Young Polish Directors

Julia Kolberger

Friday, November 1

We first met Julia Kolberger in Austin, Texas in 2009 during SXSW. She had spent time traveling, studied English, learned about film theory and linguistics in France and was a student at the famous Lodz Film School where she set her course on becoming a director. Her final student project at the Lodz Film School, I won’t be here tomorrow (2010, 28 min.) is about a thirty-something Marta who has enough of her possessive mother and their toxic relationship.

Easter Crumble (2013, 30 min.) is Julia’s latest short film. The story is told from the perspective of a mother, who as the film opens, is attempting to make her first Polish Easter cake. The daughter is coming home for the holidays to introduce her fiancé to her parents. This arrival is an opportunity to meet a patchwork family.

All characters and stories in Julia’s films are authentic. Anyone who has belonged to, fought with, laughed about and/or reconciled with family, immediately recognizes themselves in her films.

Kuba Gryżewski

Born in 1988. young screenwriter and director from Warsaw. This is a recent graduate director at the Warsaw Film School. 

In September, Kuba was preparing for his film debut (86 degrees, thunderstorms, 2013) at the September Gdynia Film Festival as well as arranging to come as a guest director to the October Los Angeles Polish Film Festival – a big deal for a 25 year-old filmmaker.

APFF is screening two of his short feature films. Both reveal Kuba’s romantic sensibility. 86 degrees, thunderstorms (30 stopni burze), 18 min., features a teen-aged Julia who takes part in a competition to win dinner with her favorite Polish actor. At the same time her boyfriend Jack organizes a romantic evening. The story revolves around Julia’s decision. Kuba’s second feature, A Memory of Last Summer (Wspomnienie poprzedniego lata), 11 min., is a story about Basia who unexpectedly meets someone she knows very well. This ordinary episode becomes a heart-warming recollection of the past.

Bodo Kox

Sunday, November 3

For his first feature length film, The Girl from the Wardrobe, director Bodo Kox  (he officially changed his name from Bartosz Koszała to Bodo Kox to insure that it would not trip up the announcer at a future Oscar awards ceremony) is fresh and brilliant. A former indie filmmaker and the “off-cinema” darling of Poland (now labeled the Poland’s best debut director in recent years), Kox’s APFF film The Girl from the Wardrobe, is a poetic story about finding a connection to another person, amidst loneliness and alienation, the twin diseases of contemporary society.

Kox praises his quality cast (Wojciech Mecwaldowski, Piotr Głowacki, Magdalena Różańska, Eryk Lubos, Teresa Sawicka), indicating they (the actors) are “co-creators” and the reason for his success.

Expect a lot more from Mr. Kox in the future. 

Other Guests

Chale Nafus

Austin Film Society, Director of Programming, Teacher, Writer and Mentor

For 25 years Chale Nafus was a professor of film studies at Austin Community College, where he helped establish the Radio-Television-Film department. In 1985 Nafus became a founding board member of the Austin Film Society. Chale has deep and wide knowledge of the filmmaking arts. His love of film and his generous spirit have guided APFF since the beginning. APFF is honored to have Chale as our Master of Ceremonies.

 

Victoria Davis

Vocals at a festival reception, November 3

Returning guest musician and vocalist, Ms. Victoria Davis, was born and raised in Austin, TX.  She recently graduated summa cum laude with an Honors B.A. in Communication (PR/Advertising) from St. Edward’s University.  Ms. Davis is now in the process of applying to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. Davis is passionate about music, plays guitar and violin and sings vocals. Some of her other hobbies include art, drama/acting, public speaking, drawing, and creating videos. She loves costumes, and works on creating them in her free time. Ms. Davis is a comic book aficionado and appreciates the eloquent use of grammar and vocabulary. She is excited to be able to share her musical talents with your once again for the 2013 APFF after making her debut at last year’s festival. 

DJ YAPAN (Jarek)

DJ, November 1

Jarek does not have a specific musical education; he is self- taught and passionate about it. He is working as a DJ for 13 years; mostly he is dealing with electronic music, house and deep house. He lives in United States since 2006 and he just recently moved to Austin.