28/05/2009

For the first time, viewers won’t have to travel to the south of the country to discover the Krakow Film Festival, one of Poland’s most established film events.

The 49th edition, which kicks off tomorrow and closes on June 4, is making part of its programme available on the internet. During the week’s screenings, the Cineman website will open a special section devoted to the festival and make available free of charge the films selected in competition and two musical documentaries.

Focusing on shorts, documentaries and animated films, the Krakow Festival will screen 90 titles across three competitive sections (one for Polish shorts and two others open to international shorts and documentaries). Although the event’s main attraction are its competitions, organisers will also present works out of competition, in particular in Krakow Documentary Premieres, a selection of the best films shown at international festivals and as yet unreleased in Poland.

One of the festival’s most popular sections is Sounds of Music with productions centred on music, musical phenomena and musicians. Another section, created to mark the 40th anniversary of the death of Krzysztof Komeda (composer and jazz pianist, who scored several Roman Polanski films and died in 1968 at the age of 37) will screen films accompanied by the composer’s music.

A new section entitled Jewish Roots will unveil several works on the theme of Jewish culture, the issue of antisemitism and current relations between Jews and Poles.

As at previous editions, the festival will offer a platform for professionals at the Krakow Film Market. Producers and festival and television network representatives will thus have the chance to discover new productions and projects, while a two-day forum is planned for distributors.

(Translated from French)