09-11-2010

Kościukiewicz Wins Cybulski Prize

By Katarzyna Grynienko

    WARSAW: The Cybulski Prize (www.nagrodacybulskiego.pl), an annual award for best performance from a Polish actor under age 35, was given to Mateusz Kościukiewicz for his role in Mother Teresa of Cats directed by Paweł Sala. The actor rose to popularity as the lead in the Polish Oscar candidate All that I Love. The 10 000 PLN award was funded by the Polish Film Institute (www.pisf.pl).

    The gala was held on 8 November 2010 in Warsaw.

    {mosimage}Mateusz Kościukiewicz was born in 1986 and is currently studying acting at the PWST in Cracow. He made his screen debut with a small part in Peter Greenaway's Nightwatching in 2007, an international co-production with Polish partner Yeti Films (www.yetifilms.com). In 2009 he appeared in Sweet Rush directed by Andrzej Wajda, but the full recognition of his potential as an actor came this year with All that I Love. The drama directed by Jacek Borcuch and produced by Prasa & Film (www.prasaifilm.pl), was recently chosen as the Polish candidate for the Oscar in the foreign Language Film category. The success was followed by a demanding role in the Mother Teresa of Cats (www.matkateresaodkotow.pl) directed by Paweł Sala and produced by "Rozwój" Zespół Filmowy. Kościukiewicz won Best Male Performance Prize for that film at Karlovy Vary IFF 2010 (www.kviff.com).

    {mosimage}Three other actors were nominated for the award: Urszula Grabowska for Joanna directed by Feliks Falk and produced by Akson Studio (www.akson-studio.pl); Agnieszka Grochowska for her roles in If You Go Away, directed by Ewa Stankiewicz and produced by Centrala (www.centralafilm.pl) and in 21:37 directed by Maciej Ślesicki and produced by Paisa Films (www.paisafilms.pl); and Magdalena Boczarskagot for Little Rose, directed by Jan Kidawa-Błoński and produced by WFDiF (www.wfdif.com.pl).

    The winner of the Audience Prize was Wojciech Zieliński, chosen for his performances in Christening directed by Marcin Wrona and produced by Odeon Rybarczyk Productions (www.odeaon.com.pl), and The Swing, directed by Tomasz Lewkowicz and produced by Pro Cinema (www.procinema.pl).

    Kościukiewicz's next film project is the lead in a dramatic film by Paweł Sala produced by Akson Studio, Kamfora, evolving around the conflicts of ethnicity. It goes into production in 2011.