strategy – Krakow Film Foundation comes into contact and keeps in touch with the managers of key film festivals, selectors, journalists and representatives of important film institutions. The effect of these endeavours is twofold: on the one hand, they result in visits of the representatives of foreign film industry in Poland, on the other hand there are invitations for Polish films and artists to international events. As an example, there was the extensive presentation of Polish documentary films at DOCSDF festival in Mexico, last November.
Over last years, Polish documentaries were repeatedly awarded in Mexico, says Katarzyna Wilk, Krakow Film Foundation’s manager of the Film Promotion Agency and the Polish Docs project, In this way, the interest in our films appeared naturally, as well as the offer to organize a film survey, including classic films (Masters from Krakow) – documentaries by Wojciech Wiszniewski and Marcel Łoziński, as well as the latest films, for instance, the award-winning "Argentinian Lesson" by Wojciech Staroń.
Direct meetings with the representatives of international film community are possible to a large degree thanks to Krakow Film Festival, and in particular its Industry Zone section, dedicated to the professionals. In 2008, Sean Farnel, the then Hot Docs program director, was in the jury of the feature-length documentary competition, and Krakow was also visited, on this occasion, by the festival’s manager Chris McDonald. In 2011 Ally Derks, IDFA festival manager, came to the branch conference "Focus on Netherlands", and Elizabeth Radshaw, the head of Toronto Documentary Forum was a guest of Industry Zone. At the 52. edition of the festival Torene Svitil, the manager of the Office of Academy Awards, was a guest.
The visits of foreign guests in Krakow are not only the matter of prestige, they have a real impact on the development of our industry. Torene Svitil’s visit resulted directly in broadening the circle of people entitled to apply for Academy Awards nomination to include the winners of our Silver Dragons. says Krzysztof Gierat, the Festival’s director and president of the Foundation. Now, among others, thanks to our long-term efforts, presenting Polish documentaries in Toronto will be possible. We are very pleased, as Hot Docs is one of the brightest points on the documentary map of the world, and our presentation will take place at the anniversary edition of the festival.
Initiated in 1993, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary film festival on the American continent. It takes place every year in spring, and film screenings are accompanied by international film market and industry conferences. This year’s, 20th edition takes place from 25 April to 5 May. One of the most important parts of the festival is the series "Made In", which focuses on presenting the latest documentaries from one country or region of the world. So far, in the "Made In" series films from the following were shown: South-Eastern Europe (2012), Italy (2011), South America (2010), South Korea (2009), Mexico (2008), Brasil (2007), Japan (2006), South Africa (2004) and Taiwan (2003). This year, the Canadian programmers chose Poland.
"We are thrilled to be showcasing the filmmaking of Poland this year and welcoming a delegation of Polish filmmakers to the festival,” says Charlotte Cook, programe director. “Poland’s contribution to documentary has been vast, and it’s a joy to be able to share the incredible new work coming from the country this year with our audience.”
Detailed schedule of screenings which make up the "Made In" series will be announced in March. Apart from a large representation of Polish films and filmmakers, also a group of Polish film producers will come to Toronto, where they will have an opportunity to take part in Hot Docs Forum – one of the largest branch events of this kind, dedicated to producing and financing documentary cinema on the world. The project is supported by Polish Film Institute.
More about Hot Docs festival: www.hotdocs.ca