Tofifest
Encyclopedia
The TOFIFEST International Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Toruń
, Poland.
It is one of the fastest growing film festivals in Poland and the mission of the Festival is to promote independent cinema. The festival combines Polish and European dimensions in the context of an adventurous and defiant breadth of content, including auteur cinema, and premieres of films presented in Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam, building a bridge between high and popular art. The festival also includes meetings, seminars, concerts and workshops.
by Lynn Shelton
won the Golden Angel for best feature film. The Golden Angel for short was awarded to Emilka płacze by Rafał Kapeliński, which also received the FLISAK Award. Special Jury Prize and Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński was won by the Slovenian film Odgrobadogroba by Jan Cvitkovic
.
, directed by David Mackenzie
. The jury also singled out the British film The Mark of Cain
, directed by Marc Munden, for a special prize. The Golden Angel award in the category of short films was received by Bartek Konopka for the film Three, and a special prize went to Romanian director Radu Jude for the film Lampa cu Caciula. The critics' award: Zygmunt Kałużyński received the New Zealand Eagle vs Shark
directed by Taika Waititi
, and Rafter: Łukasz Karwowski for the film South-North.
as an addition to the projection of Gucha - Distant Trumpet. In 2008 festival expanded and to the international short and feature film competitions added two new: Polish feature film competition and FORWARD! competition for best rule-breaking film. Tofifest 2008 Awards:
retrospectives, Spaghetti Western
s, New Albanian and Kosovan Cinema, Polish Cinema Women with Barbara Sass and Helena Grassowna retrospectives. Helena Grassowna, the actress, who was born in Toruń, was also honored with memorial plaque. Among festival guests were: Janusz Gajos
, Agnieszka Grochowska, Krzysztof Zanussi
and Małgorzata Kożuchowska.
Grand Prix:
The Jury adjudged two Special Awards for feature and short film. Awards rembed to Wrong Rosary
by Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey) and Please say something by David O’Reilly
(Ireland). Some awards were given by the Jurors of short and full-length competitions for films who they wanted to distinguish in a special way. They were classified in various categories. Full-length competition categories and winners: Best Director - Xawery Żuławski, Best Screenplay - Nanni Moretti
, The Best Actress - Isabelle Huppert
, Best Actor - Nadir Saribacak, Best Editor - Mauel Munoz, Best Cinematographer - Lol Crawley. Short competition categories and winners: Best Director - Runar Runarsson, Best Screenplay - Peter Besson, Best Actress - Aisling Lotus, Best Actor - Ben Whisman, Best Editor - Erhan Acar, Best Cinematographer - Lol Crawley.
Janusz Gajos
was honoured with Special Golden Angel.
and Ken Russell
, Camp
Cinema, New Georgian Cinema.
More than the traditional film projections, this festival offered its visitors plenty of outdoor concerts or educational programms such as: concert of Polish film songs from recent years with the stars such as Dezerter
, O.S.T.R.
, Dick4Dick, Mosqito, of cinema Institute B61, weekly creative workshops for children "Filmogranie". Many of that events took place among the Gothic buildings, at the Old Town market. That year among festival guests were: Julia Jentsch
, Shirin Neshat
, Bogusław Linda, Anna Polony and Wojciech Smarzowski
.
Grand Prix:
The international Jury adjudged two more awards. Special award for outstanding actor creation was received by Orsolyi Toth (Hungary) for the role in film Women without Men. The second award rambled to Altiplano
(Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands) by Peter Brossens and Jessica Woodworth. Favorite film of Tofifest audience became Felicita (Georgia) by Salome Aleksi. Jury gave also a special award for documentary film Marysina Polana directed by Grzegorz Zariczny (Poland). The Jury acknowledged Romanian Bobby Paunescu as the best director. Julia Jentsch
and Bogusław Linda were honoured with Special Golden Angels.
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, Poland.
It is one of the fastest growing film festivals in Poland and the mission of the Festival is to promote independent cinema. The festival combines Polish and European dimensions in the context of an adventurous and defiant breadth of content, including auteur cinema, and premieres of films presented in Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam, building a bridge between high and popular art. The festival also includes meetings, seminars, concerts and workshops.
History
The first independent film festival in Toruń Polish OFF Film Festival was held in 2002. It was founded by Monika Weychert-Waluszko and Marek Nowak. The festival was the continuation of the x!-muse tradition. Monika Weychert-Waluszko was the main organiser of film meetings at the Muses House that started in 2000. After a conflict that took place at the Muses House, Weychert was dismissed. Her successor, Katarzyna Jaworska, continued the idea of establishing the art house film festival in Toruń.Torun Independent Film Festival TOFFI 2003
The Festival began in December 2003 as the Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI. That year, the festival presented 95 films. The Festival included mainly Polish experimental films of all lengths from student film-makers. The programme also included previews of professional films. At the Grand Prize Competition the audience chose Motór by Wieslaw Palucha as the winner.Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI 2004
In the 2nd edition festival was moved to October and renamed Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI. The jury started to be composed of professionals. The winner was chosen by a grand jury. The main award at the festival was OFFIK. The jury comprised Małgorzata Foremniak, Maciej Dominiak, Waldemar Dziki, Barkiet Fukiet and Romuald Pokojski. The jury chose as the winning Krew z Nosa by Dominik Matwiejczyk. At the festival some works were nominated for OFFSkars Awards.International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI 2005
In 2005 festival changed its name to International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI. The changes were also made in the formula of the festival: resigning from amateur films, qualifying for competition both Polish and international productions. Ugór by Dominik Matwiejczyk won the Golden Angel, a major award of the festival. Diabeł by Tomasz Szafrański, was awarded the Golden Mannequin for the most artistically tasteful film and FLISAK, award of President of Toruń for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region.International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI 2006
International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI was held from 18 to 22 October 2006. There were now two separate competitions organised for features and shorts. American production We Go Way BackWe Go Way Back
We Go Way Back is a 2005 American film starring Aaron Blakely, Maggie Brown, Basil Harris, Amber Hubert, and Robert Wright. Written and directed by Lynn Shelton.-Plot:...
by Lynn Shelton
Lynn Shelton
Lynn Shelton is an American director known for writing, directing, and producing the 2009 film Humpday.-Early life, and education:Shelton grew up in Seattle. She describes herself as having been audacious as a young girl, but having lost confidence in her creativity in adolescence...
won the Golden Angel for best feature film. The Golden Angel for short was awarded to Emilka płacze by Rafał Kapeliński, which also received the FLISAK Award. Special Jury Prize and Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński was won by the Slovenian film Odgrobadogroba by Jan Cvitkovic
Jan Cvitkovic
Jan Cvitkovič is a critically acclaimed Slovenian film director, screenwriter and actor. As of April 2007 he has already won a total of 12 awards and 3 nominations at various film festivals for his work, including the San Sebastian Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.-Biography:After one...
.
International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2007
TOFIFEST International Film Festival was held in November 2007. The Golden Angel for a feature film, which also received the audience award, went to the British film Hallam FoeHallam Foe
Hallam Foe is a 2007 Scottish drama film directed by David Mackenzie based on the novel written by Peter Jinks. The film was released in the United States as Mister Foe. The screenplay was written by Ed Whitmore and David Mackenzie....
, directed by David Mackenzie
David Mackenzie (director)
David Mackenzie is a Scottish film director. His brother is actor Alastair MacKenzie.-Selected films:*Perfect Sense starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green*You Instead David Mackenzie (born 10 May 1966) is a Scottish film director. His brother is actor Alastair MacKenzie.-Selected films:*Perfect...
. The jury also singled out the British film The Mark of Cain
The Mark of Cain (2007 film)
The Mark of Cain is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award-winning British television film first broadcast in 2007 following three young men as they experience the extremity of war for the first time, and the permanent effects of what they have seen and done as they return from their...
, directed by Marc Munden, for a special prize. The Golden Angel award in the category of short films was received by Bartek Konopka for the film Three, and a special prize went to Romanian director Radu Jude for the film Lampa cu Caciula. The critics' award: Zygmunt Kałużyński received the New Zealand Eagle vs Shark
Eagle vs Shark
Eagle vs Shark is a 2007 New Zealand romantic comedy film directed by Taika Waititi and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. The screenplay was also written by Waititi, based on the character of Lily created by Loren Horsley....
directed by Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi , also known as Taika Cohen, is a New Zealand-born film director, writer, painter, comedian and actor named as one of Varietys "ten new directors to watch" in 2007....
, and Rafter: Łukasz Karwowski for the film South-North.
International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2008
International Film Festival Tofifest took place from 5–11 July. Apart from films, in the summertime organizers of the festival offered meetings, live music and plenty of outdoor events. There was a performance of Serbian band Boban and Marković OrkestarBoban Markovic
Boban Marković is a Serbian Romani trumpet player and brass ensemble leader from Vladičin Han, frequently recognized as the greatest trumpet player to emerge from the Balkans...
as an addition to the projection of Gucha - Distant Trumpet. In 2008 festival expanded and to the international short and feature film competitions added two new: Polish feature film competition and FORWARD! competition for best rule-breaking film. Tofifest 2008 Awards:
- Golden Angel for the best feature film - Padre nuestro by Christopher Zalla (USA)
- Golden Angel for the best feature film - Auf der Strecke by Reto Caffi (Germany)
- Golden Angel at the FORWARD! Competition for best rule-breaking film - Look Both WaysLook Both WaysLook Both Ways is a 2005 Australian independent film, written and directed by Sarah Watt, starring an ensemble cast, which was released on 18 August 2005. The film was supported by the Adelaide Film Festival fund and opened the 2005 festival. It won four AFI Awards, including Best Film and Best...
by Sarah WattSarah WattSarah Ann Watt was an Australian film director.Born in Sydney, Watt completed a Graduate Diploma of Film and Television at the Swinburne School of Film and Television, Melbourne in 1990. Her student film "Catch of the Day" was to reflect the style of future work...
(Australia) - Golden Angel in Polish Competition (Audience Award) - Sztuczki by Andrzej JakimowskiAndrzej JakimowskiAndrzej Jakimowski is a Polish film director, writer and producer, best known for directing the films Squint Your Eyes and Tricks .-Squint Your Eyes:...
- Special Jury Prize - Chop ShopChop Shop (film)Chop Shop is a 2007 American drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Ramin Bahrani. The film tells the story of a twelve-year-old street orphan living and working in Willets Point, an area in Queens, New York filled with automobile repair shops, scrapyards and garbage dumps.Chop Shop...
by Ramin BahraniRamin BahraniRamin Bahrani is an American director and screenwriter. Film critic Roger Ebert listed Bahrani's film Chop Shop as the 6th best film of the decade and hailed Bahrani as "the director of the decade." Bahrani was the recipient of the prestigious 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, and was the subject of...
and Bahareh Azimi - Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński - Ładunek 200 by Aleksiej Balabanow.
International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2009
Festival took place from 26 June till 3 July. The 7th edition main motto was: "Films are for people". Film Festival programmed special selections such as: Swiss Cinema, Alain Tanner and Michael HanekeMichael Haneke
Michael Haneke is a German born Austrian filmmaker and writer best known for his bleak and disturbing style. His films often document problems and failures in modern society. Haneke has worked in television‚ theatre and cinema. He is also known for raising social issues in his work...
retrospectives, Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s, New Albanian and Kosovan Cinema, Polish Cinema Women with Barbara Sass and Helena Grassowna retrospectives. Helena Grassowna, the actress, who was born in Toruń, was also honored with memorial plaque. Among festival guests were: Janusz Gajos
Janusz Gajos
Janusz Gajos is a Polish actor.He graduated in 1965 from the National Film School in Łódź as one of its best students despite having been rejected during entrance exams for three times. He debuted while he was still in film school in children's film Panienka z okienka in 1964...
, Agnieszka Grochowska, Krzysztof Zanussi
Krzysztof Zanussi
Krzysztof Zanussi, is a Polish producer and film director.He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop...
and Małgorzata Kożuchowska.
Grand Prix:
- Golden Angel for the best feature film - Home by Ursula MeierUrsula MeierUrsula Meier is a French-Swiss film director who received the Best Director award at the 2008 Festival du Film Francophone d'Angoulême [Angoulême French-language Film Festival] for her first theatrical feature, Home, which won the 2009 Swiss Film Prize for Bester Spielfilm [Best Film] as well as...
(Switzerland) - Golden Angel for the best short film - Vacsora by Karchi Perlmann (Hungary)
- Audience Award for Polish film - Boisko bezdomnych by Katarzyna Adamik (Poland)
- Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński - I've Loved You So LongI've Loved You So LongI've Loved You So Long is a 2008 French-language drama film written and directed by Philippe Claudel. It tells the story of a woman struggling to interact with her family and find her place in society after spending fifteen years in prison.-Plot:...
by Philippe ClaudelPhilippe ClaudelPhilippe Claudel , is a French writer and film director.Claudel was born in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, Meurthe-et-Moselle. In addition to his writing, Claudel is a Professor of Literature at the University of Nancy....
(France/Germany) - FLISAK Tofifest Award award for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region - Magdalena Czerwińska
The Jury adjudged two Special Awards for feature and short film. Awards rembed to Wrong Rosary
Wrong Rosary
Wrong Rosary is an award-winning 2009 Turkish drama film directed by Mahmut Fazıl Çoşkun.-External links: for the film* page for the film...
by Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey) and Please say something by David O’Reilly
David O'Reilly (artist)
David O'Reilly is an Irish film director and artist based in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for creating animated short films with a stripped down aesthetic.-Work:...
(Ireland). Some awards were given by the Jurors of short and full-length competitions for films who they wanted to distinguish in a special way. They were classified in various categories. Full-length competition categories and winners: Best Director - Xawery Żuławski, Best Screenplay - Nanni Moretti
Nanni Moretti
Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.-Life and work:Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol , in 1953 to parents who were teachers...
, The Best Actress - Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert is a French actress who has appeared in over 90 film and television productions since 1971. She has had 14 films in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the Best Actress Award twice, for Violette Nozière and La pianiste . She is also the most...
, Best Actor - Nadir Saribacak, Best Editor - Mauel Munoz, Best Cinematographer - Lol Crawley. Short competition categories and winners: Best Director - Runar Runarsson, Best Screenplay - Peter Besson, Best Actress - Aisling Lotus, Best Actor - Ben Whisman, Best Editor - Erhan Acar, Best Cinematographer - Lol Crawley.
Janusz Gajos
Janusz Gajos
Janusz Gajos is a Polish actor.He graduated in 1965 from the National Film School in Łódź as one of its best students despite having been rejected during entrance exams for three times. He debuted while he was still in film school in children's film Panienka z okienka in 1964...
was honoured with Special Golden Angel.
International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2010
8th International Torun Film Festival Tofifest held from 26 June to 2 July. From this year the most important competition of the festival is ON AIR which presented the first and second films of directors from all over the world. The leading slogan was: "Because everyone has a rebel inside". The most important sections of that edition were: retrospectives of Costa-GavrasCosta-Gavras
Costa-Gavras, is a Greek filmmaker, who lives and works in France, best known for films with overt political themes, most famously the fast-paced thriller, Z...
and Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
, Camp
Camp
-Outdoor accommodation and recreation:* Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site* Summer camp, typically organized for groups of children or youth* A term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to describe a cottage...
Cinema, New Georgian Cinema.
More than the traditional film projections, this festival offered its visitors plenty of outdoor concerts or educational programms such as: concert of Polish film songs from recent years with the stars such as Dezerter
Dezerter
Dezerter, founded as SS-20 in 1981 in Warsaw, Poland, is one of the most popular punk bands from Poland. They had to change their original name to Dezerter because of the reaction of the Communist authorities...
, O.S.T.R.
O.S.T.R.
Adam Ostrowski , better known as O.S.T.R., is one of the most renowned rappers in Poland. Famous for his freestyle rap skills, O.S.T.R. in his works touches on various topics, from joint smoking to current social and political matters. He has been working for the MTV channel. Having graduated music...
, Dick4Dick, Mosqito, of cinema Institute B61, weekly creative workshops for children "Filmogranie". Many of that events took place among the Gothic buildings, at the Old Town market. That year among festival guests were: Julia Jentsch
Julia Jentsch
Julia Jentsch is a Silver Bear, two-time European Film Award, and Lola winning German actress. She is best known as the title character in Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, Jule in The Edukators and, Liza in I Served the King of England.-Career:Jentsch was born to a family of lawyers in Berlin and...
, Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat شیرین نشاط is an Iranian visual artist who lives in New York. She is known primarily for her work in film, video and photography.-Background:Neshat's parents were upper middle-class...
, Bogusław Linda, Anna Polony and Wojciech Smarzowski
Wojciech Smarzowski
Wojciech Smarzowski is a Polish writer and director. He studied filmmaking at Jagiellonian University. His 2004 film, The Wedding earned special jury mention at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2005...
.
Grand Prix:
- Golden Angel for the best feature film - 10 to 1110 to 1110 to 11 is a 2009 Turkish drama film directed by Pelin Esmer.The film, loosely based on the story of Esmer’s uncle, Mithat Esmer, who also plays the leading role, follows an elderly collector in İstanbul who lives in a rundown apartment building that is under threat of demolion.- General release...
by Pelin Esmer (Turkey) - Golden Angel for the best short film - Hanoi-Warsaw by Katarzyna Klimkiewicz (Poland)
- FROM POLAND for Polish film - The Dark House by Wojciech Smarzowski (Poland)
- Critic Award of Zygmunt Kaluzynski - First of All. Felicita by Razvan Radulescu and Mellisa de Raaf (Romania)
- FLISAK Tofifest Award award for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region - Olga Bołądź and Marcin Gładych
The international Jury adjudged two more awards. Special award for outstanding actor creation was received by Orsolyi Toth (Hungary) for the role in film Women without Men. The second award rambled to Altiplano
Altiplano (film)
Altiplano is a film by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth starring Magaly Solier, Jasmin Tabatabai and Olivier Gourmet. It takes places on three continents in five different languages...
(Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands) by Peter Brossens and Jessica Woodworth. Favorite film of Tofifest audience became Felicita (Georgia) by Salome Aleksi. Jury gave also a special award for documentary film Marysina Polana directed by Grzegorz Zariczny (Poland). The Jury acknowledged Romanian Bobby Paunescu as the best director. Julia Jentsch
Julia Jentsch
Julia Jentsch is a Silver Bear, two-time European Film Award, and Lola winning German actress. She is best known as the title character in Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, Jule in The Edukators and, Liza in I Served the King of England.-Career:Jentsch was born to a family of lawyers in Berlin and...
and Bogusław Linda were honoured with Special Golden Angels.