27th International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima

Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - Sunday, November 22, 2020

  • Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - Sunday, November 22, 2020
>

Short but Sweet

The festival is a veritable culmination of the film festival season, even during the ongoing pandemic. This year’s Etiuda&Anima is here!

“The difficult events of 2020 have forced us to rethink our entire approach and programme,” say the organisers of the 27th International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima (17-22 November) This year’s festival takes on a hybrid set-up with some events held online and some in a traditional format. Poland’s longest-running and most important festival showcasing works by students at art and film schools from all over the globe is centred around the competitions ETIUDA, ANIMA and ANIMA.PL, presenting features, documentaries and captivating animations. Short but sweet!

Online

This year’s contest for the Dinosaur, Jabberwocky and Viper statuettes, awarded by an international jury, shifts entirely online.

The ETIUDA competition features 31 films from far-flung countries including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and the Philippines. They include Anthony Nti’s short film Good Night, exploring a wide spectrum of emotions. The jury is led by the acclaimed Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian.

“Good Night”, dir. Anthony Nti

The ANIMA section presents 53 animations from 23 countries including Russia, Lebanon, Japan and Israel. It promises to be a tough competition! Don’t miss The Wings by the Estonian filmmaker Riho Unt, telling the story of a mad inventor who is so wrapped up in chasing his dreams he forgets all about his beloved wife. The jury is led by Emma De Swaef, co-author of the acclaimed animation Oh Willy…

“The Wings”, dir. Riho Unt

ANIMA.PL once again presents the best Polish animations in three categories: animated children’s films, TV series and student animations. They include Katarzyna Miechowicz’s Best Animal Videos [WATCH NOW], Mateusz Jarmulski’s The Hunt steeped in the atmosphere of spaghetti westerns, and Karyna Piwowarska and Jakub Wroński’s A Woman with a Pebble in Her Heart commemorating Janka Ipohorska, co-founder of the “Przekrój” magazine.

“Best Animal Videos [WATCH NOW]”, dir. Katarzyna Miechowicz

“Despite all the limitations, in particular the absence of a positive festival atmosphere which abounds during screenings to a live audience, the quality of films shortlisted for the competitions will be as high as ever. And that’s the most important element of rivalry!”, say the organisers.

Etiuda&Anima also presents reviews of Italian, Irish and Portuguese animation prepared by sister festivals Animaphix International Animated Film Festival in Sicily, Edinburgh Short Film Festival and Monstra – Lisbon Animated Festival. The organisers will also reveal the results of a poll conducted among acclaimed filmmakers voting for their favourite short animations produced by the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (ASIFA) between 2011 and 2020.

Meetings with artists

“We are working hard to make sure our audience can take part in online meetings with filmmakers featured at the festival and participants in the cycle Self-Portraits of Animation Artists,” promise the organisers.

This year’s festival also celebrates one of the greatest representatives of the Polish animation school Daniel Szczechura – director, screenwriter, set designer, pedagogue and winner of myriad awards, celebrating his 90th birthday this year.

At the cinema

Although due to the current circumstances most of the Etiuda&Anima events will be held online, festival director Bogusław Zmudziński is still hoping that the festival inauguration, planned for 17 November, can still be held at Kijów Cinema. If all goes as planned, we will be joined by Mariusz Wilczyński to see his feature-length animation Kill It and Leave This Town – a thrilling story about a family and a moving tribute to friendship. Premiered at this year’s Berlinale and awarded at the Annecy Film Festival, the production boasts an incredible cast of Polish film stars. Created over the course of several years (!), Wilczyński’s animation features the voices of Barbara Krafftówna, Andrzej Wajda, Irena Kwiatkowska, Krystyna Janda, Gustaw Holoubek, Anna Dymna, Marek Kondrat, Daniel Olbrychski, Magdalena Cielecka and Małgorzata Kożuchowska.

The festival inauguration will also feature a non-competition screening of the latest film by the brothers Stephen and Timothy Quaye The Doll’s Breath. The screening will be very special, since according to the guidelines by its producer Christopher Nolan, the film can only be shown at cinemas which still have traditional 35 mm film projectors.

The organisers are also planning animation workshops for kids and adults organised alongside the Association of Polish Animation Producers.

All we can do now is cross our fingers and hope that the pandemic doesn’t mess up our plans!

(Justyna Skalska, “Karnet” magazine)

Kijów Cinema

al. Krasińskiego 34


OK We use cookies to facilitate the use of our services. If you do not want cookies to be saved on your hard drive, change the settings of your browser.