What do you perhaps not know about the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia?
For the first time, the film festival was held – theoretically – in Gdańsk in 1974. The opening and closing of the event took place in the Leningrad (later Neptune) cinema, but all screenings took place in Sopot.
The Polish Film Festival (1974–2011 and since 2017) was also organized under the name Gdynia Film Festival (2012) and Gdynia Film Festival (2013–2016).
In 44 years, the festival has not been held twice (in 1982 and 1983).
Four times the main prize was not awarded (1976, 1989, 1991, 1996).
Only four women have won the highest laurels in the 44 years of the festival. The Golden Lions went to Agnieszka Holland in 1981. for “Fever” and in 2012 for “In Darkness”; Magdalena Piekorz (2004: Welts), Małgorzata Szumowska (2015: Body) and Joanna Kos-Krauze (she received the award together with her husband in 2006 for Saviour’s Square).
The creators of the festival, referring to the experiences of their colleagues from overseas, in 1996 They decided to reward the worst domestic production. In the United States, the Golden Raspberries are awarded, in Poland the Golden Peacock was awarded. Its only winner in history was Wiesław Saniewski’s film “The Rain Soldier”.
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The year 1977 was a great festival scandal. Andrzej Wajda does not receive any distinction for “Man of Marble”. The decision is purely political. Unable to officially present their award to the master, journalists present him on the stairs. Janusz Kijowski brings… a brick with a dedication to “To Andrzej Wajda – journalists”. The Gdańsk Lions win Krzysztof Zanussi’s “Protective Colours”. The director, in an act of solidarity with Wajda, does not accept the award.
A new one is coming, and in 1980 the chairman of “Solidarity”, Lech Walesa, appears at the festival. The Golden Lions go to Kazimierz Kutz for “Beads of One Rosary”, which fits the climate of the then Polish. “It can be said that Wałęsa somehow anointed Kazia Kutz for the Grand Prix,” said Janusz Zaorski. – The topic was topical, the film fit perfectly into the landscape of Gdańsk. The authorities gave in and did not interfere this time.” In “Piekiełko”, the famous festival club, Agnieszka Holland talks to the head of cinematography, Michał Misiorny, about “Fever”, a film about revolutionaries from 1905. To her great surprise, the official, who was under the so-called influence, he agrees to let her direct it. A year later, the film won the Golden Lions.
In 1987. the festival moves to Gdynia. The authorities want to cut off the event from the atmosphere of freedom and solidarity prevailing in Gdańsk. “The idea was to lock us up in some luxurious ghetto – judged Janusz Kijowski – far from the Shipyard, far from the youth of the Tri-City, somewhere off the beaten track, between the Navy Garrison Club (cheap vodka) and Piekiełko (expensive vodka). And it worked.”
After the breakthrough year of 1989, such diverse filmmakers as Juliusz Machulski (“Girl Guide”), Jan Jakub Kolski (“History of Cinema in Popielawy”) and Krzysztof Krauze, who in 1999 made a new film in the Polish Film Festival, became famous for his work in 1999. he receives the Golden Lions for “The Debt” – a poignant story about a new world. After the ceremony, he goes to the aforementioned “Hell” to fail his success, argues with his wife in the hotel and throws the prize out of the window in anger. The lions then have the form of a heavy badge. “I was lucky because it hit the tarred roof over the pool, not someone’s head ,” he says. ” God has given me peace on the right side.” In the morning , “(…) The last ball-goers returning from “Piekiełko” saw Krzysztof Krauze looking for his badge on the lawn in front of the hotel on all fours” – reported Maciej Karpiński.
An unpleasant surprise awaits Olaf Lubaszenko and the cast of the film “E=mc²” during the 24. edition of the event in 1999. During the premiere, the cinema staff confuses the order of the tapes from which the production is shown. Outraged by this fact, Cezary Pazura, who plays in the film, demands that “E=mc²” be replayed. “The lack of sense in the development of the plot, the breaking of plots and the general chaos were accepted as typical for Polish film. No one was surprised (…).” – Tomasz Raczek later wrote in “Wprost”.
Leading the 31. In 2006, the Polish Film Festival was entrusted to Maciej Orłoś and Anna Musza. The choice of the actress turned out to be controversial. Mucha’s crude jokes resulted in the organizers’ decision to replace her with Tamara Arciuch. The change of host took place only once in the entire history of the event.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the festival in 2015 A competition for the Diamond Lions, the most beloved Polish films, has been announced. The audience turned out to be faithful to the classics. The winners were “Nights and Days” by Jerzy Antczak, beating “The Deluge” by Jerzy Hoffman and “The Promised Land” by Andrzej Wajda. “Nights and Days” star Jadwiga Barańska was named Best Actress, ahead of Krystyna Janda (“Interrogation”) and Danuta Szaflarska (“Time to Die”). The best actor award went to Janusz Gajos (memorable performances in “Interrogation”, “Escape from the Liberty Cinema” and “Millionaire”). He was followed by Tomasz Kot (“Gods”) and Jerzy Bińczycki (“Nights and Days”). Cinema lovers liked Wojciech Kilar’s music from “The Promised Land” the most.
Behind:
https://viva.pl/kultura/historia-festiwalu-polskich-filmow-fabularnych-w-gdyni-114794-r1/
https://rozrywka.trojmiasto.pl/Ruszyl-Festiwal-Filmowy-Diamentowe-Lwy-rozdane-n94350.html
https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Janusz+Gajos-311
https://www.wirtualnemedia.pl/artykul/skandal-za-skandalem-w-gdyni
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festiwal_Polskich_Film%C3%B3w_Fabularnych
