03/03/2020 - Jan Komasa’s Oscar-nominated film about a fake priest dominated the Polish Film Awards, while Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite was voted Best European Film

Director Jan Komasa at the Polish Eagles ceremony (© East News)

Unlike the American Academy’s ceremony held last month — where Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz Bielenia
interview: Jan Komasa
film profile] was a Best International Film hopeful — the 22^nd Polish Film Awards gala had very few surprises in store. The only twist was the first ex aequo verdict in the Best Supporting Actor category, but more because of the baffling way it was presented than anything else. Agata Trzebuchowska (actress known for her performance in Ida [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile], but also an emerging director herself), announced only one winner, Łukasz Simlat (Corpus Christi), before the second winner Robert Więckiewicz (The Coldest Game [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Łukasz Kośmicki
film profile]) was called to the stage a few minutes later. Still, it was far from the infamous 2017 Oscars La La Land/Moonlight debacle.

That rainy Warsaw evening, as actor Maciej Stuhr, the host of the ceremony, declared, was supposed to be free of tension and political jokes, the common ingredient of recent award galas in Poland. Stuhr referred to writer Olga Tokarczuk’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, in which she coined the term tender narrator, and said that the 22^nd Polish Eagles gala should be nice and tender. Corpus Christi, directed by Jan Komasa, a film which calls for love and acceptance of others, was the apt winner of the night, snagging 11 awards including Best Film as well as the Audience Award. Komasa was announced as Best Director, while Mateusz Pacewicz got two nods for his script (Best Screenplay and Discovery of the Year), thesps Aleksandra Konieczna, Bartosz Bielenia, Eliza Rycembel and Łukasz Simlat also took home an Eagle. Cinematographer Piotr Sobocinski jr. and editor Przemysław Chruścielewski concluded the winning Corpus Christi team.

Not many awards were left for other films. Icarus. The Legend of Mietek Kosz [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Maciej Pieprzyca got two nods — for Best Music (Leszek Możdżer) and Best Sound (Maciej Pawlicki, Robert Czyżewicz) — while the stylish Mister T. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marcin Krzyształowicz
film profile] by Marcin Krzyształowicz flew away with the awards for Best Costume (Magdalena Biedrzycka) and Best Production Design (Magdalena Dipont, Robert Czesak). The newly introduced Best Make Up award was snagged by Dariusz Krysiak, who worked on medieval thriller-drama The Mute [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. HBO Poland-produced The Pack (season 3) was announced as Best TV Show, while Don’t Tell Anyone by Tomasz Sekielski and Marek Siekielski, about pedophilia in the Polish church, was voted Best Documentary. Legendary Polish actress Maja Komorowska, who worked with the likes of Krzysztof Zanussi and Andrzej Wajda, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. One Eagle – for Best European Film - flew to Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. The Polish Film Institute and Canal+ Polska received two Special Awards for their continuous support of the local film industry.

The most emotional part of the evening was probably the arrival of Ukrainian director Oleh Sentsov on the stage. The Polish Film Academy had been appealing for his release for years and Sentsov gave a poignant speech, thanking the Polish industry for its support, and stressing that the conflict in the Ukraine is not over yet, with many of his friends still detained.

The full list of winners:

Best Film
Corpus Christi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz Bielenia
interview: Jan Komasa
film profile] – Jan Komasa (Poland/France)

Best Director
Jan Komasa – Corpus Christi

Best Screenplay 
Mateusz Pacewicz – Corpus Christi

Best Actress 
Aleksandra Konieczna – Corpus Christi

Best Actor
Bartosz Bielenia – Corpus Christi

Best Supporting Actress 
Eliza Rycembel – Corpus Christi

Best Supporting Actor 
Łukasz Simlat  – Corpus Christi
ex aequo
Robert Więckiewicz – The Coldest Game [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Łukasz Kośmicki
film profile] (Poland)

Best Sound 
Maciej Pawlicki, Robert Czyżewicz – Icarus. The Legend of Mietek Kosz [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Poland)

Best Cinematography 
Piotr Sobociński Jr. – Corpus Christi 

Best Editing
Przemysław Chruścielewski – Corpus Christi

Best Music 
Leszek Możdżer – Icarus. The Legend of Mietek Kosz

Best Costumes
Magdalena Biedrzycka – Mister T. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marcin Krzyształowicz
film profile] (Poland)

Best Make-up
Dariusz Krysiak – The Mute [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Poland/Belgium)

Best Production Design 
Magdalena Dipont, Robert Czesak – Mister T.

Audience Award 
Corpus Christi

Best Documentary 
Don’t Tell Anyone – Tomasz Sekielski, Marek Sekielski (Poland)

Discovery of the Year
Mateusz Pacewicz – screenplay for Corpus Christi

Lifetime Achievement Award
Maja Komorowska

Best European Film ​
The Favourite [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Yorgos Lanthimos

Best TV show
The Pack (season 3) – Olga Chajdas, Katarzyna Adamik

Special Award
Polish Film Institute (PISF)
Canal+ Polska