Events
2021
Festival Poster Competition
The Polish Cultural Fund – Ann Arbor invites children to get involved in the Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival and sets in motion the first edition of the Film Festival Poster Competition.
The competition is open to all students of Polish schools in Michigan from ages 10 to 16. They are invited to create a poster which will be the key image for the 29th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival in 2022.
The winner will receive $200 cash prize.
Deadline for submission is February 28, 2022.
28th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival Summary
November 5 – 7 , 2021
This year we received 48 entries to our festival competition. We were able to offer viewing of the top selections virtually and in the Michigan Theater. Our feature presentations included 5 films.
After two years it was finally an opportunity to not only experience movies in a theater, but also meet with the community of Polish films enthusiasts and enjoy traditional Polish sweet treats.
A festival of this size is not possible without support of our Sponsors, Volunteers and Friends. Thanks to all of you for your ongoing annual support of the Festival.
2020
27th AAPFF Retrospective
In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, the 27th AAPFF was held online from November 6th through 8th, 2020.
We welcomed two virtual guests, dir. Agnieszka Holland and dir. Kobas Laksa. The interviews with both of them were available for viewing during the Festival. Our feature presentations included 5 films.
The Festival organizers thank the viewers and sponsors for their continued participation and financial support.
The Polish Cultural Fund & The 27th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival Committee
27th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
November 6 – 8, 2020
As the 27th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival approaches, the Polish Cultural Fund – Ann Arbor and the Festival Organizing Committee are responding to the global pandemic challenge with creativity and speed.
The 27th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival will take place online, in accordance with the current COVID-19 State of Michigan restrictions and the Michigan Theater safety guidelines.
See the AAPFF webpage for more information.
Society for Arts – spotkanie w Chicago
18 stycznia 2020 roku w galerii the Society for Arts w Chicago, przewodniczący PCF – Ann Arbor, Andrzej Dolata spotkał się z dyrektorem SA i organizatorem Polish Film Festival in America – Krzysztofem Kamyszewem. W czasie spotkania omówiono doświadczenia obu fundacji w propagowaniu sztuki i kultury polskiej, a w szczególności promowania polskiej kinematografii oraz ustalono warunki dalszej współpracy i koordynacji festiwali. Obaj przewodniczący zgodzili się na częstsze spotkania i wypracowanie strategicznych działań związanych ze współpracą z instytucjami filmowo-artystycznymi w Polsce.
2019
The 26th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
November 8 – 10
The Festival was held in November 8 – 10, in the Michigan Theater. In all 5 feature films, 5 documentaries, 6 short films and one full length animation were screened.
The winners for the Documentary and Short Film Competition were Eric Bednarski for the film Warszawa: miasto podzielone/Warsaw: A City Divided and Stanisław Horodecki for the films Na strajk!/On Strike! and Na strajk!/On Strike.
The 57th Ann Arbor Film Festival
My Friend the Polish Girl
March 30, 2019
Co-sponsoring the film My Friend the Polish Girl by Ewa Banaszkiewicz and Mateusz Dymek, Polish film directors from London. The film was screened during the 57th Ann Arbor Film Festival at the Michigan Theater. The Festival is internationally recognized as a premier forum showcasing the most creative and unique films of today’s preeminent moving image artists who cross boundaries, defy expectations, and experiment with concepts and techniques.
From Cannes and Telluride nominee Ewa Banaszkiewicz and Mateusz Dymek comes a fiction film that takes the form of a first time filmmaker’s documentary. My Friend the Polish Girl borrows from cinema verite and video bloggers to create a rare naturalism in style and performance. The fiction film watches as an experimental documentary told through the eyes and lens of amateur filmmaker Katie, an American rich kid following Alicja, an erratic unemployed Polish actress. Set in a post-Brexit London, Katie’s colonising, disruptive presence in Alicja’s life mirrors the treatment of migrants in the UK: welcomed, used, then discarded. A raw, sexual, and visually brash film exploring the abusive power and control over someone’s intimacy.
2018
The Polish Spirit of Independence
December 7, 2018 – January 2, 2019
This year Poland is celebrating the centenary of regaining independence. To share our joy we present “The Spirit of Polish Independence”. We encourage Americans to see our exhibition to learn about Poland’s history and its connections with The United States. Learn about Kosciuszko and Pulaski, two Poles who were prominent figures in the fight for American independence. Discover the fascinating story of American pilots who defended Poland against the Bolsheviks in 1920, and later joined the Polish Army, together with its American and British allies, in the fight against Nazi Germany. Exhibition sponsors and organizers: Polish Cultural Fund – Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan Polish Student Association and Ann Arbor Polonia Association.
25th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
November 7 – 11, 2018
FESTIVAL GUESTS:
Filip Bajon (film director), Olga Bieniek (film producer), Sławomir Grünberg (film director), Kasia Dąbkowska-Kułacz (film director), Marlena Kreńska (film producer), Krzysztof Zanussi (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Kasia Dąbkowska-Kułacz, Mateusz Gołębiewski, Pat Howl Kostyszyn
FEATURE FILMS:
Rok spokojnego słońca / A Year of the Quiet Sun, dir. Krzysztof Zanussi
Cicha noc / Silent Night, dir. Piotr Domalewski
Kler / Clergy, dir. Wojciech Smarzowski
Kamerdyner / The Butler, dir. Filip Bajon
7 uczuć / 7 Feelings, dir. Marek Koterski
Tarapaty / Double Trouble, dir. Marta Karwowska
Miasto 44 / Warsaw ’44, dir. Jan Komasa
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Ciche godziny / Quiet Hours, dir. Paul Szynol
Ostatni misjonarze / The Last Missionaries, dir. Simon Target
Tamtej nocy / Off the Hook, dir. Pat Howl Kostyszyn
Świtezianka / The Nixie, dir. Julia Bui Ngoc & Mai Bui Ngoc
Praca / Labour, dir. Mateusz Gołębiewski
Modus Operandi / Modus Operandi, dir. Remigiusz Biernacki
Podróż Bogdana / Bogdan’s Journey, dir. Michał Jaskulski & Lawrence Loewinger
Universam Grochów / Universam Grochów, dir. Tomasz Knittel
Niebo bez gwiazd / A Sky without Stars, dir. Katarzyna Dąbkowska-Kułacz
CARTOONS:
Żubr Pompik / Bison Pompik, dir. Wiesław Zięba
Basia / Basia, dir. Łukasz Kacprowicz & Marcin Wasilewski
Polish History in Film Masterpieces
October – November, 2018
To celebrate the 100th years of Poland’s regained independence, the Polish Filmmakers Association presented a series of films with a historical theme. The films showed various historical periods, and offer insight into Polish history from the viewpoint of several generations, ranging from Andrzej Wajda to Jan Komasa. Polish Cultulat Fund – Ann Arbor is proud to host and co-sponsor the series Polish History in Film Masterpieces.
Polish Bilingual Day
October 28, 2018
Co-sponsoring the Polish Bilingual Day organized by the Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools and Polish – American Congress at the American Polish Cultural Center of Troy. The event was addressed to all children of Polish descent and their families. The program included a theater workshop, folk art workshop, Polish – American Numismatic Society presentation, game room, performance Pchła Szachrajka by the group the Polish Theatre Institute from New York, party and disco for kids.
2017
Polish Language Teachers Workshop
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures hosted the NAATPI workshop Teaching with Authentic Materials: Theoretical and Practical Classroom Implications. The workshop, organized by Ewa Pasek was attended by 27 language teachers from various universities and colleges. The workshop program addressed challenges language instructors face while incorporating authentic materials into their curricula. The participants also discussed the future of Polish language teaching and learning, and different modes of language instruction that technology offers.
The workshop was cosponsored by the Polish Cultural Fund, Copernicus Program in Polish Studies and U-M Language Resource Center.
Duo Klavitarre Concert
Organized and financed Duo Klavitarre concert at Kerrytown Concert House. The concert was performed by Jolanta and Maciej Ziemski, who have been playing as Duo Klavitarre for twelve years. Both artists graduated with awards from the Music Academy in Łódź, Poland, and currently live in Bremen, Germany.
24th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUEST:
Łukasz Nowak (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Łukasz Nowak (Best Debut)
Łukasz Śródka (Best Documentary)
FEATURE FILMS:
Wołyń / Volhynia, dir. Wojciech Smarzowski
Sztuka kochania / The Art of Loving, dir. Maria Sadowska
Po prostu przyjaźń / Simply Friendship, dir. Filip Zylber
Powidoki / Afterimage, dir. Andrzej Wajda
Za niebieskimi drzwiami / Behind the Blue Door, dir. Mariusz Palej
CARTOONS:
Mami Fatale / Mami Fatale, dir. Marcin Wasilewski
Przytul mnie / Hug me, dir. Mateusz Jarmulski
DOCUMENARIES AND SHORT FILMS:
W absolutnej ciszy / In Absolute Silence, dir. Łukasz Śródka
Zygmunt Hübner – gra z rzeczywistością / Zygmunt Hübner – Playing with Reality, dir. Edyta Wróblewska
Sen o Warszawie / Dreaming of Warsaw, dir. Mateusz Czuchnowski
Daniel / Daniel, dir. Anastazja Dąbrowska
Złe uczynki / Evil Deeds, dir. Piotr Domalewski
Kurs / The Ride, dir. Kacper Anuszewski
Drzewo i ja / The Tree and Me, dir. Łukasz Nowak
Jestem Tomek / I Am Tomek, dir. Paweł Son Ngo
2016
The Theatre of Eighth Day
Co-hosted visit of Ewa Wójciak and The Theatre of Eighth Day. Wójciak gave a Copernicus Program in Polish Studies lecture Breaking Boundaries Before and After Censorship: A Personal Story of When and How You Should Say No.
Robert Biedroń
Co-hosted Robert Biedroń, mayor of Słupsk, Poland, a Polish LGTB activist. Biedron delivered a Copernicus Program in Polish Studies lecture Sexual minorities and Civil Rights in Poland.
23th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUEST:
Mitja Okorn (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Kinga Dębska & Maria Konwicka (Best Documentary)
FEATURE FILMS:
Ciało / Body, dir. Małgorzata Szumowska
Carte blanche / Carte blanche, dir. Jacek Lusiński
Planeta singli / Planet Single, dir. Mitja Okorn
Zaćma / Blidness, dir. Ryszard Bugajski
11 minut / 11 Minutes, dir. Jerzy Skolimowski
Klub włóczykijów / Gadabouts club, dir. Tomasz Szafrański
CARTOONS:
Proszę słonia / Please elephant, dir. Witold Giersz
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Ameryka / America, dir. Aleksandra Terpińska
Upadek Ikara / Fall of Icarus, dir. Paweł Son Ngo
Lila / Lila, dir. Dominika Łapka
Niewidzialne / Invisible, dir. Zofia Pręgowska
To, czego chcę / What I want, dir. Damian Kocur
Aktorka / Actress, dir. Kinga Dębska, Maria Konwicka
Karski i władca ludzkości / Karski & the Lords of Humanity, dir. Sławomir Grünberg
2015
Tomasz Stańko
Co-hosted visit of prominent Polish jazz trumpeter and composer, Tomasz Stańko. Stańko performed at Hill Auditorium with his New Balladyna Quartet.
Stańko was strongly associated with free jazz and the avant-garde. He established a reputation as a leading figure not only in Polish jazz, but on the world stage as well, working with many notable musicians.
Bridging Urban America
Co-finansed the documentary film Bridging Urban America: the story of master Engineer, Ralph Modjeski by Barbara and Leonard Myszyński about a visionary engineer and America’s bridges.
Jacek Bojakowski
Organized and financed Dr. Jacek Bojakowski lecture Sight Resolution, Brain Intergration and Minature Portrait, czyli rozdzielczość wzroku, integracja mózgowa i miniatura portretowa and exhibition of Dr. Bojakowski minature portraits. The exhibition took place at local Amadeus restaurant.
22th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUESTS:
Kinga Dębska (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Tomasz Protokowicz, Simon Target
FEATURE FILMS:
Żyć nie umierać / Life Must Go On, dir. Maciej Migas
Bogowie / Gods, dir. Łukasz Palkowski
Obywatel / Citizen, dir. Jerzy Stuhr
Moje córki krowy / These Daughters of Mine, dir. Kinga Dębska
Fotograf / The Photographer, dir. Waldemar Krzystek
Gabriel / Gabriel, dir. Mikołaj Haremski
CARTOONS
Pamiętnik Florki / Florka’s Diary
Dwanaście miesięcy / Polish Fairy Tales: Twelve Months
Parauszek i przyjaciele / Mr. Parauszek and Friends
Krawiec Niteczka / Tailor Niteczka
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Nasz Kasprowy / Our Kasprowy, dir. Janusz Julo Sus
Dawno temu na Śląsku / A Long Time Ago in Silesia, dir. Tomasz Protokowicz
Nóż w wozie / Knife in the Wife, dir. Vita Maria Drygas
Dotknięcie anioła / The Touch of an Angel, dir. Marek Tomasz Pawłowski
Radoslaw / Radoslaw, dir. Małgorzata Brama
Brzostek – historia pewnego powrotu / A Town Called Brzostek, dir. Simon Target
2014
21th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUESTS:
Marek Probosz (actor)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Sophia Turkiewicz
FEATURE FILMS:
Jack Strong / Jack Strong, dir. Władysław Pasikowski
Bokser / Boxer, dir. Tomasz Blachnicki
Kamienie na Szaniec / Stones for the Rampart, dir. Robert Gliński
Wałęsa. Człowiek z nadziei / Walesa. Man of Hope, dir. Andrzej Wajda
Kochanie, chyba cię zabiłem / Honey, I Think I’ve Killed You, dir. Jakub Niescierow
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Aram / Aram, dir. Krzysztof Talczewski
Arena / Arena, dir. Martin Rath
Niegdyś moja matka / Once My Mother, dir. Sophia Turkiewicz
Sen o Warszawie / Dream of Warsaw, dir. Krzysztof Magowski
Las cieni / The Shadow Forest, dir. Andrzej Cichocki
Zabicie ciotki / Killing Auntie, dir. Mateusz Głowacki
Chapri / Chapri, dir. Katarzyna Płazińska
Powroty Szymona / Shimon’s Returns, dir. Sławomir Grünberg, Katka Reszke
Katarzyna Płazińska
Promoted and subsidized Chapri film by Katarzyna Płazińska at the Szczecin European Festival. The author shows the hand-crafting of Muslim paper through simple cinematic means: “Light, shadow, and sound form an impressionistic portrait of an ephemeral act.” The craftswoman, Katharina Siedler, uses a technique that traces back to the 8th century.
2013
Marcin Giżycki
Co-hosted and co-financed the visit of Marcin Giżycki and his presentation of the history of Polish animation at the 51th Ann Arbor Film Festival. Marcin Gizycki presented a survey of works beginning in 1957, the opening of what is generally considered the “Golden Age of Polish Animation” through the present day.
The Exhibition: Operation AB – Katyń
The Exhibition: Operation AB – Katyń was a multi panel educational project that aimed to shed light on the cooperative efforts of Nazi Germany and the U.S.S.R. to systematically exterminate the elites of the Polish nation in WWII. Using never-before-seen photographs and avant-garde scholarship, the panels were an invitation to learn about the horrendous crimes against the Polish nation and to raise questions about accountability for actions. Those crimes perpetrated by the Soviet Union, described collectively as the Katyn Massacre, have never been prosecuted.The exhibition was free event, open to students, academic Scholars and Ann Arbor residents for two weeks.
Karski & The Lords of Humanity
Sponsored Sławomir Grünberg’s film Karski & The Lords of Humanity.
Emmy Award-winning Grünberg turns his lens on Jan Karski, one of the most courageous and least known underground Polish soldier from World War II. He infiltrated the Warsaw Ghetto, a Transit Camp, then carried his eyewitness reports of the atrocities to Britain and the United States to inform the Allied powers of Nazi crimes against the Jews in an effort to prevent the Holocaust.
20th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUEST:
Ryszard Bugajski (film director), Maria Mamona (actress), Bożena Garus-Hockuba (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Sławomir Grünberg, Adrian Pawica, Tomasz Wiśniewski
FEATURED FILMS:
Podejrzani zakochani / Suspiciously in Love, dir. Sławomir Kryński
Sęp / Vulture, dir. Eugeniusz Korin
Miłość / Loving, dir. Sławomir Fabicki
W imię… / In the Name of…, dir. Małgorzata Szumowska
Układ zamknięty / The Closed Circuit, dir. Ryszard Bugajski
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Czerwony guzik / The Red Button, dir. Ewa Pięta, Mirosław Grubek
American Montage /American Montage, dir. Janek Ambros
Maestro Rodziński / Maestro Rodzinski, dir. Bożena Garus-Hockuba
Wyrzutki / Castaways, dir. Sławomir Grünberg, Tomasz Wiśniewski
Czwarty rozbiór / Fourth Partition, dir. Adrian Prawica
Santa Rosa /Santa Rosa, dir. Sławomir Grünberg
Ciemny gaj / Shady Grove, dir. Kastor Podgórski
2012
19th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUEST:
Steven Craig Oliver (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Kordian Kądziela, Philip Lauri
FEATURED FILMS:
80 milionów / 80 Million, dir. Waldemar Krzystek
Sponsoring / Elles, dir. Małgorzata Szumowska
Róża / Rose, dir. Wojtek Smarzowski
Wymyk / Courage, dir. Greg Zglinski
Supermarket / Supermarket, dir. Maciej Żak
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Po fabryce / After the Factory, dir. Philip Lauri
Nie zupełnie biały / Not Quite White, dir. Jamil Khoury, Stephen Combs
Sztuka przetrwania / The Art of Survival, dir. Anna Ferens
Muka! / Boo!, dir. Kordian Kądziela
Agnieszka Holland
Co-sponsored Annual Copernicus Program in Polish Studies lecture given by acclaimed film director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland. The lecture A Filmmaker’s Approach to Society’s Most Vexing Concerns was followed by a free screening of Oscar nominated movie In Darkness.
2011
18th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUESTS:
Antoni Krauze (film director), Magdalena Łazarkiewicz (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNER:
Piotr Uzarowicz
FEATURED FILMS:
Huśtawka / The Swing, dir. Tomasz Lewkowicz
Wygrany / The Winner, dir. Wiesław Saniewski
Czarny czwartek. Janek Wiśniewski padł / Black Thursday, dir. Antoni Krauze
Maraton tańca / Dance Marathon, dir. Magdalena Łazarkiewicz
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Video niekontrolowane / Uncontrolled Video, dir. Anna Ferens
Powrót do Stołowic / Return to Stolowicze, dir. Marek Dojs
Żona oficera / The Officer’s Wife, dir. Piotr Uzarowicz
Planeta Krisana / Planet Kirsan, dir. Magdalena Pieta
Zobaczyłem zjednoczony naród / I Saw the Nation United, dir. Anna Ferens
2010
17th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUESTS:
Anna Ferens (film director), Agnieszka Wójtowicz-Vosloo (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNER:
Bożena Garus-Hockuba
FEATURED FILMS:
Cudowne lato / Wonderful Summer, dir. Ryszard Brylski
Różyczka / Little Rose, dir. Jan Kidawa-Błoński
Handlarz cudów / Miracle Seller, dir. Jarosław Szoda, Bolesław Pawica
After.Life / After.Life, dir. Agnieszka Wójtowicz-Vosloo
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Warszawa do wzięcia / Warsaw Available, dir. Karolina Bielawska, Julia Ruszkiewicz
Co mogą martwi jeńcy / What Can Dead Prisoners Do, dir. Anna Ferens
Mama / Mom, dir. Krzysztof Piotrowski
Odebrali mu miłość / They Took His Love Away, dir. Bożena Garus-Hockuba
2009
16th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIWAL GEUSETS:
Barbara Myszyński (film director & producer), Leonard Myszyński (photographer and film producer)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Jolanta Dylewska
FEATURED FILMS:
Generał Nil / General Nil, dir. Ryszard Bugajski,
Rysa / Scratch, dir. Michał Rosa
Wojna polsko-ruska / Polish-Russian War, dir. Xawery Żuławski
Ile waży koń trojański? / How Much Does the Trojan Horse Weigh?, dir. Juliusz Machulski
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Pistolet do wynajęcia / Gun for Hire, dir. Piotr Zarębski
Po-Lin / Po-Lin, dir. Jolanta Dylewska
Coming Out po polsku / Coming Out in Poland, dir. Sławomir Grünberg
Modjeska – Woman Triumphant, dir. Barbara Myszyński
Wolna Grupa Bukowina
Supported concert by the Wolna Grupa Bukowina – a Polish music band singing poetry and ballads, touristic songs, folk and soft folk-rock, inspired by Bob Dylan and the other American folk-singers.
2008
15th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival
FESTIVAL GUESTS:
Bruce Checefsky (film director), Anna Ferens (film director), Krzysztof Kopczyński (film director), Ewa Stankiewicz (film director)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS:
Anna Ferens & Ewa Stankiewicz
Krzysztof Kopczyński
FEATURED FILMS:
Korowód / Twists of Fate, dir. Jerzy Stuhr
Sztuczki / Tricks , dir. Andrzej Jakimowski
Futro / Fur, dir. Tomasz Drozdowicz
Lejdis / Lejdis, dir. Tomasz Konecki
Kobieta i koła / A Woman and Circles, dir. Bruce Checefsky
DOCUMENTARIES & SHORT FILMS:
Pierwszy dzień / The First Day, dir. Marcin Sauter
Kamienna cisza / Stone Silence, dir. Krzysztof Kopczyński
Trzech kumpli / Three Buddies, dir. Ewa Stankiewicz, Anna Ferens
Modjeska – Woman Triumphant
Supported documentary film by Barbara Myszyńska and Leonard Myszyński Modrzejewska – Triumf kobiety /Modjeska – Women Triumphant about the life and passions of Polish actress Helena Modjeska in nineteenth century America.
