The year 2014 has brought the biggest success of our cinema in the history of Polish and local Łódź cinematography. Additionally, it is also the time when numerous productions that were made in Łódź were appreciated by the critics, the time when more financial rebates and discounts for film-makers were introduced as well as the time of international promotion of the cinematographic offer of the city and region.
The Łódź Film Commission is a special division of the Department of Culture at the City of Łódź Office dedicated to the cooperation with film-makers. This year it supported about twenty projects, four of which were international productions. The support was offered to fourfeature-length motion pictures, four documentaries, five commercial and awareness campaigns as well as to music clips, television programs and other audiovisual projects.
Raving International Reviews for ‘Ida’
Paweł Pawlikowski’s ‘Ida’ was beyond a doubt the biggest success on the cinematographic horizon. It received raving reviews from both critics and audiences all around the world. It tells a story of a novice nun who, prior to taking her vows, makes a trip to visit her only surviving relative, aunt Wanda. The film was distributed in fifty countries, it was produced in black and white with stunning shots made by Ryszard Lenczewski and Łukasz Żal and wonderful performances by Agata Kulesza and Agata Trzebuchowska. It is a critically acclaimed box-office success confirmed by over 70 awards it has received from all around the world, starting with the Golden Lions at the Film Festival in Gdynia, the Golden Frog at the Camerimage Festival in Bydgoszcz, FIPRESCI in Toronto, and several statues awarded in London, Gijon, Athens, Minsk, San Francisco, Helsinki, Zadar, Lima, Wilnus, and many other cities. A couple of days ago Paweł Pawlikowski’s film returned from Riga having been awarded as many as five statues by the European Film Academy, what is more, the European Parliament awarded ‘Ida’ with the LUX Prize which is granted to thought-provoking movies which shed new light onto common European values and encourage public debate. ‘Ida’ has also received a nomination for the Golden Globe Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film. It is among the nine shortlisted contenders for the Oscar nominations. The final five nominees will be announced shortly, however, ‘Ida’ is believed to be the strongest candidate. Never in history has Polish and Łódź cinematography celebrated such a success.
Łódź Films Festival in Gdynia.
The audience of the Film Festival in Gdynia had an opportunity to watch as many as four motion pictures which were made in the Łódź region, whose organization processes were supported by the Łódź Film Commission and which were co-financed by the Łódź Film Fund.
Jerzy Stuhr’s ‘the Citizen’, Jan Komasa’s ‘City 44’ and Grzegorz Królikiewicz’s ‘Neighbors’
were all shown during the Main Competition of this most important festival of Polish film, whereas a low-budget production ‘Little Crushes’ directed by Aleksandra Gowin and Ireneusz Grzyb was presented in a new festival category called ’Visions Apart’. Such a high number of Łódź films were never screened at the festival in Gdynia before.
International projects in Łódź
In the passing year Łódź was frequently chosen as a location for filming international projects. Brendan Maher’s ‘The Passing Bells’, a series made in the cooperation between the BBC and TVP, was filmed at The Priest’s Mill (Księży Młyn). For this production the historic residential complex of the working class was adapted to resemble a small British town from the times of the First World War.
A Japanese crew chose Izrael Poznański’s Palace and the Grand Hotel to film Cellin Gluck’s historical drama titled ‘Persona Non Grata’. The film’s producer is Cine Bazar and its Polish partner is Akson Studio who also produced ‘City 44’ and ‘Walesa: Man of Hope’. Łódź also hosted a closed press conference for the representatives of the Japanese media.
The detective series ‘Inspector Alex’ has been filmed in Łódź for several years and currently series VI and VII are being produced.
The Łódź Film Fund 2014
Through the Łódź Film Fund, the City supported the following productions: three feature-length motion pictures, one animated production, and three documentaries:
- feature-length motion pictures:
Opus Film – ‘The Citizen’ directed by Jerzy Stuhr
Anima-Pol – ‘Winter Dream’ directed by Paweł Wendorff
Tramway – ‘Heart, Little Heart and an Expedition to the End of the World’ directed by Jan Jakub Kolski
- documentaries:
Anagram Film – ‘Łódź/HOME’ directed by Piotr Szczepański
Wajda Studio – ‘The Right Side of Life’ directed by Aleksandra Rek
Square Film Studios – ’First Pole on Mars’ directed by Agnieszka Elbanowska
- animated features:
WJTeam – ‘The Wizard of U.S.’ directed by Balbina Bruszewska
The support for the productions offered by the Łódź Film Fund reached five million zlotys.
Cooperation with the Łódź Film Center
The City of Łódź has secured cooperation with the Łódź Film Center where both sides expressed willingness to cooperate. The Łódź Film Center has committed itself to offering attractive rebates for the productions recommended by the Łódź Film Commission on the condition that filming takes place in Łódź and/or within the region.
The Łódź Film Commission has committed itself to:
10% rebate on staging equipment (costumes/ props) rentals and pyrotechnics/special effects valued between 10,000-51,000 PLN net.
20% rebate on staging equipment (costumes/ props) rentals and pyrotechnics/special effects valued between 51,000-100,000 PLN net.
30% rebate on staging equipment (costumes/ props) rentals and pyrotechnics/special effects valued above 100,000 PLN net.
The Costume Department of the Łódź Film Center owns over 62,000 exhibits and over 200,000 costumes, including military uniforms.
Attractive pricing for property rental in the city
In the middle of the year, the City President, Hanna Zdanowska issued a directive that lowers fees for renting land property by 85% if rented for the purpose of film production. The rebate applies to parks and squares. Another rebate offered by the City and it comes after another directive which reduces fees for the occupancy of the highway right of way by 90%, which makes Łódź the only city in Poland offering such benefits.
European Funds for Film Łódź
In 2013 Łódź received funding from the European Union (Regional Operational Program for the Łódzkie Voivodship for the years 2007-2013) for the project ‘Film Friendly Voivodship’ the objective of which was to increase the number of audiovisual projects made in the Łódź Voivodship and the development of the film industry through broadening offerings by inclusion of new locations, standardization and professionalization of services offered to film crews in the whole region as well as wide national and international promotion of the project.
Thanks to the European funding both Łódź and the region were represented at the most important film events abroad, among others at the European Film Market in Berlin or Marché du Film and MIPCOM in Cannes but also at the Cracow Film Festival and the T-Mobile New Horizons in Wrocław.
At the end of September, Łódź hosted prestigious film workshops MAIA organized for 20 European film producers from all around Europe. During the workshops the participants had an opportunity to make themselves familiar with the most characteristic locations in the region.
The Łódź Film Commission is currently working on its new website and a commercial spot promoting what Łódź and the region has to offer to film-makers. Both will be launched in the first quarter of 2015.
For additional information please contact:
Monika Głowacka, +48 42 638 55 46 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tomasz Stangierski, +48 42 638 55 21 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
