FOCUS TOFIFEST 2008

FOCUS TOFIFEST 2008 - guests

Marcin KWAŚNY, actor

Łukasz PALKOWSKI, director

Piotr SZCZEPAŃSKI, director

FOCUS TOFIFEST 2008 - GOŚCIE

MARCIN KWAŚNY

One of the most interesting actors of young generation. Versatile and talented - plays in theatre, television and movies. Comes from Tarnów. A graduate of Warsaw Theatre Academy. Actor of Kwadrat Theatre in Warsaw. He also makes guest appearances in Teatr Miejski in Gdynia. He made his first steps on the stage in the age of fifteen. He is a laureate of Opus Film award at XX Łódź Theatre Schools Review in 2002. Since then he has worked in Kwadrat Theatre and in Polish Television Theatre. He also took part in: Magdalena Piekorz's: "Pręgi", Krzysztof Zanussi's "Persona non grata", Andrezj Seweryn's "Kto nigdy nie żył...", Marek Koterski's "Wszyscy jesteśmy Chrystusami", and Marek Stacharski's "Przebacz".
He plays characters of various background. „I like the variety in creating the characters: beginning from Christ in Marek Koterski's film, up to homosexual in Łukasz Karwowski's latest film” - he said in an interview. He also works abroad. He played the leading role in Hungarian costume film ”Polowanie na Anglika” directed by Bertalan Bago, in which he played the eponym British count Adam Withwell. His first leading role in a Polish film was photographer Marcin Wilczyński in Łukasz Palkowski's "Rezerwat”. The film brought him racognition and due appreciation. Interesting is the fact that the film was based on Kwaśny's own biography and his text "Praskie miraże". „The story begins when I freshly moved to Praga, a district of Warsaw. But at first, all I wrote seemed to be a good material for merely a short film” - he said in an interview for Stopklatka.pl. His next text, "Ostatnie takie lato", has similar origin: „Yes. I fell from a horse and for four months I had to lie with my hand in a plaster. I had to be hospitalized for a long time, and went throught three surgeries. That's why I wrote the script”. Perhaps this comedy will also be made for the screen.

Recently Kwaśny has began a role in a TV-series "Weterynarze, czyli na kocią łapę”. The series will tell the story of a small vet clinic nearby Warsaw. Kwaśny will play the leading role of Julek, a young veterinarian. In this time he will also direct another spectacles - Checkhov's „Niedźwiedź” will soon be staged in Warsaw.
 

Filmografia/filmography:
2008 - "Droga do raju"
2008 - "Mała, wielka miłość"
2007 - „Rezerwat”
2007 - „Ekipa” (serial TV/TV Series)
2007 - „Dwie strony medalu” (serial TV/TV Series)
2007 - „Barwy szczęścia” (serial TV/TV Series)
2007-06 - „Pogoda na piątek” (serial TV/TV Series)
2006 - „Wszyscy jesteśmy Chrystusami”
2006 - „Vadaszat Angolokra”
2006 - „Ranczo” (serial TV/TV Series)
2006 - „Przebacz”
2006 - „Mrok” (serial TV/TV Series)
2006 - „Kto nigdy nie żył…”
2006 - „Tango z aniołem” (serial TV/TV Series)
2005 - „Skazany na bluesa”
2005 - „Pitbull” (serial TV/TV Series)
2005 - „Persona non grata”
2005 - „Niania” (serial TV)
2004 - „Złotopolscy” (serial TV)
2004 - „Pręgi”
2004 - „Nigdy w życiu!”
2004 - „Kryminalni” (serial TV/TV Series)
2003 - „Zaginiona” (serial TV/TV Series)
2003 - „Na dobre i na złe” (serial TV/TV Series)
2003 - „Fala zbrodni” (serial TV/TV Series)
2002 - „Superprodukcja”
2002 - „Sfora” (serial TV/TV Series)

Nagrody/Awards:
2002 - Nagroda „Opus Film”/ „Opus Film Award”, 20. Festiwal Szkół Teatralnych w Łodzi
2004 - Wyróżnienie za rolę w/Special menton for role In: „Nienawidzę” Marka Koterskiego, 8 Międzynarodowy Festiwal Komedii „Talia” w Tarnowie
2004 - Grand Prix - 4 Międzynarodowy Konkurs na Interpretację Tekstu Biblijnego „Verba Sacre”, Poznań

ŁUKASZ PALKOWSKI

Author of one of Poland's greatest film hits in 2007. He was born in 1976 in Warsaw. Film director and writer. He graduated from Warsaw Film School, founded by Bogusław Linda and Maciej Ślesicki.
He made a documentary "Giganci" and a short feature film "Nasza ulica" which was based on Jan Himilsbach's short story (Ist Award at Warsaw Film Festival on Jewish Matter). He gained experience as assistant director for Maciej Pieprzyca, Krzysztof Lang and Jan Kidawa-Błoński.

His feature debut was "Rezerwat" - which entered the strive at Polish Films Competition at TOFIFEST’2008. The film has been screened at Polish festivals and won awards everywhere. But, with no doubt, the most precious was the one won at the festival in Gdynia - for the best film debut of the year. In 2008 he was a laureate of Polityka Weekly „Paszporty Polityki” in the category: Best Film (for "Rezerwat”), which is one of the most prestigeous Polish awards for artists who begin a great career.

He calls himself a „villain”: „I am probably born with the silver spoon in my mouth. I managed to do many things in my life just because, despite living a self-denial life, I also met the appropriate people. And it was right in the moments when I ought to meet them. And all of this - in the place that was perfectly set by Fortune.” - he said in one of the interviews. Before he became a filmmaker, he did various, not related to film industry, things. He was putting together computers, fixing computer equipment, worked in advertising branch. Fortunately - he returned to the cinematography.

Filmografia / Filmography
2008 - 39 I PÓŁ Reżyseria (odcinki: 6-13),
2007 - REZERWAT Reżyseria, Scenariusz, Efekty specjalne,
2005 - BARBÓRKA w ŚWIĘTA POLSKIE Współpraca reżyserska,
2004 - NASZA ULICA Reżyseria, Scenariusz, Montaż,
2003 - POWIEDZ TO, GABI Asystent reżysera,
   
Nagrody/Awards
2008 - REZERWAT Paszport "Polityki"/ Polityka weekly „Paszport”
2008 - REZERWAT Orzeł, Polska Nagroda Filmowa / Eagle Polish Film Award (nominacja/nomination): odkrycie roku/Discovery of the year
2008 - REZERWAT Orzeł, Polska Nagroda Filmowa  / Eagle Polish Film Award (nominacja/nomination): najlepsza reżyseria/best directing
2007 - REZERWAT - Tarnowska Nagroda Filmowa - Nagroda Specjalna/Special Award
2007 - REZERWAT - Tarnowska Nagroda Filmowa - nagroda jury młodzieżowego/youth jury award
2007 - REZERWAT Koszalin "Młodzi i Film" - Nagroda Specjalna Jury/special jury award
2007 - REZERWAT Koszalin KSF "Młodzi i Film" - nagroda publiczności/audience award
2007 - REZERWAT Koszalin KSF "Młodzi i Film" - nagroda dziennikarzy/ Press award
2007 - REZERWAT Koszalin "Młodzi i Film" - Nagroda Jury Młodzieżowego/youth jury award
2007 - REZERWAT  Festiwal Filmu i Sztuki "Dwa Brzegi" - Nagroda Publiczności/audiencje award
2007 - REZERWAT - Ińskie Lato Filmowe - "Złota Rybka" dla najlepszego filmu polskiego/ best Polish film
2007 - REZERWAT Gdynia Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych - nagroda za debiut reżyserski/Award for best debut
2007 - REZERWAT Gdynia Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych - Nagroda Publiczności/audiencje Award
2007 - REZERWAT Gdynia Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych - nagroda dziennikarzy/Press award
2004 - NASZA ULICA Warszawa FF o Tematyce Żydowskiej - I nagroda za krótkometrażowy film fabularny/best short
 

PIOTR SZCZEPAŃSKI

One of the most interesting personalities of Polish cinematography. Born in 1975 in Łódź. Received an MA as cinematographer, he has fondness for directing. He Graduated from Łódź Film School in 1999. He is a son of film historian Tadeusz Szczepański. Among others, he's worked as cinematographer for Marek Koterski's "Dzień Świra", cinematography for TV spectacles - directed by Krzysztof Zanussi "Sesja kastingowa", and "Wesołe Miasteczko" by Sławomir Fabicki. He makes a living as maker of music videos and commercials.

He gained attention with his excellent documentary about rock band Cool kid of Death - "Generacja C.K.O.D." The documentary debut was awarded in 2004 with Grand Prix - Złoty Lajkonik at 44. Cracow Film Festival. In 2005 he received Grand Prix Nokia Mobile Movie Competition at XXI Warsaw Film Festival for short film "Przyszłość polskiej kinematografii".

His feature debut was, warmly received, "Aleja Gówniarzy”. This film about his hometown Łódź and its young inhabitants is - as he decribes himself: „A story about people in their twenties who are adult, but only according to their birth certificates, but they are emotionally immature. They run away from it, each on his own terms”. The film is a story about one insane night in Łódź, awarded, among others, at TOFIFEST 2007.
Now Szczepański is working on his new film. He assures that it won't be a romantic comedy: „It is hard to find myself in a situation in which I'd have to make a film for an order. I just do not see that I could accept a proposal of making, for example, some another romantic comedy”.

Filmografia/filmography:
reżyser/director:
2007:  Aleja gówniarzy 
2004:  Generacja C.K.O.D. 
1999:  Q 
1997:  Chrzest 
Zdjęcia/cinematography:
2000:  Kawaleria powietrzna 
1999:  ... I cicho ciało spocznie w grobie 
1997:  Chrzest 
1997:  Bliscy krewni nieczystości 

Nagrody/Awards:
2007 TOFIFEST – nagroda za najlepszy montaż/best editing
2000 CineMAiubit - International Student Film Festival - Best Cinematography for The Scent of Rain 2004 Cracow Film Festival - Golden Hobby-Horse of Cracow for Cool Kids of Death Generation
2004 Cracow Film Festival - Kodak Award
2004 Cracow Film Festival - Wyszehrad Award