Kraków Film Festival

(Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy, KFF)

   One of the world's oldest and the most important festival of short films: documentary, animation, fiction, and experimental.

   The festival originated in 1961 as the Polish Festival of Documentary and Short Films in Kraków. Kazimierz Karabasz's celebrated documentary Sunday Musicians, Witold Zukowski's New Alchemy (Nowa alchemia), and Jan Lenica's The New Janko Musician became its first winners. Since 1974 the Polish section is followed by the International Film Festival of Documentary and Short Films. Marian Marzyński's film The Return of a Vessel (Powrót statku) became its first winner. Among later winners of the KFF are filmmakers such as Tadeusz Makarczyński, Danuta Halladin, Krystyna Gryczełowska, Marek Piwowski, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jan Lenica, Marcel Łoziński, Piotr Dumała, Werner Herzog, and Jan Svankmajer. The best Polish films receive Golden, Silver, and Bronze awards ("Lajkonik"); films in the international section compete for the main prize—the Golden Dragon (Złoty Smok)—and three special awards (Silver Dragons) for best documentary, animation, and fiction film. Special Lifetime Achievement awards are also given to distinguished filmmakers for their contribution to documentary and short films.

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof