email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

GDYNIA 2021 Awards

Polish Golden Lions tremble in Fears

by 

- Moving LGBT drama Fears by Łukasz Ronduda and Łukasz Gutt is the big winner of the Polish Film Festival, while the first runner up is Leave no Traces by Jan P Matuszyński

Polish Golden Lions tremble in Fears
The winners of the 2021 Golden Lions (© Mateusz Ochocki)

After COVID-19 caused the 2020 edition to be a virtual one, the 2021 Polish Film Festival unspooled in the city of Gdynia between September 20 and 25. The atmosphere of the national gathering, led for the second time by Tomasz Kolankiewicz as artistic director, was positive; some voices even argued that finally, a young generation of filmmakers is taking over Polish cinema. However, this statement has been repeated many times over the past few years already, and so far, the revolution in Polish cinema hasn’t happened yet. And yet, evolutionary changes towards making the industry more open, diverse and professional are constant.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The verdict of the jury, headed by Polish veteran director Andrzej Barański, was quite a surprise, although in a good way – the Golden Lions went to Fears [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
directed by Łukasz Ronduda and Łukasz Gutt. The film is loosely based on the life of visual artist Daniel Rycharski, who is both gay and a devout catholic, with the story revolving around his life in a provincial town, capturing its homophobic atmosphere and the complete rejection of the LGBT community by the church.

Łukasz Gutt, who is also an experienced DOP, left Gdynia with a Best Cinematography Award. Silver Lions roared for Venice main competition runner up Leave no Traces [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jan P Matuszyński
film profile
]
by Jan P. Matuszyński, which also won a Best Production Design award (for Paweł Jarzębski).

Polish-American drama with body horror notes Mosquito State [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
got its director Filip Jan Rymsza the Golden Claw for Vision Apart – an award handed to the most experimental film of the selection. Additionally Mateusz Adamczyk, Sebastian Witkowski and Zofia Moruś won Best Sound awards. Visual extravaganza Other People [+see also:
film review
interview: Aleksandra Terpińska
film profile
]
, a Polish Warner Bros. coproduction, snagged the Best directorial debut award (Aleksandra Terpinska), Best Actor in Leading role (Jacek Beler) and Best editing award (Magdalena Chowańska). Łukasz Grzegorzek was named Best Director for his dramedy My Wonderful Life [+see also:
film review
interview: Łukasz Grzegorzek
film profile
]
, while other individual awards went to Marcin Ciastoń (Best Screenplay for Operation Hyacinth), Teoniki Rożynek (Best music in Prime Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jakub Piątek
film profile
]
), Daria Siejak (Best Make up for Operation Hyacinth), Marta Ostrowicz (Best Costume Design for The Getaway King [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), Sławomira Łozińska (Best Actress in a Supporting Role), Maria Dębska (Best Actress in a Leading Role), Andrzej Kłak (Best Actor in a Leading Role), Michał Sikorski (Best Professional Acting Debut). Additionally, Agnieszka Holland as a first female director received the Lifetime Achievement Award – Platinum Lions. In a moving speech, she also addressed the Polish government’s decision not to allow Afghan refugees and urged Polish citizens not to be indifferent to that tragedy.

Full list of awards:

Golden Lions
Fears [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 – Łukasz Ronduda, Łukasz Gutt (Poland)

Silver Lions
Leave No Traces [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jan P Matuszyński
film profile
]
– Jan P. Matuszyński (Poland/France/Czech Republic)

Golden Claw for “Vision Apart”
Mosquito State [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
– Filip Jan Rymsza (Poland/USA)

Best Director
Łukasz Grzegorzek – My Wonderful Life [+see also:
film review
interview: Łukasz Grzegorzek
film profile
]
 (Poland)

Best Screenplay
Marcin Ciastoń – Operation Hyacinth (Poland)

Best Directorial Debut
Aleksandra Terpińska – Other People [+see also:
film review
interview: Aleksandra Terpińska
film profile
]
(Poland)

Best Cinematography
Łukasz Gutt – Fears (Poland)

Best Music
Teoniki Rożynek – Prime Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jakub Piątek
film profile
]
(Poland)

Best Production Design
Paweł Jarzębski – Leave No Traces (Poland)

Best Sound
Mateusz Adamczyk, Sebastian Witkowski, Zofia Moruś - Mosquito State (Poland/USA)

Best Editing
Magdalena Chowańska – Other People (Poland)

Best Make-up
Daria Siejak – Operation Hyacinth (Poland)

Best Costume Design
Marta Ostrowicz – The Getaway King [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(Poland)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sławomira Łozińska – The Tenant. You Can’t Burn Us All (Poland)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Andrzej Kłak – Prime Time (Poland)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Maria Dębska – Autumn Girl (Poland)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jacek Beler – Other People (Poland)

Best Professional Acting Debut
Michał Sikorski – Sonata (Poland)

Best Microbudget Film
Songs about Love [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
– Tomasz Habowski (Poland)

Short-film competition winner
Brother the Fisherman – Alicja Sokół (Poland)

Platinum Lions for Lifetime Achievements
Agnieszka Holland

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy