17th FilmAT Festival

The 17th FilmAT Festival 2022 competition was a great success, with Grand Prix statuettes in all three themes: TOURISM COMMUNICATION, DOCUMENTARIES & TV REPORTS, CORPORATE FILMS – as the jury stated, the level of this year’s films was very high. It is also a great joy that during this edition of the Festival, the International Tourfilm Academy awarded the only TOURIST OWL statuette in the world, which will go to the film with the most scientific value.

The partners of the Festival are: Self-Government of the Mazowieckie Voivodship, the Polish Tourist Organization and the Museum of Sports and Tourism in Warsaw. The Tourist Owl 2022 award is held under the honorary patronage of The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. The award ceremony was held on February 6, 2023 at the Museum of Sports and Tourism in an unusual place, because its background was the famous “wall of glory” with Olympic gold medals of our athletes. The Museum of Sports and Tourism in Warsaw, due to its merits, was included by the IOC in the Olympic Museums Network, which brings together only 22 institutions from around the world.

TOURIST 2022 for Izabela Stelmańska President of Mazovian Regional Tourist Organization

It was a great honor for us to present the TOURIST 2022 Statuette to Izabela Stelmańska – President of the Mazovian Tourist Organization, whose activity in the field of tourism promotion has been paying off for many years on the Polish and foreign markets.

This year, the jury of the 17th FilmAT Festival, worked on-line for the first time, under the leadership of Zbigniew Żmudzki, a filmmaker with international achievements and experience, producer of the film “Peter and the Wolf”, which wos an Oscar winner in 2008. Among the jurors there were film experts of scientific rank, marketing specialists with a large output, directors and producers of films awarded around the world.

The choice of the Tourist Owl statuette was approved by its creator Alexander V. Kammel – president of the International Tourfilm Academy.

Grand Prix Tourism – the highest award among films in the TOURISM COMMUNICATION categories was won by a beautiful animated Austrian film

”Großglockner High Alpine Road – The power of a Vision”,
produced by signSTUDIOS/Filmproduktion & Multimedia from Graz .

This is a beautiful short story about the Großglockner high-alpine road, which was designed by Franz Wallack in six years and is today one of the most visited tourist attractions. Alongside its impressive route, Austria’s highest mountain pass road offers countless attractions for mind, body and food lovers. Film takes us to a past era in which the power of a man’s vision occupied countless people and continues up to this day. We visit the high mountain road Grossglockner and see how all this could have happened in those days.

We invite you to watch the film:

But many tourist films will remain in our memory, all of them can be seen in the presentation of awards on the Festival’s website www.filmat-festival.com

from the left: Ivana Bilkova – Member of International Jury, Gycs Gordon – Chef of PROMPERU,
His Excellency Mr. Hubert Wieland Conroy Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Peru Embassy

I will highlight a few of them. I encourage you to watch a beautiful film promoting the extraordinary values of Peru “Empieza tu aventura en Peru – start Your adventure in Peru” presenting the famous historical and cultural heritage of this country. The Spanish film “Holy week” from ALCALÁ DE HENARES (Madrid) brings us closer to a great religious event that is firmly rooted in spiritual tradition, while presenting values for tourism and culture.

Noteworthy are also the films presenting the rich tourist offer of Turkey: ”When You visit Anatolia / GEZSEN ANADOLU’YU”, „TURKAEGEAN, Coast of Happiness”, „TURKISH RIVIERA, East Mediterraean”, ”İSTANBUL IS THE NEW COOL”, ”Go Turkiye, Go to Nature!” – this beautiful pictures create an unforgettable adventure with this beautiful country.

“AMORGOS: The Island of The Big Blue” takes us around the beautiful island of Amorgos, tempting us with its unique charm. The interestingly made film “Catalunya – Restart Feeling”, as suggested by the author, is an ode to new beginnings. It makes us remember emotions we thought we had lost. And it’s all about discovering the hidden gems of Catalonia… “Authentic Istria – Good Mood/Good Food” takes us on a journey through central Istria. A series of films “Million Food Stories” – reveals to us the secrets of the rich cuisine of the Coimbra region in Portugal.

from the left: Ivana Bilkova – Member of International Jury, Bogusława Trojanowska – Deputy Director of Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc and Joanna Szewczykowska –
Chef of Promotion of Museum
from the left: David C.Cooper – Member of International Jury,
Piotr Chwalba – Specialist of Promotion Department of Cracow Saltworks Museum in Wieliczka,
Zbigniew Żmudzki – President of International Jury

Our Polish films are also very interesting: “4 Seasons of the Year” – a romantic presentation of the rich traditions of the Mazovian countryside cherished by the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc, “Bielsko-Biała – a City in the Mountains. Here you want to live” is an interesting look at the city with a huge cultural heritage, especially in the field of animated film. “Lower Silesia #FindYourWay” presents the roads of the region among the beautiful nature available without restrictions, while watching the film “Wielkopolska. Great history, great adventure. For everyone” we find out that Wielkopolska is a region for everyone, regardless of age and interests,”Imagine, that …” a story about the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Region, which is rushing like crazy, breathtaking, bringing a few surprises and opportunities to smile…

***

Grand Prix Corporate – the highest award among films in the CORPORATE FILMS categories was won by two films:

“95 years of Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation”(Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation ).

The film is the premiere of a film telling the history of the Institute of Aviation. The material was realized with the use of modern multimedia solutions and augmented reality (AR) technology.


”Blacksmith from England”
by Aleksander Żukowski (Notofilm)

The film masterfully presents artistic blacksmithing that captivates, where each project is unique – these are the works of a talented Pole who lives and works in England.

In this group, I also recommend very diverse thematically, and interesting films awarded by the jurors in individual categories. All of them can be seen in the presentation of the awards on the Festival’s website.

“The paper weight”, a spot submitted by the Poznań University of Technology will amuse, but at the same time forces you to think deeply and seriously about the future of the young generation.

Film “Work and life on LOTOS Petrobaltic platforms” (Grupa Lotos) it’s a very interesting story: Dawn. Baltic. The tugboat/ supply vessel ANTS BAZALT is heading for the B8 field, located 75 km from the Polish coast, on which two mining platforms of the LOTOS Petrobaltic company operate. The cruise takes 8 hours…. And we get to know the specifics of the work of people on the ship …

Film “The Global Fund for Forgotten People Introduction” (Capdesia Management BV/2022/Belgium) shows the diversity and importance of the worldwide work of the Order of Malta and how all its works are fueled and strengthened by love.

”Mia takes control” (International Data Spaces e. V., Dortmund/Germany) is education in the following fields: 1. Awareness that our data is valuable 2. Understanding that not having control over our data is harmful to us, our companies and society 3. Convincing that there is a new solution that will give us more control over our data and make life and business better…

Film „Pronar Wheels Production” shows the process of production of “Pronar Wheel” in reverse, step by step, from bending steel to finished product… Promotional film “BUMAR-ŁABĘDY S.A.” presents the potential and capabilities of the famous Polish defense industry plant.

The film “Office is more than just a space” (Cavatina Holding S.A.) proves in an interesting way that an office is more than just a space… it is building a certain community. Therefore, the choice of a new headquarters for the company and its functional arrangement is a serious project and at the same time a great journey into the unknown…

***

But despite great successes, this year is difficult for all Festivals. We all live with the tragedy of the war in Ukraine, Russian films are not accepted to competitions in opposition to Putin’s cruel actions. Television stations broadcast reports prepared by war correspondents.

And at the beginning I have to dwell on this difficult topic:

Grand Prix Documentary – the highest award among films in the DOCUMENTARIES & TV REPORTS categories, was won by a documentary

“On the Frontline: Fleeing Irpin and The Defenders of Kharkiv”
TVN S.A. Direction: Michał Przedlacki, (producer: Jarosław Jabrzyk)

Vadimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine is the most cruel attack on the European state since the Second World War. Images of bombed cities and fleeing people shook the entire civilized world and shattered the feeling | safety all over Europe. Michat Przedlacki has been working in first-line aid in zones affected by armed conflicts for 17 years, documenting the tragedies and everyday life of people affected by war.

We present you the trailer of the film:

Play Video

Another very difficult and important topic is the tragedy on the Belarusian border.

Eastern border of Poland. This is where a brutal hybrid war has been going on for months. Hundreds of migrants from the Middle East come to Belarus every day. For many of them, this is a chance for a better life. For the regime in Minsk, it is a blackmail of the European Union and, at the same time, an opportunity to earn huge amounts of money. How does the business behind smuggling people to Europe work? The Turkish underworld earns a lot on the new migration route through the Polish-Belarusian border. Journalists of the TVN Supervisor went to Turkey to show who the people behind the organization of mass migration to the eastern border of the European Union are. How does the world of brokers, smugglers and illegal financial offices work? What is the price of trying to make your dreams come true? How much is human life worth to smuggling mafia? This is what the documentary “Migration Route: Turkey – Belarus – Poland”(TVN S.A.) tells about.

Among the awarded documentaries in individual categories, there are very interesting films that introduce us to the beautiful things of this World. We highly recommend the movie “Passion from the depths of the earth. Alfons Długosz and his life’s work” which tells a story of the founder of the Museum, a tireless enthusiast of Wieliczka, an excellent photographer, visionary and social activist, led to the rescue of many valuable relics from the abandoned chambers of the Salt Mine. His greatest achievement was the creation of a modern museum in 14 chambers of the Salt Mine, protecting the priceless monuments of the material culture of Wieliczka miners: giant mining machines, devices, crystals and works of art. Długosz obtained many of the exhibits as a result of painstaking searches in old, forgotten chambers.

The documentary “VOICES OF A CITY” (ALAMO PRODUCCIONES AUDIOVISUALES CANARIAS ) tells about Madrid: Cradle of poets, center of power, traditional and diverse are some of the many qualities attributable to the city of Madrid, a metropolis open to dreams and opportunities, noisy and harsh, but also charming and welcoming. Voices of a City discovers stories of the present and the past of those who live, build, undertake, manage and work in the city of Madrid; a choral portrait that travels through the city over the course of 24 hours, through the voices and experiences of anonymous and well-known people in which the city of Madrid has its own unique voice in the first person.

The film “The longest mission of a priest that was not bow to the bullets” (TV Północna) is a beautiful story about an extraordinary man. One of the main streets in the heart of the town Pruszcz Gdański is ks. Józef Waląg Avenue. Who was its patron Józef Waląg?

We also recommend the movie “Between dreams and visions” because of the extremely interesting story of Irena Giannakopoulos about discovering the island of Amorgos for the world. Irene Giannakopoulos receives the Zbigniew Żmudzki special award for activities in building great international cooperation in the field of tourism.

And we stop at the beautiful nature documentaries made by experienced filmmakers of the Forest Film Studio of the Polish State Forests in Bedoń:

The film ”THE EUROPEAN POND TURTLE – a unique relic of Polish nature” – The European pond turtle is the only naturally occurring turtle species in Poland. Unfortunately, it is also an extremely rare species in our country, which is in danger of extinction. Active protection, in which foresters are also involved, gives hope that this reptile will not disappear from the Polish landscape. Unfortunately, the main reason for the disappearance of this species is man, who has been destroying its populations and habitats for hundreds of years. For example, in many regions of Europe it was harvested en masse for culinary purposes.

”THE LIFE OF THE FOREST. ORCHIDS” tells us about The Orchidaceae family, or orchids, is one of the most numerous families on Earth. It includes over 25,000 documented species, and it is estimated that there may be up to 40,000 of these species. The vast majority of species live in the tropics, mainly tropical Asia and South America. However, not everyone knows that in our Polish forests, in our Polish meadows, in our country, we also have representatives of this family of orchids, that is, about 50 species with hybrids. Usually these are not as impressive, impressive plants as in tropical countries, but they are certainly unusual and beautiful.

Very interesting film “Forest pollinators” is a story about bees. Almost 80% of land plant species require bees to survive and reproduce.

Almost 90% of all flowering plants require pollinators to produce seeds. In 2018, the State Forests launched the “Bees return to the forest” project. The project concerns not only the honey bee, but also over 460 species of bees living in the wild in Poland.

And I will end the reportage with the most beautiful award granted by the International Tourfilm Academy for a film that can serve science – the TOURIST OWL Statuette – for the film “Forest rivers” directed by Sławomir Skupiński from the Forests Film Studio of Polish State Forests.

Poland is in the group of countries threatened with water deficit. On the other hand, forests have a beneficial effect on hydrological resources, acting as a water protection and retention facility. Today they are also refuges for wild rivers. Here we have a unique opportunity to observe the still natural processes taking place in the natural environment. The river, naturally meandering among the trees, not squeezed into concrete frames, cleaned, aired, with fallen limbs forming hollows carved by the current, is the essence of nature, a natural place of occurrence and reproduction of fish and other organisms related to this environment.

The Tourist Owl 2022 award is held under the honorary patronage of The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

Of course, I have no doubt that you enjoyed the film and have your thoughts. I will quote here the statement of Alexander V. Kammel – President of the International Tourfilm Academy, who expressed his opinion on the selection of this beautiful film for the only “Tourist Owl” statuette:

Aleksandra Czechowicz Woźniak –
Deputy Director of Museum of Sports & Tourism and Alexander V. Kammel – President of International Tourfilm Academy
Tourist Owl for Forest Film Studio Polish State Forests

„I think that this is a very good film, blending the scientific view onto the forest rivers, it´s fauna and flora and the current problems these rivers face nowadays. It also shows the pros and cons of tourism in this sensible environment. The films speaks very open about these challenges with a very appealing images.

I support this excellent choice and I would be happy if the Tourist Owl 2022 of the Inter-national Tourfilm Academy will be awarded to the Film “Forest Rivers – Leśne Rzeki” from Forest Film Studio of Polish Satate Forests.”

***

List of all 17th FilmAT Festival awards along with films

Gallery

Ewa Kotus

translation: Wojciech Jaworek
photos: service of Museum of Sports & Tourism
service of Forest Film Studio Polish State Forests

17th FilmAT Festival