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Report
from the Third International Tourfilm Festival
in P³ock

Our festival is growing in strength. Held on 11-13 June 2008 for the third time in its history, it attracted to Warsaw and P³ock a number of prominent guests, such as the representatives of the embassies of Egypt, Portugal, South Africa, and Mexico, as well as CIFFT festival directors (International Committee of Tourist Film Festivals, of which our festival is a member) with CIFFT President Alexander Kammel, a number of journalists associated at the European Federation of Tourist Press with President Antonio Conte, and the jury, the winners of the European Awards, famous travelers, representatives of the authorities, and many celebrities of the tourism industry. We are extremely happy that the festival could welcome Mr. Rudolf Kammel with his wife, Nadia, both representing CIFFT in Vienna, whose contributions to promoting international partnership in the tourfilm sector ought to be greatly appreciated, and whose annual party organized during the Festival of Festivals in Vienna will certainly come down to history as unforgettable.

During the festival we managed to create Polish Tourfilm Academy, which is to support Poland's best filmmakers promoting the beauty of our country. This idea was quickly caught on by the directors of the similar festivals. Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Polish animated film after the Oscar-winning Peter and the Wolf, we presented Se-ma-for Studios with a 2008 Tourist Statuette.

The program of the festival was extensive. The organizers welcomed the visitors with a traditional Polish hospitality, presenting the cultural heritage of the Polish capital and the distinguished City of P³ock. The most interesting films, both foreign and domestic, were viewed at the Festival Theater, and judged by an international jury, which unanimously awarded the best contestants, as the chairmen of the jury, Jacek Wan pointed, "...because the value of a tourfilm has no borders..."

Mayor of the City of P³ock Miros³aw Milewski was appointed President of the Festival. Ewa Kotus, an initiator of this event in Poland, is the Festival's Director General. Antonio Conte, the creator of the international tourfilm festivals, was the Festival's Honorary President. The jury was presided over by Jacek Wan, a journalist, traveler, film producer, President of the Association of Foreign Correspondents in Poland, and President of the Polish Tourfilm Academy.

The Patrons of the Third International Tourfilm Festival included the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the Polish Film Institute, Marshal of Masovia, the Polish Tourism Organization, ITCO (International Tourfilm festivals Committee), the Polish Chamber of Tourism, and the Regional Tourism Organization of Masovia. The event was sponsored by media, such as TVP Kultura, Gazeta Wyborcza. and Portal Onet Pl.

The main sponsor of the event, ORLEN S.A. is Poland's largest distributor and maker of petroleum products, as well as the largest petroleum corporation in Eastern Europe. The company sponsors numerous cultural events, both at home and abroad. The festival was organized by Business Integration Group Sp. z o.o., Foundation "Europe 2004", and the City Hall of P³ock.

"The festival office has received 157 entry applications from all over the world, including Austria, Egypt, Germany, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and The Republic of South Africa... Poland submitted many more entries than it was the case in previous years. We're seeing a growing popularity of this event; more and more new filmmakers want to be part of the event," said Wojciech Jaworek, Festival Press Secretary.


Opening Night with Egyptian accent

To stir up the spirit of the event, the festival was inaugurated at the City Hall of P³ock with the presentation of last year's Grand Prix winner "Enjoy Life", a production promoting the beauty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Third International Tourfilm Festival was officially opened by Ewa Kotus, Director General of the Festival. In his welcoming speech, Festival's President Miros³aw Milewski, who, as mayor of P³ock, was also a host of the event, spoke about the engagement of the city in the development of international relations and how proud the city was to host so many distinguished guests. He pointed out that the International Toutfilm Festival had been continuously growing, and thanked everyone for their contribution to this successful project. Antonio Conte, Honorary President of the Festival, reminded the visitors of the history of the event in P³ock, praising the great input of the organizers. On behalf of the ITCO (International Tourfilm Festivals Committee), which he presides over, he distinguished Ewa Kotus for her achievements. Announcing a series of interesting films, Jacek Wan, chairmen of the jury, invited all the visitors to the festival theater. The opening ceremony ended in a strong Egyptian accent. Advisor for tourism at the Egyptian Embassy, Mr. Mahmoud M.A.Khalil spoke about Egypt, a wonderful country that provides tourists with 350 sunny days a year. Who else could render the Egyptian flavors better than a belly dancer? The shapely woman caused every men in the room to hold his breath. The evening presented a lot of Egyptian attractions. In an Egyptian setting, we were pampered with delicacies, smoking flavored shisha and trying to learn the difficult art of belly dancing from the dancer, who had previously performed for us. After that interesting evening, we looked forward to the next day of the festival.


Polish Tourfilm Academy Conference

The initiative to create Polish Tourfilm Academy is a consequence of international operations of Foundation EUROPE 2004 and Business Integration Group in the area of making and promoting tourfilms and documentaries. The main objective of the Polish Tourfilm Academy is promoting the most talented filmmakers (directors, art directors, photographers, cameramen), both at home and abroad, presenting the most prominent foreign filmmakers in Poland, sharing professional experiences, providing consulting services, and seeking international partners. The honorary positions are occupied by the celebrities from the entertainment industry and winners of the Tourist Lifetime Achievement Awards, such as Krzysztof Zanussi, Andrzej Wajda, Zbigniew ¯mudzki, and many others. The founders appointed the first President of the Academy, who is Mr. Jacek Wan, a journalist, traveler, film producer, President of the Association of Foreign Correspondents in Poland, and chairman of the jury at the Second and Third International Tourfilm Festivals. The person responsible for the operation of the Polish Tourfilm Academy is Director Ewa Kotus, President of the EUROPE 2004 Foundation, Director General of the International Tourfilm Festival, and Editor-in-chief of FILM, ART & TOURISM (an international magazine). The activities of the Academy are defined in its statute.

The first conference of the Academy was attended by Rudolf and Alexander Kammel, Directors of CIFFT in Vienna; journalists associated by the European Federation of Tourism Press with President Antonio Conte; festival directors: Dr. Francisco Dias -Art & Tur Festival in Portugal, prof. Nicolae Luca - Document ART Festival in Romania, Antonio Primiceri - Religous Film Festival in Italy; representatives of local governments from Podkarpackie Province, Gdynia, £od¼, P³ock; and the first members of the Academy. The gathered guests were welcomed by Tomasz Kolczyñski, Vice Mayor of P³ock for Growth and Development, and Ewa Kotus, Director of the Festival and the Academy. The meeting was presided over by Jacek Wan, President of the Academy.

The discussion was stormy, because the poorly allocated funds for promotional films by regional and municipal governments are noticeable not only in Poland. Modest financial means as well as insufficient information about the best filmmakers in the industry results in taking low-cost offers from companies that are bound to make low quality productions. How to improve this process and help the decision makers responsible for promoting their regions, cities, or countries? This question is hard to answer, but it was at the core of the discussion among the participants of the conference, who attempted to work out a series of solutions, comparing their effectiveness in different countries at the same time. We are content that the idea of creating film academies in other countries caught on among the directors of similar festivals. The Polish Tourfilm Academy nominated Alexander Kammel as Honorary President. Mr. Kammel is a director of CIFFT in Vienna. His authority and experience will support the development of similar academies in other countries.


Awards from the European Federation of Tourism Press

European Awards for Tourism have been granted by the European Federation of Tourism Press for twenty-six years. In this long history, the award ceremonies were held in a number of European cites, such as Montecatini Terme, Ostuni, Rome, Karlowe Vary, or Vienna. For several years in a row the official ceremony of the European Awards for Tourism had been held at the historical conference room of the Wielopolskis' castle in Krakow in the first half of the year, and in Spalato (Croatia) in the second half. This year's ceremony took place on the second day of the festival in P³ock. Is it possible that Antonio Conte, the creator of this award, has moved it permanently to the capitol of Masovia? Only time will tell.

This year's winners include regions, cities, individuals, and institutions whose actions have considerably affected the growth of tourism in Europe.

Religious buildings play very important part in the Polish tourism industry. In this category, the Statuette went to the Sanctuary of the Devine Mercy for its openness and activities related to sharing information, documents, and memorabilia regarding Saint Mary Faustina. In the building located at Old Town Square, which, today, is a home of the Sanctuary, lived sister Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s. It was in this building where she had seen Christ as the 'King of Divine Mercy' at the age of 26. The chapel displays one of the most famous pictures of Jesus, as well as many Saint Mary Faustina's relics. A statue of Jesus is erected in the place where Jesus was said to have appeared. The bakery where Sister Faustina worked during her stay in the convent has been turned into Museum of Saint Mary Faustina, which has gathered a number of memorabilia and documents connected with her. There are numerous pilgrimages coming to P³ock from all over the world every year.

The prestigious Statuette went also to the Province of Podkarpackie, which is situated in the south-eastern part of Poland. Due to its wonderful scenic qualities and rich cultural heritage, this region is one of the most visited parts of Poland. There are only few regions so pristine and intact left in the world. The gorgeous Bieszczady Mountains are an undisputed leader in this respect. Having been photographed for over a half of century, this mythical place is a magnet for tourists in all seasons from all over the world.

In the category of Polish cities, the awards went to £ód¼ and Gdynia, called the cities of festivals.

£od¼ - the "promised land" for entrepreneurs in the past. Today, the city boasts the numerous large, former industrial complexes, which are rare examples of the nineteenth-century industrial architecture found in the world, many tenant houses, mansions, wonderful heritage buildings from the Art Nouveau and eclectic periods, some of which have been fully restored. £ód¼ is also a legend in the filmmaking industry; the Film School has produced such artists as Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polañski, Krzysztof Kie¶lowski. The city is taking on tourism now... This is how one can shortly describe £ód¼, which may become one of the most beautiful cities in Europe is the near future.

Gdynia - is one of the youngest cities in Poland, built in 1926. As every harbor, the city is a Polish window onto the world, both economically and culturally. Festival of Polish Feature Films is the most well-known cultural event, which attracts to the Musical Theater in Gdynia a number of famous artists, moviemakers, actors, journalists, and movie lovers. In 1999, Film lover's Seat, a statue by Andrzej Renes, was installed in the European Council Park, located between the Musical Theater and Ko¶ciuszki Square. It is a cast imitating a film tape, where each frame shows the winners of the Golden Lions Award. The tape is unrolling so that it can accommodate also the future winners.

The European Federation of Tourism Press awarded a Serbian town of Veliko Gradiste, which has been a host of the International Festival of Tourist, Ecological, Sport & Culinary Films for nearly a year.

The Federation distinguished a small Italian town of Gaeta, which is beautifully located on the Tyrrhenian Sea, in Lazio (Province of Latina).

An award went also to dr. Francisco Dias, director of the Art & Tur Festival, who is a father of Tourfilm in Portugal. Holding PHD, Francisco Dias is a specialist in tourism, who continuously promotes the development of international cooperation in tourism.

Antonio Conte scrutinizes all festivals. At the special edition of the European awards he decided to distinguish BOSKO SAWKOVIC, who, together with Slavic± Grubac , after the death of our dear friend, Gavril Azinovic, continues the tradition of the Serbian International Festival of Tourist, Ecological, Sport & Culinary Films.

The European awards for journalism are a completely different chapter, because Antonio Conte, creator of these awards, is a journalist himself and knows the importance of media in the growth of tourism in the world.

Learning cultural heritage and traditions of different countries and regions might be the most enjoyable part of tourism. A lot of information in this respect is provided by TVP KULTURA. This relatively new television station was started in April of 2005. It has become an information mine, broadcasting programs that deserve a special distinction. We are extremely glad that our nominee, TVP Kultura, was immediately accepted by the Federation.

Another award went to a fast-growing local television station, TVP OLSZTYN, which broadcasts information concerning traditions and cultural heritage of the provinces of Warmia and Mazury. Their programs make the citizens of the two provinces proud of their history and culture.

The most popular Polish newspaper is GAZETA WYBORCZA, which, among many other issues, provides also information for tourists. The newspaper issues a special supplement called "Turystyka" during the vacation season. The award for Gazeta Wyborcza is especially valuable, because the paper has been sponsoring our festival since the very beginning.

KRZYSZTOF BARANOWSKI - outstanding sailor, yacht captain, journalist, teacher, filmmaker…and Polish pride. As the second countryman in history, he went on a solo trip around the world. As the first, he sailed around the world twice. Adored, admired, and distinguished, he was an honorary guest at the festival, who received a European award from the Federation.

Among the winners was also GIUSEPPE CAMPANELLA, President of CESM in Italy.

The European Award for Tourism in the "A life for tourism" category went to ANGELA CAMPANELLA, writer, director and film producer. Her latest book - Biography of Bona Sforza - stirred a lot of interest among the festival visitors, especially the Poles. Queen Bona Sforza greatly affected our culture, traditions, and history.

Among the institutions awarded for a great impact on tourism was Institute "FILOSI" from Terracina, Italy, which works with the International Festival of Religious Films.

REGIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION OF MASOVIA was founded in 2006. As organizers claim, "Masovia deserves to be discovered by tourists, both domestic and foreign". It was the Masovia scenery and the sounds of local music that had inspired Frederic Chopin to write his beautiful compositions, such as his famous mazurkas, based on the lively folk dances embedded in the Masovian traditions.

Our openness to Europe and to the world made the representatives of the tourist, food, and restaurant industries extremely competitive in their offers. Hotel restaurants are serving fancier and fancier dishes, typical of very exotic cuisines. On the other hand, Mrs. Jannina ¦ledziewska, the owner of the Mistral Hotel at Marki near Warsaw, does just the opposite. She doesn't succumb to this trend and serves her guests the traditionally Polish dishes. The European Federation of Tourism Press distinguished her efforts in preserving national traditions.

Among the winners was also the Black Rooster Inn (Zajazd pod Czarnym Kogutem) located in Czarna Góra, at the junction of the Big and Small Bieszczady Ring Roads in the Bieszczady Mountains. Wilderness, healthy climate, forests, picturesque surroundings, and the hospitality of the owners will captivate the visitors forever.

Every country and every region will treat their guests with traditional drinks, the best of which come from small, family-owned businesses. BROWAR CIECHAN is one of them. With rich Kurpian history, it offers the famous honey beer to its customers.

The award ceremonies are always accompanied by the presentation of Italian culinary delicacies. This was also the case in P³ock. After the official ceremony, all the guests were invited to join a Polish-Italian party at a newly opened restaurant "Browar Tumski" at Old Town Square. The Italian section served pastas including spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino with tomato sauce and an Italian wine from the Apulia region. The Polish section offered tartar steak made of beef or salmon. Everyone was in an excellent mood.


Festival presentations

Equipment specialists set up a stage as well as an audio equipment at Old Town Square. The citizens of P³ock awaited not only good films but also meetings with celebrities, such as Oscar-winner Zbigniew ¯mudzki, sailor Krzysztof Baranowski, and Jerzy Szkamruk and Jaros³aw Minkowicz - the makers of the film about Benedykt Polak. Unfortunately, a heavy rain forced the organizers to move the film presentations back to the City Hall building. Additional attractions provided the screenings of two films by Kszysztof Baranowski and the presentation of ICHTIS, an animated film made by Se-ma-for. One of Baranowski's films was about a storm at sea, while the other told a story of a sea voyage as seen by Baranowski's children, Ja¶ and Ma³gosia.

Fortunately, the weather was excellent during the demonstration of mountain climbing. The citizens of P³ock and the visiting guests could admire the skills of champion climbers as well as put their own skills to test for several hours on Saturday. The event was organized by the P³ock Alpine Club.

A great interest was stirred among the visitor to Old Time Square by the presentations made by Mexico and The Republic of South Africa.

Known from Wojciech Cejrowski's programs, Mexican cuisine came to P³ock, offering the guests excellent dishes, some a bit too spicy, but always delicious. The visitors could get recipes and try to include the very dishes in their own home menus.

The Embassy of The Republic of South Africa made a presentation of their exotic country, while serving their traditional dishes. The smell of grilled sausages whetted the appetite of the gathered. Everyone who'd tried this African delicacy was fascinated with its taste and aroma. The visitors left the pavilion, holding a little flag of this multicultural nation, which was a great symbol of the international partnership expressed during the festival.


Grand Prix for "Salamanca Unica"

Traditionally, the Board of the International Tourfilm Festival in P³ock presented a Special Tourist Statuette, which went to Se-ma-for Studios for lifetime achievement and for creating a positive image of Poland around the world.

The Members of the Jury at the Third International Tourfilm Festival:

  • Jacek Wan - president of the jury- director, producer, creator of many well-known TV cycles about Japan culture, culture of the Middle East and programs about Heath, correspondent of Japan TV, President of the Association of Foreign Correspondents in Poland, President of Polish Tourfilm Academy.

  • Prof. Nicolae Luca - writer, translator, journalist, director of the Festival DOCUMENT.ART in Romanian Campulung.

  • Francisco Dias - director of the Festival ART & TUR in Porto, president of the Portuguese Association of Sciences of Tourism, translator, academic teacher.

  • Zbigniew ¯mudzki - film producer, president of film studio SE-MA-FOR in £ód¼ ( coproducer of the animation " Peter and the Wolf" - winner of Oscar 2008)

  • Barbara Tekieli - journalist, director of the Information and Promotion Office in Warsaw, author of many publications about tourism promotion and functioning of Tourism Information Systems.

GRAND PRIX "2008 Tourist Statuette"
at the Third International Tourfilm Festival in P³ock was bestowed by the Jury on
"SALAMANCA UNICA"
Turismo y Comunicación de Salamanca - Espana (Spain) Espana (Spain)
for the film

The jury awarded films in the following categories:

  • for THE BEST FILM PROMOTING COUNTRY, REGION OR CITY:
    EX AEQUO AWARDS
    "£ÓD¬ - CITY OF CULTURE" - The City of £ód¼ Office
    "BODY.MIND.MADEIRA" - Madeira Promotion Bureau

  • THE BEST COMMERCIAL SPOT:
    "THE GIFT OF THE SUN" - Egyptian Tourism Office

  • THE BEST TRAVEL FILM:
    "GREAT EXPLORERS - BENEDICT THE POLE" - Jerzy Szkamruk, Jaros³aw Minkowicz - TV Projekt

  • AWARD for ECOLOGICAL VALUES:
    "MOCZARY I UROCZYSKA" ("MARSHES AND WILD AREAS") - Tomasz Ogrodowczyk & Micha³ Ogrodowczyk / ORW LP in Bedoñ

  • THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY:
    "TIROL LAND OF WATER" - Johannes Koeck & Georg Riha, Brains & Pictures Tullnerbach/Wien

  • THE BEST SCREENPLAY:
    "£ÓD¬ - CITY OF CULTURE" - Wojciech Bruszewski Info Express


SPECIAL AWARDS of Festival Board for journalists, institutions and personalities, granted for the exeptional contributions in the field of tourism:

  • TVP Kultura

  • Gazeta Wyborcza Daily

  • Katarzyna Ratajczyk - Director of Promotion Department of the City of Warsaw

  • Alexander Kammel - Director Festival der Festivals CIFFT

  • Jaros³aw Kowalski - Director TVP Olsztyn

  • Krzysztof Baranowski - journalist, traveler and sailor

  • Olga O¿arenkowa - Director of the Lithuanian Tourist Information Centre in Warsaw

  • Andrzej Danowski - PTTK Photography Centre

  • Krystyna Czubówna - journalist and traveler

  • Andrzej Makaran - alpinist, Himalaya climber and traveler

  • Anna Umiêcka - traveler

  • Katarzyna Dowbor - journalist


Feast in the old Polish style

Famous for their hospitality, which runs in the blood of the Poles, the hosts spared no efforts to make the feast unforgettable for the invited guests from all over the world. The party for 120 people took place at the former Benedictine Abbey vis' a vis the famous cathedral of P³ock. The guests were greeted by the members of the P³ock Archery Club and the Brotherhood of the Rooster, who fired salute, using historical weapons, such as blowpipes, harquebus, and muskets. With an old fantasy of the gentry, they raised their sabers and formed an arched lane, through which the guests could enter the castle. Inside, they were greeted by distinguished clergymen inviting them to visit the wonderful chambers of the newly opened Diocese Museum, which exhibits a precious collection of sacral art. Together with our guests, we admired each piece with pride since the collection is a good example of our cultural heritage as well as the Christian tradition in our country.

During the luxurious feast traditional pates, stuffed pikeperch, various meats, and a variety of delicious drinks were served. Due to the innate hospitality of our nation, the guests were treated with alcoholic drinks from different countries, such as South Africa, Portugal, and Italy. For dessert the guests could enjoy Polish cheesecakes and poppy seed cakes.

Andrzej Kotus


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