The premieres of the most interesting Polish documentary, short and animated films, returns of the award-winning film-makers and the latest debuts, the award for the contribution to the development of international cinema for Piotr Dumała – in the programme of the Krakow Film Festival there is always a special place for the productions of Polish film-makers, who tell the stories about Poland and the world in an original and uncompromising way.
The Dragon of Dragons for Piotr Dumała
This year’s Dragon of Dragons award for the exceptional contribution to the development of the international cinema will be given to Piotr Dumała — the master of international animated film and the creator of original film technique, almost from the very beginning associated with the Krakow Film Festival. Dumała received the Golden Dragon twice — for “A Gentle Creature” in 1985 and “The Walls” in 1988, the Bronze Hobby-Horse in 1989 for “Freedom of the Leg,” the Bronze Dragon and the FICC Award for “Franz Kafka” in 1992 and the Silver Hobby-Horse (2014) for “Hippos.”
The award ceremony of the Dragon of Dragons will be accompanied by the retrospective of the laureate’s work. In the programme, there are several works by Piotr Dumała, both the first award-winning films as well as the latest ones. As every year, the award-winner will give a master class, open not only to film-makers but to all animated film fans.
Polish films in international competitions
In the international documentary film competition, 2 Polish films will be presented: “Walk with Angels” by Tomasz Wysokiński, who for years accompanies like a shadow the mysterious Jerry, searching for missing children in the Republic of South Africa, and “No Hero at All” by Michał Kawecki, telling the story of Miszka — a promising Alpine skier who, in spite of a serious disability and difficult living conditions, makes the most of life.
The short documentary, feature and animated films, including 5 Polish productions, will compete for the Golden and Silver Dragons in the international short film competition. Animated film-makers are the most numerous group — Zbigniew Czapla, the award-winner of the Krakow Film Festival in 2017, will present his latest film. Characteristic, recognisable in the very first frames, images from the film “On Time” will take us on a journey to Japan. In turn, the award-winner of 2015, Tomasz Siwiński (the author of the award-winning “Blue Room”), in the film “Love in Times of Coal-Based Economy” moves the setting of the film to Silesia in 1962, where, in the grey reality the love between a miner and a woman crane operator flourishes. Whereas Kinga Syrek in her debut “Too Late” pays homage to Edie Sedgwick, the muse of Andy Warhol.
98 kg, dir. Izabela Plucińska 
On Time, dir. Zbigniew Czapla 
Turbo Love, dir. Alicja Jasina 
Dog’s Field, dir. Michalina Musialik 
Prince in a Pastry Shop, dir. Katarzyna Agopsowicz 
The Visit, dir. Mateusz Jarmulski 
The Place, reż. Sylwia Zawiła
Polish feature films are represented in the short film competition by Adrian Apanel with the film “The Last Room On the Left” — an explosive mixture of comedy, horror and social satire, while in “Solar Voyage” — the only Polish documentary film — Adam Żądło follows in the footsteps of an extravagant genius from Pcim to Africa.
The National Competition of the Krakow Film Festival
As always, the latest Polish films of award-winning film-makers and debutants constitute the extremely diverse picture of Polish cinematography. In the programme, there are films by film-makers who have already been awarded in Krakow: last year’s award-winner Tomasz Wolski this time will present a documentary animated film “1970” about the protests in communist Poland from the point of view of the perpetrators, Izabela Plucińska in her animated film “98 kg” analyses the issue of domestic violence, and Zofia Kowalewska in the film “Only the Wind” sets off with her grandfather (whom we met in the documentary “Close Ties” awarded at the KFF) to Kazakhstan in search of his first love.
Just for a While, dir. Zuzanna Gorczycka 
My Son Locks Himself In the Bathroom, dir. Kuba Januszewski 
The Case of Jan Pampuch, dir. Mikołaj Piszczan 
Headfish, dir. Jakub Prysak
In the feature films, interesting outlooks on contemporary problems will appear: the dystopian “First Last Summer” about climate disaster, the irreverent “The Case of Jan Pampuch” on ideological disputes in Poland, or a more personal film “My Son Locks Himself In the Bathroom” about a mother who has to come to terms with the fact that her son plans to move out of the house.
The documentary film-makers will also show us their experiences of the pandemic year (“Balcony Concert,” “Cigarettes”), they will tell the story of the figures from the world of culture (“High Maintenance – The Life and Work of Dani Karavan”) and of sport (“Invincible”) as well as about struggles with a disease (“Last Chance,” “One More Day”).
1970, dir. Tomasz Wolski 
Invincible, dir. Tom Koliński 
Last Chance, dir. Wiktoria Niewiadomska 
The Soil, dir. Zuzanna Solakiewicz 
Polański, Horowitz. Hometown, reż. Mateusza Kudła, Anna Kokoszka-Romer
The panorama of the Polish documentary film
In the panorama, we will follow the fates of outstanding Polish artists: Rafael Lewandowski in the film “Herbert. Barbarian in the garden” reveals the complicated personality of the genius author, while the documentary film “An Actress in Wonderland” (dir. Maciej Kowalewski, Piotr Konstantinow) transports the viewer to the fascinating world of the prominent actress Barbara Krafftówna. We will also take a look at the workouts of the MMA champion Aleksandra Rola (“Fury”) and we will get acquainted with the mysterious story of Johanna Langefeld, the high-ranking SS woman in the concentration camps Auschwitz and Ravensbrück (“The Disappearance of Johanna Langefeld”).
The Krakow Film Festival is included on the prestigious list of events qualifying for the Academy Awards in as many as three short film categories (feature film, animated film, documentary film) as well as in the feature-length documentary film category. The winners of the Golden and Silver Dragons as well as the Golden Horn have a shortened path to the Academy Award selection. The KFF also recommends films to the European Film Award in the same categories.
Herbert. Barbarian in the Garden, dir. Rafael Lewandowski 
The Disappearance of Johanna Langefeld, reż. Władysław Jurkow, Gerburg Rohde-Dahl 
An Actress in Wonderland, dir. Maciej Kowalewski, Piotr Konstantinow 
Universes, dir. Dorota Roś
POLISH FILMS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
The international documentary film competition
- “No Hero At All,” dir. Michał Kawecki, 75’, 2021
- “Walk With Angels,” dir. Tomasz Wysokiński, 84’, 2021
The international short film competition
- “Love in Times of Coal-Based Economy,” dir. Tomasz Siwiński, 12’, 2021
- “On Time,” dir. Zbigniew Czapla, 5’, 2021
- “Solar Voyage,” dir. Adam Żądło, 18’, 2021
- “The Last Room On the Left,” dir. Adrian Apanel, 30’, 2021
- “Too Late,” dir. Kinga Syrek, 16’, 2021
THE NATIONAL COMPETITION:
The documentary films:
- “1970,” dir. Tomasz Wolski, 70’, 2021
- “No Hero At All,” dir. Michał Kawecki, 75’, 2021
- “Borderland,” dir. Andreas Voigt, 97’, 2020
- “High Maintenance – The Life and Work of Dani Karavan,” dir. Barak Heymann, 66’, 2020
- “One More Day,” dir. Monika Meleń, 50’, 2020
- “Balcony Concert,” dir. Diana Kadłubowska, Krzysztof Kadłubowski, 15’, 2021
- “Light Years,” dir. Monika Proba, 27’, 2021
- “@Miriamfrompoland,” dir. Piotr Szczepański, 77’, 2021
- “Walls,” dir. Andrei Kutsila, 17’, 2020
- “Nature Is My Homeland,” dir. Marek Gajczak, 54’, 2021
- “Invincible,” dir. Tom Koliński, 83’, 2021
- “Last Chance,” dir. Wiktoria Niewiadomska, 25’, 2021
- “Polański, Horowitz. Hometown,” dir. Mateusz Kudła, Anna Kokoszka-Romer, 75′, 2021
- “Tanaka’s Diary,” dir. Filip Jacobson, 22’, 2021
- “Cigarettes,” dir. Maja Markowska, 18’, 2020
- “Solar Voyage,” dir. Adam Żądło, 18’, 2021
- “Walk With Angels,” dir. Tomasz Wysokiński, 84’, 2021
- “A Little Bit of Paradise,” dir. Andrzej Cichocki, 19’, 2020
- “Only the Wind,” dir. Zofia Kowalewska, 58’, 2021
- “The Soil,” dir. Zuzanna Solakiewicz, 75’, 2021
The animated films:
- “98 kg,” dir. Izabela Plucińska, 5’, 2021
- “Prince in a Pastry Shop,” dir. Katarzyna Agopsowicz, 16’, 2020
- “Love in Times of Coal-Based Economy,” dir. Tomasz Siwiński, 12’, 2021
- “The Place,” dir. Sylwia Zawiła, 7’, 2020
- “On Time,” dir. Zbigniew Czapla, 5’, 2021
- “Dog’s Field,” dir. Michalina Musialik, 12’, 2020
- “Turbo Love,” dir. Alicja Jasina, 7’, 2021
- “The Visit,” dir. Mateusz Jarmulski, 7’, 2021
- “Too Late,” dir. Kinga Syrek, 16’, 2021
- “Green,” dir. Karolina Kajetanowicz, 8’, 2021
The short feature films:
- “Just for a While,” dir. Zuzanna Gorczycka, 19’, 2021
- “My Son Locks Himself In the Bathroom,” dir. Kuba Januszewski, 30’, 2021
- “First Last Summer,” dir. Nastazja Gonera, 24’, 2020
- “The Case of Jan Pampuch,” dir. Mikołaj Piszczan, 18’, 2020
- “Headfish,” dir. Jakub Prysak, 24’, 2021
- “The Last Room On the Left,” dir. Adrian Apanel, 30’, 2021
THE PANORAMA OF THE POLISH DOCUMENTARY FILM:
- “Fury,” dir. Krzysztof Kasior, 85’, 2021
- “Common Place,” dir. Karolina Anna Kuta, Patrycja Skorupska, 27’, 2021
- “The Disappearance of Johanna Langefeld,” dir. Władysław Jurkow, Gerburg Rohde-Dahl, 53’, 2020
- “An Actress in Wonderland,” dir. Maciej Kowalewski, Piotr Konstantinow, 83’, 2021
- “Universes,” dir. Dorota Roś, 16’, 2021
- “Over the River,” dir. Andrei Kutsila, 43’, 2021
- “It’s a very pretty picture,” dir. Jakub Ciosiński, 30’, 2020
- “In a knot,” dir. Aleksandra Sykulak, 32’, 2021