A Little Polish Film Culture @ Kultura

Last night YouNxt along with Ekran hosted a reception in honour of the Polish films at this year’s Hot Docs (the Canadian International Documentary Festival)

The event took place at the posh Kultura restaurant in downtown Toronto.

On hand was Warsaw based Director Pawel Kloc of the much talked about Phnom Penh Lullaby as well as Toronto based filmmakers Natalia Kantor and Rafal Sokolowski.

A big thank you goes out to our sponsors:

Canada-Poland Chamber of Commerce

Fregata Restaurant

Ekran Toronto Polish Film Festival

And to Kultura for hosting us.

Here is a sneak peak at some of the photos. Thanks to Peter Calak from GravityBureau.com and Martin Terlecki for snapping these.

(FYI – both Polish feature docs still have showings so if you haven’t already make sure to check them out. Screening info is available here.)

Read Full Post »

Join Us As We Toast Polish Films at Hot Docs 2011

After a hectic few days consisting of a  royal weddings, Papal beatification, fugitive assassination and federal election, it’s time to take a deep breath and relax.

And what better way to do that than with a nice glass of wine and some good company.

On Wednesday, May 4, YouNxt and Ekran (the Toronto Polish Film Festival) are hosting a reception in honour of the Polish films at Hot Docs. We’ll also be celebrating local filmmaking talent.

Please join us, as well as the Director of Phnom Penh Lullaby Pawel Kloc and Toronto based filmmakers as we raise a toast.

The event will take place at the posh Kultura restaurant – one of Toronto’s best. If you haven’t been there, check out some  photos below…

Date: Wednesday, May 4

Time: 7pm – 10pm

Location: Kultura Restaurant – 169 King St. E. Toronto

Attire:  Casual Chic

RSVP To: uterlecki@younxt.com or on our Facebook Events page.

We’re also very thankful to our financial sponsors without whom this would not be possible:  

Canada-Poland Chamber of Commerce

Fregata Restaurant

Ekran Toronto Polish Film Festival

Read Full Post »

Ready to Doc!

We’ve got our passes and our program guide and we’re ready to doc!

Hot Docs (the Canadian International Documentary Festival) kicks off tonight with POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold . This is the much talked about new film by director Morgan Spurlock (famous for his Oscar nominated Super Size Me doc in which he ate nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days)

There are nearly 200 documentaries from across the globe with topics as varied as Toronto’s diverse population.

It can be a little overwhelming trying to decide what to check out but that is also the fun part.

What makes festivals such as Hot Docs so great is that they are extremely social events. As you wait in line to pick up a program guide or to purchase tickets or grab a coffee, you naturally end up getting into a conversation about what’s on people’s “must see” radar.

Of course everyone has their opinions.

To make it a bit easier we’re including links to the TOP PICKS as selected by Toronto film writers:

Toronto Life Magazine

Now Magazine

EYE Weekly

and the Toronto Star

Among the Hot Docs selection are 4 Polish films (2 features and 2 shorts) and we’re thrilled to say that both feature films have made the Toronto Star’s TOP 10 Festival picks. They are:

Polish Poster for "At the Edge of Russia"

At the Edge of Russia (Dir. Michal Marczak)

Synopsis: Hundreds of miles from the nearest town or tree, a smooth-faced young recruit arrives at his Arctic post. Here, etched somewhere into the endless white, is a border. The boy, Aleksey, joins five men, together charged with the absurd task of patrolling the invisible border for invisible enemies.

Through a crisp and unblinking lens, we watch as the gruff old soldiers, each a refugee from civilization in his own way, initiate the boy into their rigorous daily life. It’s a cold, hard routine, the discipline broken only by the occasional vodka and sad song.

Polish director Michal Marczak has assembled a formidable cast of characters in this breathtaking debut, both delicate and bold. At the Edge of Russia is a metaphorical portrait of a crumbled empire whose diligent men still busy themselves tracing meaning in the infinite white. Hot Docs

SCREENINGS:
Sat, April 30 – 6:30pm, Cumberland 2
Tue, May 3 – 1:15 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
Fri, May 6 – 7pm, Cumberland 2

Phnom Penh Lullaby (Dir. Pawel Kloc)

Synopsis: Among the many films that will spark discussion and debate in this year’s Festival is this intimate portrayal of the dysfunctional, sometimes disturbing, relationship between an alcoholic woman and her Israeli partner living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

She wants to get married and go to Israel, but he wants a new life, love and acceptance. Living on the margins, earning money by telling tourists’ fortunes, this fraught couple is also raising two young daughters. Drugs, crime and prostitution form the backdrop of their daily existence.

With his first feature, Polish director Pawel Kloc has chosen risky material and a potentially problematic approach. Yet the result is a gripping, formidable character drama with a climax as compelling and heartbreaking as any film this year, non-fiction or not. Hot Docs

SCREENINGS:
Mon, May 2 – 9:45pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
Wed, May 4 – 4pm, Cumberland 2
Sun, May 8 – 5:45pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 4

We’ll be running a contest for Hot Docs tickets so tune back for details.

Read Full Post »

YouNxt and Ekran Co-Present Polish Films at Hot Docs 2011

As many of you can attest – seeing a great documentary film can leave you inspired, speechless and amazed.

From April 28 to May 8 the world’s best documentary filmmakers will be in Toronto for Hot Docs – North America’s largest documentary film festival.

This year, Hot Docs will present an outstanding selection of over 190 docs from around the world.

As last year, YouNxt and Ekran (the Toronto Polish Film Festival) are delighted to be official co-presenters of the Polish films at Hot Docs.

On May 4^th we will also be hosting a special reception in honour of the Polish films at Hot Docs as well as local filmmaking talent.

Kultura Restaurant

The event will take place at the decadently delicious Kultura restaurant. Save the date and help us raise a toast to the creative, and often difficult, efforts of those that bring breathtaking stories to our eyes.

There will be two Polish features and two shorts at Hot Docs 2011. The features include:

At the Edge of Russia (Dir. Michal Marczak)

Sat, April 30 – 6:30pm, Cumberland 2

Tue, May 3  – 1:15 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2

Fri, May 6 – 7pm, Cumberland 2

Hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement, a young recruit arrives at his Arctic post, charged with an absurd task: patrolling the nothingness. A riveting portrait of silence, broken at times by vodka and sad song.

Phnom Penh Lullaby (Dir. Pawel Kloc)

Mon, May 2 – 9:45pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 3

Wed, May 4 – 4pm, Cumberland 2

Sun, May 8 – 5:45pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 4

Pushing the boundaries of documentary, this disturbing, highly compelling drama follows an Israeli man now living in Cambodia with his Khmer girlfriend and their two young daughters. A story from the fringes conveyed with an edge.

The two shorts films have both won numerous international awards. They are:

That’s Life (Dir. Daniel Zielinski)

Fri, April 29 – 9pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 4

Sun, May 1 – 1pm, Cumberland 3

A middle-aged Polish man—the filmmaker’s retired father—selflessly and tenderly cares for his elderly mother. They live a quiet life in the solitude of the countryside. The son films his father and grandmother with a sensitive, impressionistic eye, but in conversation the father expresses frustration and loneliness. A family visit shows us why.

Out of Reach (Dir. Jakub Stozek)

Sun, May 1 – 11:30am, ROM Theatre

Tue, May 3 – 9:45 – The Royal Cinema

Young and headstrong, sisters Karolina and Natalia are realistic about their home life. Their domineering father may not take the best care of them, but they know any life with their mysteriously absent mother would surely be worse.

For ticket information please visit the Hot Docs website.

Over the next few days we will be showcasing these films in more detail so make sure to check out our blog regularly for updates.

We are very excited to be involved with Hot Docs once again and we are especially proud to collaborate with our good friends at Ekran in bringing these docs to you. We’re looking forward to some memorable cinematic stories and look forward to seeing you at the movies.

Read Full Post »