JURY AWARDS

The Jury was delighted by the apparent resurgence of the Polish cinema as represented in this year’s festival screenings. We are encouraged by the overall artistic quality as well as the evidence that in many cases, as in the past, Polish filmmakers are using their art to hold a mirror up to Polish life. We are pleased, therefore, to announce our decisions:

BEST FILM: 
Persona non Grata
Director/Screenwriter: Krzysztof Zanussi
Producers: Krzysztof Zanussi, Iwona Ziułkowska-Okapiec, Nikita Michalkov, Leonid Vereschagin, Rosanna Seregni
The Jury notes the film’s superior craftsmanship; outstanding ensemble acting performances, especially by Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Nikita Mikhalkov, Jerzy Stuhr, and Andrzej Chyra; complex characterization; and high-level statement of moral values.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
(1)  The Collector (Komornik)
Director: Feliks Falk
Screenwriter: Grzegorz Łoszewski
Producers: Janusz Morgenstern, Jerzy Buchwald, Dorota Ostrowska-Orlińska, Andrzej Serdiukow, Paweł Mossakowski
A well-written story and a compelling contemporary morality tale with a stunning performance by lead actor Andrzej Chyra.
(2)  December Memento (Memento Grudniowe)
Director: Ireneusz Engler
Brilliantly executed documentation of the brutally suppressed 1970 uprising in Gdańsk, courageously produced under trying conditions. The Jury notes the uniqueness of this film about those tragic events that inspired the proponents of Solidarność (Solidarity) ten years later.

Jury:
Charles Mish
Jeffrey Thomas
David W. Paul, Chair