“Ekran” – Toronto’s Polish Film Festival – Nov 7 to 12, 2016

The 8th annual Ekran Polish Film Association kicks off November 7, 2016 with the film ‘Generations’directed by Janusz Zaorski.  The film, a great introduction to Polish cinema due to its unique format, uses fragments from almost 50 Polish films (arranged chronologically) to tell the story of contemporary Poland and some of the most memorable moments in Poland’s history. 

For this 100 minute docudrama, Zaorski selected clips from 450 films made in one Wroclaw film studio. He then arranged them to tell the history of Poles from the time of the Nazi occupation, through a period of Stalinist terror, (“our little stabilisation” March 1968), the unfulfilled expectations of the Gierek era, martial law, and up until the first partially free federal election in 1989. Zaorski fills in the gaps with narrative from one of Poland’s most well known ‘characters’ Zbyszek Cybulski.

This opening night screening has something for everyone: for those who have never watched a Polish film this is a sample platter of some of Poland’s most iconic film moments sewn together in a way only a ‘Polak potrafi’ (or Polak can); for Polish film gurus it’s a trip down memory lane, and for those in the industry it’s a great example of how to repurpose classic material to create a brand new work of cinematic art. Zaorski reminds us that films are not only entertainment, but also a time capsule of the world and modern history.

The Opening Night screening takes place on November 7th, 7pm at the Revue Cinema and will be followed by a Q&A session with director Janusz Zaorski. 

The Festival continues until November 12th with screenings every night at the Revue Cinema on Roncesvalles Ave.

Watch the festival trailer

Monday, Nov 7^th

7:00PM Opening Night: “Generations” by Janusz Zaorski (Q&A); Revue Cinema

Tuesday, Nov 8^th

6:30PM “Kamper” by Łukasz Grzegorzek, opening with the screening of Short Film (30min) “Grandma’s Day” by Miłosz Sakowski; Revue Cinema

9:00PM “United States of Love” by Tomasz Wasilewski; Revue Cinema

Wednesday, Nov 9^th

6:30PM “Jarocin. Rock for Freedom” by Marek Gajczak & Leszek Gnoiński; Revue Cinema

8:45PM “The Red Spider” by Marcin Koszałka, opening with the screening of the Short Film (15min) “Suffer” by Filip Terlecki; Revue Cinema

Thursday, Nov 10^th

6:30PM “Karski & The Lords of Humanity” by Slawomir Grunberg (Q&A with screenwriter Katka Reszke); Revue Cinema

8:45PM “The High Frontier” by Wojciech Kasperski, opening with the screening of Short Film (16min) “Prison Fight” by Rob Pilichowski; Revue Cinema

Friday, Nov 11^th

5:00PM “Soul Doctor” by Mariusz Elert & Dorota Jagielska; Revue Cinema

6:30PM “11 Minutes” by Jerzy Skolimowski; Revue Cinema

8:30PM “Planet Single” by Mitja Okorn (Q&A+screenwriter Peter Pasyk & director Mitja Okorn); Revue Cinema

Saturday, Nov 12^th

3:00PM FOR KIDS: “Golden Drops” by Daniel Zduńczyk, Marcin Męczkowski; Revue Cinema

5:00PM “Chemo” by Bartosz Prokopowicz; Revue Cinema

7:30PM “The Last Family” by Jan P. Matuszyński; Revue Cinema

Special Guests:

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About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment, and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors, and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats. Reach out - bryen@thebuzzmag.ca