Festival in Gdynia is primarily the showcase of Polish cinema - the best films of the year, the most influential filmmakers, vital topics. Modernity meets here in a dialogue with history: new generations of filmmakers are confronted with the masters, and new generations of critics reinterpret the classics of Polish cinema. In this year edition the Main Competition involved 12 titles of which the descriptions I am sending enclosed.The Jury of 36th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia that took place in...

ESSENTIAL KILLING (Poland, 2010) screens at Copenhagen International Film Festival In 'Essential Killing' (2010) actor Vincent Gallo plays Mohammed, a Taliban from Afghanistan on the run from American soldiers through the mountains of Poland after slaughtering three American soldiers to bits. While I would not say this film is bad nor good, I would definitely say that it is very worth the time as it is certainly a film not soon to be forgotten. Who would of thought Gall...

Probably the most successful of the still-sustained 'national' film festivals that flourish, with greater and lesser degrees of success in London and around the British Isles (dare I still call them that without fear of political uncorrectness?) is Kinoteka, which celebrated its 9th edition from 24th March to 13th April, 2011.(Since the German Film Weeks are now but a fond memory, this Polish filmic-extravaganza now surely takes the crown, in the face of all kinds of film 'festivals' that vie...

At the 15th Sofia International Film festival (SIFF), ESSENTIAL KILLING (Poland, 2010) screened to an international audience. In 'Essential Killing' (2010) actor Vincent Gallo plays Mohammed, a Taliban from Afghanistan on the run from American soldiers through the mountains of Poland after slaughtering three American soldiers to bits. While I would not say this film is bad nor good, I would definitely say that it is very worth the time as it is certainly a film not soon to be f...

  In 'Essential Killing' (2010) actor Vincent Gallo plays Mohammed, a Taliban from Afghanistan on the run from American soldiers through the mountains of Poland after slaughtering three American soldiers to bits. While I would not say this film is bad nor good, I would definitely say that it is very worth the time as it is certainly a film not soon to be forgotten. Who would of thought Gallo could pull off such a feat! He is compelling in his role as Taliban on the run and while intim...

The treasure chest of film choices this year at Palm Springs is so well stocked that the visiting film critic is faced with the dilemma of choice at every turn. Monday, day number five, three important Polish films were stacked up back to back; Jerzy Skolimowski's "Essential Killing", Jan Kidawa-Blonski's "Little Rose" and "All That I love", a debut entry by Jacek Borcuch. Skolimowski and Kidawa-Blonski, both veteran Polish directors, are guests of the fest and we...

The treasure chest of film choices this year at Palm Springs is so well stocked that the visiting film critic is faced with the dilemma of choice at every turn. Monday, day number five, three important Polish films were stacked up back to back; Jerzy Skolimowski's "Essential Killing", Jan Kidawa-Blonski's "Little Rose" and "All That I love", a debut entry by Jacek Borcuch. Skolimowski and Kidawa-Blonski, both veteran Polish directors, are guests of the fest and were on hand for Q & As after the...

Sofia Coppola’s Venice Golden Lion winner Somewhere, Jerzy Skolimowski’s Venice Jury Prize winning Essential Killing (which also received the Best Actor award for Vincent Gallo); Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix and Best Director winners Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men and Mathieu Almaric’s Tournée, the Latin America premieres of Andrucha Waddington’s Toronto and Venice selected Lope and Ben Affleck’s The Town; actors Bill Pullman, Charlotte Rampling, Irène Jacob, and Michael Mads...

Well, one thing you can always guarantee with Tarantino is to expect surprises. I'd have never thought in a million years that he would award Sofia Coppola's 'Somewhere' the top prize at Venice (one wonders if its because she and QT used to date?!!)... but then again maybe its because she has made an amazing film similar to'Lost in Translation'. This film is now top of my to see list alongside the 'I'm Still Here' doc. Oh and another surprise, Vincent Gallo won best actor prize for 'Esse...