Many well-known and esteemed animation artists from around the world, i.a. our this year’s Self-Portraitists – Géza M. Tóth, Claudius Gentinetta and Svetlana Filippova – participated in the International Animated Film Workshops that took place in Kraków and Lanckorona. The workshops are run by prof. Jerzy Kucia from the very beginning and each edition is highlighted by visits of outstanding artists, pedagogues, critics and film theorists.
 

Still from animation "Printed Rainbow", dir. Gitanjali Rao

The International Animated Film Workshops (originally named the Krakow Animated Film Workshops) were founded in 1996 by Myriam Prongue from Pro Helvetia East/West Foundation, prof. Jerzy Kucia, who was at that time leading the Animated Film Studio at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, and Bogusław Zmudziński, the Director of the International Film Festival Etiuda. In the first three years the workshops took place twice a year in Krakow, starting from 1999, however, once a year only, usually around the time of Etiuda Festival. Since many years the workshops, which take place in September in Lanckorona, have been organized by the Association of Authors of Animated, Experimental and Video Film STUDIO A and a German partner DIAF – Deutsches Institut Fur Animationsfilm. At present the organization of workshops is financially supported also by: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Polish Film Insititute, the City of Krakow and Polish Filmmakers Association. From their very beginnings, the artistic leader of the International Animated Film Workshops has been prof. Jerzy Kucia.

The International Animated Film Workshops in Krakow is an artistic event and undertaking responding to the needs and expectations of contemporary art and its creators, especially the artists of younger generations. Young animation authors prepare and develop concepts for their films under guidance of esteemed experts from Poland and abroad. They consult their artistic projects and gain practical skills. In principle the AFW are more like master workshops than a form of school education. – the workshops intend to help in shaping artistic personalities of their participants, defining the artistic idea of a film and film language further, as well as preparing film for production. Such activities support young authors and their artistic development. The workshops create conditions to prepare and elaborate projects and initiate their production and distribution.

I have been leading the workshops from their very beginnings in 1996, deciding about their formula and direction of evolution determined by everchanging conditions and development of technology. I have a pleasure of inviting some of the most outstanding animation authors and professionals to act as guest pedagogues and collaborate and share their experience, artistic ideas and skills with the workshops’ participants. Among them there have so far been: Otto Alder, Gil Alkabetz, Ernst Ansorge, Zenon Balcer, Rolf Bachler, Giannalberto Bendazzi, Walerian Borowczyk, Frank Braun, Suzanne Buchan, Andriej Chrzanowski, Oksana Czerkasowa, Lutz Dammbeck, Jean Marie Demeyer, Anzhelika Dementyeva, Borivoj Dovnikovič Bordo, Paul Driessen, Piotr Dumała, Andre Eckardt, David Ehrlich, Hedda Gehm, Witold Giersz, Marcin Giżycki, Felix Gonnert, Martina Groser, Rolf Hofmann, Andreas Hykade, Piotr Kamler, Mirosław Kijowicz, Max Knoth, Ralf Kukula, Anri Kulev, Michał Krajczok, Raimund Krumme, Gillian Lacey, Jan Lenica, Caroline Leaf, Tadeusz Lubelski, Claude Luyet, Jurate Leikaite, Joško Marusič, Barbel Neubauer, Christine Panushka, Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz, Izabela Plucińska, Břetislav Pojar, Jonas Raeber, Nadja Rademacher, Marjut Rimminen, Raoul Servais, Hubert Sielecki, Jan Švankmajer, Georges Schwizgebel, Daniel Szczechura, Nicole Salomon, Roze Stiebra, Jonas Raeber, Gabor T. Steisinger, Sabine Scholze, Otto Sacher, Lutz Stutzner, Anna Taszycka, Zbigniew Żmudzki.

Jerzy Kucia

25^th November (Saturday), 08.00 pm.
Kijów Centrum – Large Screening Room