There is no better tool for promoting tourism than a film, and there is no better place for the World’s Centre of Tourist Film than the beautiful Mazovia – the heart of Poland, situated in the charming lowlands, in the very center of Europe.

Mazovia’s landscape is the most Polish of all: arable fields, from which Poland got its name (“pole” means field), and Masovian Masurians who took their name from smearing their hands with farm work. This is our landscape, the national landscape – as the famous tourist and blogger Lechosław Herz said. This romantic Mazovia, full of colors, was and it still is, an inspiration for artists and poets. It was Mazovia, that gave the birth and shaped Fryderyk Chopin, whose music is known and understood by the people around the World.

The year 1989, the year of great changes achieved by Polish Solidarity, was also very important for the tourist film. The Round Table, one of the most important events in the recent history of Poland, began systemic changes in our country, which resulted in great changes in Europe and in the World. The Berlin Wall, one of the symbols of the Cold War, has fallen! And in 1989, in these first moments of new, free opportunities for tourism, Alexander V. Kammel and his father Rudolf Kammel founded CIFFT – International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals, mobilizing countries, regions, cities and the smallest municipalities around the world to create the most beautiful films about their native land and show them in the great world competition for the selection of the best tourist film in the World.

This competition, the only one in the world, has existed for 32 years and it is constantly developing. It showed the world thousands of films, discovered and made its least known places famous. Open to all traditions and cultures of the World, it always taught respect and tolerance. It created a huge family of CIFFT Festivals and of creators and lovers of tourist film in the world.

Polish films were successful many times. Film “Łódź city of culture” made by Małgorzata Kamińska and Wojciech Bruszewski climbed to the top of the ranking and won the GRAND PRIX CIFFT and title of the most beautiful tourist film of the world in 2008. Other movies were repeatedly nominated for the Grand Prix CIFFT award, also films from Mazovia promoting heritage of Fryderyk Chopin.

We are proud that it is here in Mazovia, in the heart of Poland, in the modern Sports and Tourism Museum in Warsaw, which is managed by the people who understand the importance of film, that we can open an exhibition of the World’s Tourist Film Centre, in the special year of 15th anniversary of the International FilmAT Festival, which has been from the beginning the proud Polish member of CIFFT.

We are very proud that the idea of creating this Center was supported by Mr. Adam Struzik, Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, and that on the opening day of the exhibition, we will be able to present to the Marshal the special TOURIST statuette.