The Industry awards of Krakow 2024 were handed out May 31 within the Docs to Start and Docs to Go categories, for Polish and Ukrainian documentary projects in development and in post-production respectively. KFF Industry runs May 27 to June 1. The 64th Krakow Film Festival runs to 2 June in Kraków, and across Poland on the KFF VOD online streaming platform between 31 May and 16 June 2024.
FOR PROJECTS PRESENTED AT DOCS TO START
- CANAL+ Award: 12,000 PLN (€2,806) in cash for the project Theory of Survival, directed by Paweł Chorzępa, produced by Joanna Chorzępa/BEES FILM HOUSE. Logline: The indomitable palaeontologist Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska and her team in Mongolia discover how mammals survived while dinosaurs died.
- MX35 Award: Film equipment rental services worth of 10,000 PLN (€2,338) for the project How I Became a Hijacker directed by Andrew Carter, produced by Aleksandra Szczęsna/HASKO FILM. Logline: An East German mother hijacks a plane to escape to the West with her daughter. Hollywood devours the dramatic tale. Decades on, she wants to tell the story her way, by reliving it with those involved.
- FIXAFILM Award: Image post-production services worth of 15,000 PLN (€3,507) for the project Theory of Survival directed by Paweł Chorzępa, produced by Joanna Chorzępa/BEES FILM HOUSE. Logline: The indomitable palaeontologist Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska and her team in Mongolia discover how mammals survived while dinosaurs died.
- FINA Award: In-kind, archival materials worth of 50,000 PLN (€11,692) for the project Theory of Survival directed by Paweł Chorzępa, produced by Joanna Chorzępa/BEES FILM HOUSE. Logline: The indomitable palaeontologist Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska and her team in Mongolia discover how mammals survived while dinosaurs died.
- Multilab / Krakow Technology Park Award for the project En Garde directed by Mateusz Wajda, produced by Paweł Ziemilski/MX35. Logline: En Garde is a story of a unique family sharing love of sports, trying to overcome a recent breakup and achieve a dream goal — win an Olympic medal in fencing.
- Special Mention WFF – WROCLAW FEATURE FILM STUDIO Award: Winning project: How I Became a Hijacker directed by Andrew Carter, produced by Aleksandra Szczęsna/HASKO FILM. Logline: An East German mother hijacks a plane to escape to the West with her daughter. Hollywood devours the dramatic tale. Decades on, she wants to tell the story her way, by reliving it with those involved.
- IDFA Special Mention: Invitation as a guest project to IDFA Forum for the project My Dear Vira directed Maryna Brodovska and Olga Chernykh and produced by Olga Chernykh and Nataliia Sukach/COSMOS AGENCY. Logline: A young woman artist, forced to flee Ukraine due to war, aims to reunite with her girlhood friend Vira, now a US soldier, to comprehend the complexities of their messed-up adult lives.
- FIPADOC Special Mentions: Invitations as guest projects to FIPADOC Industry for the projects In the Circle directed by Michał Bielawski, produced by Maciej Kubicki/TELEMARK and Waltz from the Well directed by Tymon Nogalski, produced by Sławomir Richert, Katarzyna Tymusz / WARSAW PRODUCTION TEAM.
- DOK LEIPZIG Special Mention: Invitation to Co pro Meetings in Leipzig for the project Entr’actes directed by Yuriy Shylov and produced by Olha Tuharinova / ALARM PRODUCTIONS. Logline: A retired concierge Olena is leading the amateur theater for the elderly. Neither war nor illness can stop the enthusiastic collective from preparing for the local contest, as this may be the last chance for them to appear on the big stage.
FOR PROJECTS PRESENTED AT DOCS TO GO
- Institute of Documentary Film Special Mention for the project Isabella directed by Joanna Janikowska, produced by Anna Gawlita, Marta Szymanowska / KIJORA FILM. Logline: Isabella, a 91-year-old fortune-teller, lives in an abandoned village and fights for its survival. But she has not much time left, as her own prophecy says she will die at the age of 93.
- Polish Docs Pro Special Mention: Support of international promotion and invitation to one of the key world documentary industry event for the project The World is Not (A) Mine directed by Natalia Koniarz, produced by Maciej Kubicki / TELEMARK. Logline: A cinematic testament unveiling the cost of mining through the eyes of youth and seasoned hands alike, it reveals the ballet of sweat and sorrow, where each step echoes the weight of past generations.
