Editor

National competition of 51st Krakow Film Festival (23rd -29th May) includes 35 titles. The winner of the national competition will be awarded with the Golden Hobby-Horse.

It is for the first time that feature documentaries enter the national competition. Two of them participate also in the international

competition: "The Doctors" by Tomasz Wolski, currently in the post-production phase, and "Phnom Penh Lullaby" by Pawel Kloc, which has already been invited to three foreign festivals: in Nyon, Sheffield, and Toronto. Among feature films, there is also "Pomeranian Illusions" by Jacob Dammas and Helge Renner, which may move the audience just like "North from Calabria" did last year.

Marcel Lozinski, a Polish documentary classic, will present his most recent production, "Tonia and her children". - says Krzysztof Gierat, festival director - This year we will have the opportunity not only to thank him for his regular presence at the Festival, but also to congratulate him on his birthday, a round anniversary coming up. It was after a nomination at our Festival that his "Poste Restante" was awarder with the European Film Award.

Once again, we have the pleasure of watching many talented laureates come back with their new films. Among them, there are Marcin Sauter, Maciej Cuske, and Wojciech Staron, whose "Argentinian Lesson"

participates also in the international competition. These films comment not only on our Polish reality; filmmakers more and more often turn to the exotic parts of the world. This year, we will visit Cambodia, Argentina, Cuba, Kalmykia and Kyrgyzstan, Syria, and Lebanon. Having taken its rather absurd title from Marcin Swietlicki's song, "Jewish Moon" presents an unexpected spiritual transformation of a young soccer yob, while "Paparazzi" (also in the international

competition) is a dynamic story about a photojournalist who, employing a rather particular ethic code, hunts his prey like a hound.

Debuts are also awaiting; they are always mostly anticipated because of the fame of the Polish documentary school. - continues Krzyszof Gierat - I am sure that there are award candidates among the debutants.

What about the fiction film category? Can we expect a fierce competition between two previous laureates of the Festival: Kuba Czekaj and Magnus von Horn? Or maybe they will be beaten by the only woman in this section, Julia Kolberger, or by Maciej Bochniak and Slawomir Shuty, whose insane, and very Krakow-like in its cast, "The Room" will be premiered here?

In the animation category, we will see films both from awarded, well-known filmmakers like Dragon of Dragons laureates - the Quay Brothers and a many times winner in Krakow - Piotr Dumala and from young authors, often still students. A new production from Damian Nenow will be presented by Platige Image studio.

List of films selected for National Competition.

   Documentary

1. "Phnom Penh Lullaby", dir. Pawel Kloc, 97'

2. "The Doctors", dir. Tomasz Wolski, 82'

3. "Pomeranian Illusions", dir. Jacob Dammas, Helge Renner, 70'

4. "Tonia and Her Children", dir. Marcel Lozinski,  57'

5. "Downtown", dir. Piotr Sliwowski, Marta Dzido, 54'

6. "Argentinian Lesson", dir. Wojciech Staron, 52'

7. "Agnieszka Is Not Here", dir. Pawel J zwiak-Rodan, 52'

8. "Planet Kirsan", dir. Magdalena Pieta, 51'

9. "Scrap Odyssey", dir. Lukasz Gutt, Pawel Ferdek, 48'

10. "Kwiekulik", dir. Joanna Turowicz, Anna Zakrzewska, 48'

11. "Far From the City", dir. Maciej Cuske, 45'

12. "Jewish Moon", dir. Michal Tkaczynski, 45'

13. "Paparazzi", dir. Piotr Bernas, 30'

14. "Bon Apetit", dir. Kuba Maciejko, 31'

15.  "My Father Lazaro", dir. Marcin Filipowicz , 29'

16. "Hakawati", dir. Marcin Sauter, 27'

17. "Hermits", dir. Kacper Czubak, 26'

18. "Decrescendo", dir. Marta Minorowicz, 22'

19. "Rescued", dir. Wojciech Szumowski, 22'

20. "Returns", dir. Krzysztof Kadlubowski, 7'

Animation

1. "The Lost City of Switez", dir. Kamil Polak, 26'

2. "Maska", dir. Bracia Quay, 24'

3. "Paths of Hate", dir. Damian Nenow, 10'

4. "Dr Character presents", dir. Piotr Dumala, 8'

5. "Talk to Him", dir. Agata Pretka, 7'

6. "Two Steps Behind...", dir. Paulina Majda, 7'

7. "The Gallery", dir. Robert Proch, 5'

8. "Shivering Trunks", dir. Natalia Drozynska, 3'

Fiction

1. "Without Snow", dir. Magnus von Horn, 30'

2. "I Won't Be Here Tomorrow", dir. Julia Kolberger, 28'

3. "Twist & Blood", dir. Kuba Czekaj, 30'

4. "The Room", dir. Maciej Bochniak, Slawek Shuty 30'

5. "Glasgow", dir. Piotr Subbotko, 30'

6. "Normal People", dir. Piotr Zlotorowicz, 25'

7. "Heroic Parrot with The Dog", dir. Marcin Slawek, 12'

Polish films selected for international competitions Documentary competition: "The Doctors", dir. Tomasz Wolski, "Phnom Penh Lullaby", dir. Pawel Kloc, "Argentinian Lesson", dir. Wojciech Staron and short film competition: "Without Snow", dir. Magnus von Horn, "Paparazzi", dir. Piotr Bernas, "Decrescendo", dir. Marta Minorowicz, i "Talk to Him", dir. Agata Pretka.