A conversation with director Kinga Dębska, conducted during the 48th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. Feast of Fire A Film about Happiness, Ambition, and Secrets Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: During this year's festival in Gdynia, your latest film, adapted from Jakub Małecki's novel, qualified for the main competition. What inspired you in the book to bring it to the screen? Kinga Dębska: The journey began when the producer, Piotr Dzięcioł, reached out with the offer. While I generally lean towards crafting films from my own scripts, I thought, "If you have this book, send it to me." At that time ..read more

A conversation with the screenwriter - Marcin Ciastoń. Marcin CiastoŃ (Photo by Agata Murawska) Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: Mr. Marcin, during this year's Polish Film Festival in Austin, Texas, we are showing the psychological thriller "Wyrwa," inspired by Wojciech Chmielarz's novel. How was your experience adapting this novel into a screenplay? Marcin Ciastoń: Producers Joanna and Paweł Wernikowie, along with director Bartosz Konopka, brought me on board for this project. Before that happened, I of course read the book and quite quickly thought of an idea for it. Intriguingly, I found echoes ..read more

An exclusive interview with graphic artist – Patrycja Longawa, conducted by Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka. Patrycja is a winner of over 70 awards in prestigious utility art competitions, and her works have been showcased in 400 exhibitions across 40 countries around the globe. (More posters! and the Polish language version of this interview is also available on CultureAve.com) Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: Patrycja, you crafted an outstanding poster for us to announce the 18th Polish Film Festival in Austin. Its originality and meticulous detail stand out in every aspect. It not only meets the de ..read more

In an interview with Tomasz Magierski, the director discusses his documentary, 'Julian Stańczak. To Catch the Light'. The film delves into the mesmerizing world of Julian Stańczak, a seminal figure in the Op-art movement and a Polish-American artist renowned for his vibrant geometric patterns that play with perception. Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: During this year's Polish Film Festival in Austin, we will present your documentary film 'Julian Stańczak. To Catch the Light.' The film took 8 years to make. Why so long? Tomasz Magierski: First, thank you very much for inviting the film to the festiv ..read more

As Danuta Boba celebrated her 100th birthday, she was honored with the Medal of the National Education Commission for her contributions to Home Education. In the film, her daughter, Bożena Boba-Dyga, reflects on her mother's journey: EXCERPT from Bożena Boba-Dyga (Kraków): "On January 27, 1921, Danusia was born into the bourgeois Vašin family in Krakow. As you can easily calculate, she has turned one hundred years old, and what's more, she's still going strong. This round anniversary, which we usually wish for by singing "Happy 100th," became an occasion to recall her extraordinary story. Afte ..read more

When words won’t do, thoughts won’t do, and imagination no longer feels like imagining; there is still music – only music for this world, for this life. —Wiesław Myśliwski, A Treatise on Shelling Beans Can music change us? Can it change the world? These are the questions we may ask ourselves while watching the documentary Chopin: I Am Not Afraid of Darkness, written and directed by Joanna Kaczmarek. It follows an international project of sharing Fryderyk Chopin’s music with audiences at several locations stigmatized by historical events. This venture is undertaken by three pianists: Leszek Mo ..read more

Film “Long Day Tomorrow” screens October 29 at 6:30pm during the 17th Austin Polish Film Festival. Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: This year, the Austin Polish Film Festival will show your documentary film, Long Day Tomorrow, about a physician and a lay missionary, Helena Pyz. For over 30 years, she has been helping people at the Jeevodaya Social and Leprosy Rehabilitation Centre in India while in a wheelchair. What moved you about this story to turn it into a film? Paweł Wysoczański: For me, the film’s focus and essential part is Helena’s story and what she stands for – her devotion to another hum ..read more

Reflections on the film “Pianists: Defining Chopin” in the context of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Bożena U. Zaremba Every five years, my world comes to a halt as I completely immerse myself in the beautiful music of Fryderyk Chopin and let myself be swept away to a magical realm, where emotions, reflections, and spiritual ventures range from a soft zephyr to a powerful hurricane. For the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, we had to wait a little bit longer than usual. Still, the thrill experienced during this one-of-a-kind event was worth the wai ..read more

Conversation with Iwona Siekierzyńska, screenwriter and director of The Amateurs (Translated by Bożena U. Zaremba)   Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: The Amateurs is a feature film based on a true story about the theater called Biuro Rzeczy Osobistych (BRO—“Bureau of Personal Belongings”). This theater has been active in the Tri-City [of Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot, Poland] since 1998 and engages actors with intellectual disabilities, such as Down syndrome. That is a very difficult and risky subject for a movie as disabled actors on the screen may evoke pity and sympathy in the audience. However, in yo ..read more

Z Markiem Proboszem – odtwórcą tytułowej roli w filmie Ryszarda Bugajskiego „Śmierć Rotmistrza Pileckiego” – rozmawia Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka: Zagrałeś główną rolę w filmie Ryszarda Bugajskiego Śmierć Rotmistrza Pileckiego (2006). Propagowałeś też tę niezwykłą postać w Europie, Kanadzie i USA. W 100-lecie odzyskania przez Polskę niepodległości, 11 listopada 2018 r. złożyłeś hołd zarówno Polsce, jak i jej bohaterom, występując w wyreżyserowanym przez siebie monodramie Ochotnik do Auschwitz: Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki na nowojorskim Broadway’u, gdzie ..read more