A weekend of
Polish cinema will take place in Aberdeen as part of the International Film
Festival Tofifest.
Organised by the
Polish Association Aberdeen and running from March1 to March 3, it is the
seventh strand of the 2024 Polish-Scottish Mini Festival 2024.
The Festival
began in 2017 to support integration and Polish and Scottish
cross-cultural exchange, to make an impact on the cultural life of the Polish
community, and to create and strengthen the positive image of the Polish
community.
Festival
highlights include a session at the University of Aberdeen with outstanding
Polish film director and screenwriter Jan Komasa.
Komasa is an
award-winning Polish director whose credits include feature films,
documentaries, commercials and music videos.
His film 'Corpus
Christi' was the Polish candidate for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences Oscars.
As part of the
Festival three of the director's films will be presented - ‘Warsaw 44’, ‘The
Hater’ and ‘Corpus Christi’.
The film
programme will also include a masterclass and a meeting between the director
and students at the University of Aberdeen on Friday March 1, organised in
partnership with the University’s Elphinstone Institute, the George Washington
Wilson Centre for Art and Visual Culture and the Department of Film and Visual
Culture.
For the wider
public, there will be an opportunity to meet Jan Komasa at 6pm on March 1 at
open screening of ‘Corpus Christi’ in room KCF7 in King’s College, University
of Aberdeen.
The free event,
for which booking is not required, will be followed by a Q&A session with
the director.
Mateusz Lagoda,
President of the Polish Association Aberdeen said: “Jan Komasa is an extremely
talented filmmaker who has received numerous awards at many of the most
important film festivals in Poland and around the world.
“His films have
been presented at festivals in Venice, Chicago, Tribeca, Los Angeles, Palm
Springs, New York, Paris, Minsk, Luxembourg, and many others and we are
delighted to be able to bring him to Aberdeen.
“The showing of
‘Corpus Christi’ will be a highlight of this year’s Polish-Scottish mini
festival.”
Silvia Casini,
co-director of the George Washington Wilson Centre for Art and Visual Culture
said: “I’m delighted that students of Film and Visual Culture - and beyond - at
the University of Aberdeen will have the opportunity not only to watch a film
by world-renowned filmmaker Jan Komasa, but also to take part into a
Masterclass led by him. I hope this will further strengthen the collaboration
between Film and Visual Culture, the Elphinstone Institute, and the Polish
Association in Aberdeen.”
Nicolas Le Bigre
of the University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute added: “I’m thrilled to
help welcome Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jan Komasa to the University of Aberdeen
where we’ll screen his powerful film in one of our beautiful historic buildings.
As always, the Elphinstone Institute is pleased to work with internal and
external colleagues and continue its long-standing support of cultural events
that bring Polish and Scottish culture together.”
The International
Film Festival Tofifest is one of the fastest growing film festivals in Poland
and the mission of the Festival is to promote independent cinema.
Other events
taking place as part of the Aberdeen celebration of the Festival include a free
screening of 'Warsaw 44' on Saturday March 2 at 7:30pm at the Pheonix Centre,
Newton Dee, Bieldside, AB15 9DX Aberdeen. Tickets can be reserved at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/miasto-44-city-44-polish-scottish-mini-festival-tickets-838406003927
On Sunday, March 3, at 4pm the same venue will show 'Corpus Christi', followed by ‘The Hater’ at 7.30pm. To reserve your place and for more details visit
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/corpus-christi-boze-cialo-polish-scottish-mini-festival-tickets-838397739207
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hall-of-suicide-hater-sala-samobojcow-hejter-polish-scottish-mini-fes-tickets-837264329147