The 13th edition of International Festival Camerimage finished on 4th of December with a solemn Closing Ceremony. Eight-day period, filled with film projections, workshops, seminars, encounters with popular and estimated film creators, was closed for 3000 participants. It was a wonderful week of constructive discussions, artistic imp- ressions and education. In the Camer- image participants and observers point of view this year's Festival edition is one of the best Camerimage ever, which we, organizers, cannot deny.

The success of this edition is based on financial support from our partners: Ministry of Culture, City of Lodz Authorities, The Marshal Office of Lodz Voivodeship and MEDIADESK Programme. An efficient organization and varied Festival programme was guaranteed by the engagement of these institutions, for which we are very grateful. We would like to also thank to our sponsors for their co-operation and help for the Festival:

Special thanks to the management and workers of OPUS FILM STUDIO for their precious help with the organization of workshops for students and cinematographers (free usage of sound stage, technical background, set design, service) and to CHARLIE CINEMA for screenings of theme reviews.

We would like to thank SOCIETES OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS: GERMAN (bvk), BRITISH (BSC), AMERICAN (ASC) and FRENCH (AFC) for their co-operation through the whole year.

Our sincere gratitude to all DISTRIBUTORS, PRODUCERS, SOCIETES, FILM SCHOOLS, VOLUNTEERS and FRIENDS thanks to whom our Festival is a world-wide known and unique event.

There were 15 films from all over the world in this year's feature films competition. The JURY consisted of:

Affonso Beato (Brazil) favourite cinematographer of Pedro Almodovar - JURY President César Charlone (Uruguay) shot "City of God" granted with the Golden Frog on Camerimage 2003 Donald McAlpine (Australia) (Australia) author of cinematography to e. g. "Mrs. Doubtfire" or "Moulin Rouge" Karl Prümm (Germany) media and literature historian, critic Franz Rath (Germany) Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta co-operator Declan Quinn (USA) author of cinematography for famous film "Leaving Las Vegas", "Monsoon Wedding" etc.   Films in competition: (marked names of Camerimage 2005 guests): 36 Cinematographer: Denis Rouden Director: Olivier Marchal Country: France 7TH DAY, THE Cinematographer: François Lartigue Director: Carlos Saura Country: Spain ACCUSED Cinematographer: Sebastian Blenkov Director: Jacob Thuesen Country: Denmark BLACK NIGHT Cinematographer: Louis - Philippe Capelle Director: Olivier Smolders Country: Belgium BOW, THE Cinematographer: Seong - back Jang Director: Kim Ki-Duk Country: South Korea, Japan FATELESS Cinematographer: Gyula Pados Director: Lajos Koltai Country: Hungary, Germany, UK GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. Cinematographer: Robert Elswit Director: George Clooney Country: USA I AM Cinematographer: Arthur Reinhart Director: Dorota Kędzierzawska Country: Poland MY NIKIFOR Cinematographer: Krzysztof Ptak Director: Krzysztof Krauze Country: Poland QUEEN OF SHEBA'S PEARLS, THE Cinematographer: Jens Fischer Director: Colin Nutley Country: Sweden SNOWLAND Cinematographer: Hans Günther - Bücking Director: Hans W. Geissendorfer Country: Germany THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, THE Cinematographer: Chris Menges Director: Tommy Lee Jones Country: France, USA TSOTSI Cinematographer: Lance Gewer Director: Gavin Hood Country: UK, RSA WALK THE LINE Cinematographer: Phedon Papamichael Director: James Mangold Country: USA WONDERFUL NIGHT IN SPLIT, THE Cinematographer: Mirko Pivcevic Director: Arsen Anton Ostojic Country: Croatia

Polish Films Review was a new initiative of Camerimage organizers, which consisted of fresh Polish film productions. The Festival appointed an international board of professionals, which aim was to estimate latest Polish film works. The Board has consisted of:

Vilmos Zsigmond cinematographer granted with Academy Award for his work in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" of Steven Spielberg, co-operator of Woody Allen, Brian de Palma, Richard Donner - head of the board

Robert Alazraki the President of AFC, author of cinematography for more than 60 feature films

Robert Fraisse cinematographer nominated to Academy Award for "The Lover" Jean Jaques Annaud, granted with the Golden Frog for "Vatel"

Kees van Oostrum cinematographer from Netherlands, member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science

Roman Osin author of cinematography for "The Warrior" awarded by BAFTA

Phedon Papamichael Greek decent cinematographer, working in USA, co-operator of Wim Wenders

  Films in review: CAŁA ZIMA BEZ OGNIA Cinematographer: Witold Płóciennik Director: Greg Zgliński JESTEM Cinematographer: Arthur Reinhart Director: Dorota Kędzierzawska KOMORNIK Cinematographer: Bartosz Prokopowicz Director: Feliks Falk MISTRZ Cinematographer: Piotr Śliskowski Director: Piotr Trzaskalski PERSONA NON GRATA Cinematographer: Edward Kłosiński Director: Krzysztof Zanussi ROZDROŻE CAFE Cinematographer: Andrzej Ramlau Director: Leszek Wosiewicz WRÓŻBY KUMAKA Cinematographer: Jacek Petrycki Director: Robert Gliński

29 student's etudes was judged by the international JURY:

Laszlo Kovacs - the Jury President author of cinematography to such famous films as "Easy Rider", "Ghostbusters"

Nic Knowland photographer and cinematographer from Great Britain

Oliver Stapleton co-operator of Stephen Frears i Lasse Hallström

Tom Stern author of cinematography for "Million Dollar Baby", who has co-operated with Clint Eastwood for many years

Andrzej Titkow Polish documentalist

Michael Tronick editor of e.g.: "Predator", "Reds", "Scent of a Woman"

Piotr Wojtowicz Polish cinematographer

 

In the competition for Golden, Silver and Bronze Tadpole:

(INSIDE) (Spain), AT NIGHT (Spain), BABIE LATO (Poland), BEFORE LIFE, AFTER DEATH (Bulgaria), BOHATER NASZYCH CZASÓW (Poland), built to dream (Germany), DEADLINE (Denmark), DEBUT (Australia), DEPARTURE, THE (Denmark), DIVING (Bulgaria), DOTYK MOTYLA (Poland), EL-PORT (Poland), FAMILY PORTRAIT, A (Singapore, Spain), FAMILY, A (Sweden), LAMIA (USA), LOVE MODEL, A (Great Britain), MINUTES TO GO (Germany), MOJA WINA (Poland), MUSCA (Germany), PAPIEROŚNICA (Poland), PĘTLA (Poland), RED VEIL, THE (USA), STILL LIFE (Australia), TERRA ROSA (Poland), ULEWA (Poland), W PRÓŻNI (Poland), WINTER SEA (USA), WYSPA (Poland).

Furthermore we presented following etudes out of Competition:

[FEMALE/MALE] (Germany), 76-108 (Germany), BLUE GLOW (Belgium), CAPTAIN RIZA (Switzerland), CHIXCULUB (USA), COMEDIAN, THE (Denmark), DEPENDENCY (USA), FATHER'S PRAYER (Germany), IDEAL, THE (Germany), I'LL SAVE THE MULTIVERSE (Germany), IN THE AIR (Czech Republic), INFINITY (Bulgaria), LACRIMOSA (Poland), LAST DAYS, THE (Germany), LIFE, DEATH & STUFF (Great Britain), LOVE OF FATE (Germany), MELODRAMAT (Poland), MISS ZUENIG (Spain), MONIDŁO (Poland), MY GRANDMOTHER LOVES ME (Israel), NO MEMORY (Greece), PERSONAL BEST (Bulgaria), PINK COWBOY BOOTS (France), REMINISCENCES (Belgium), SMALL WORLD (Czech Republic), STILL LIFE (Germany), WILLOW DRIVE (Great Britain). BEFORE DAWN Cinematographer: Mátyás Erdély Director: Bálint Kenyeres Country: Hungary BYE BYE BLACKBIRD Cinematographer: Christophe Beaucarne Director: Robinson Savary Country: Luxembourg, Germany, Great Britain DEAR WENDY Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle Director: Thomas Vinterberg Country: Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain DON'T COME KNOCKING Cinematographer: Franz Lustig Director: Wim Wenders Country: Germany, USA DRIVER FOR VERA, A Cinematographer: Igor Klebanov Director: Pavel Chukhraj Country: Russia FATHER AND SON Cinematographer: Aleksandr Burov Director: Aleksander Sokurow Country: Russia FROZEN LAND Cinematographer: Rauno Ronkainen Director: Aku Louhimies Country: Finland GAME OVER Cinematographer: Kasimir Letho Director: Pekka Lehto Country: Finland, Sweden, Great Britain HELL, THE Cinematographer: Laurent Dailland Director: Danis Tanović Country: France, Italy, Belgium, Japan LOST DOMAIN, THE Cinematographer: Ian Marinescu Director: Raoul Ruiz Country: France, Italy, Romania, Spain MAGIC MIRROR Cinematographer: Renato Berta Director: Manoel De Oliveira Country: Portugal MAN TO MAN Cinematographer: Laurent Dailland Director: Régis Wargnier Country: France, RSA, Great Britain NEXT DOOR Cinematographer: John Andreas Andersen Director: Pal Sletaune Country: Denmark, Sweden, Norway PATHS OF LIGHTS Cinematographer: András Nagy Director: Attila Mispál Country: Hungary SHADOWS OF TIME Cinematographer: Juürgen Jürges Director: Florian Gallenberg Country: Germany SHOOTING DOGS Cinematographer: Ivan Strasburg Director: Michael Caton - Jones Country: Great Britain, Germany SLIGHT CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE AND MIND Cinematographer: Peter Dörfler Director: Cyril Tuschi Country: Germany SOMETHING LIKE HAPPINESS Cinematographer: Divią Marek Director: Bohdan Sláma Country: Czech Republic, Germany STONED Cinematographer: John Mathieson Director: Stephen Woolley Country: Great Britain SUMMER IN BERLIN Cinematographer: Andreas Höffer Director: Andreas Dresen Country: Germany TASTE OF LIGHT, A Cinematographer: Bogumil Godfrejow Director: Maurus von Scheidt Country: Germany BEFORE IT HAD A NAME Cinematographer: Ken Kelsch, Brian Pryzpek Director: Giada Colagrande Country: USA CONSTANT GARDENER, THE Cinematographer: César Charlone Director: Fernando Meirelles Country: UK DRAWING RESTRAINT 9 Cinematographer: Peter Strietmann Director: Matthew Barney Country: USA, Japan HOUSE OF FOOLS Cinematographer: Sergei Kozlov Director: Andrei Konchalovsky Country: Russia, France INFERNAL AFFAIRS Cinematographer: Chris Doyle Director: Andrew Lau Country: Hong Kong KISS KISS BANG BANG Cinematographer: Michael Barrett Director: Shane Black Country: USA LIFE AND EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF PRIVATE IVAN CHONKIN Cinematographer: Jaromír Sofr Director: Jiří Menzel Country: Czech Republic, Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia NO DIRECTION HOME Director: Martin Scorsese Country: USA, UK SARID Cinematographer: Andrzej J. Jaroszewicz Director: Zbigniew Gajzer Country: Poland SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE Cinematographer: Jeong-hun Jeong Director: Chan-wook Park Country: South Korea UNFINISHED LIFE, AN Cinematographer: Oliver Stapleton Director: Lasse Hallström Country: USA DEVIL'S MIRROR Cinematographer: Emil Hristov Director: Nikolay Volev JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM Cinematographer: Georgi Nikolov Director: Ivan Nichev LADY Z Cinematographer: Radoslav Spasov Director: Georgi Djulgerov LETTER TO AMERICA Cinematographer: Rali Ralchev Director: Iglika Trifonova MILA FROM MARS Cinematographer: Aleksander Krumov Director: Zornica Sofia PARCHED Cinematographer: Emil Hristov Director: Stanimir Trifonov STOLEN EYES Cinematographer: Plamen Somov Director: Radoslav Spasov UNDER THE SAME SKY Cinematographer: Emil Hristov Director: Krasimir Krumov WARMING UP YESTERDAY'S LUNCH Cinematographer: Konstantin Zankov Director: Kostadin Bonev HEART OF THE BEAR, THE Cinematographer: Rein Kotov Director: Arvo Iho HIGHWAY CROSSING Cinematographer: Dmitri Jermakov Director: Arko Okk NAMES IN MARBLE Cinematographer: Sergei Astakhov Director: Elmo Nüganen REVOLUTION OF PIGS Cinematographer: Arko Okk Director: Jaak Kilmi, René Reinumägi SET POINT Cinematographer: István Borbás Director: Ilmar Taska SOMNAMBULANCE Cinematographer: Rein Kotov Director: Sulev Keedus

Camerimage workshops are settled every year and constantly arouse interest being highly estimated by the Festival participants. There were over 1,000 students who took part in this year's workshops. It would not be possible to organize the workshops without support from the companies producing film equipment: ARRI, PANAVISION and SACHTLER, and also OPUS FILM STUDIO, that prepared a professional film set. Cinemato- graphers who led the workshops were glad to share their experience with students and uncover some of the details of their craft. There were also editing workshops thanks to the support from AVID company.

Workshops were led by:

Workshop of ARRI:

• CHRIS DOYLE presenting the abilities of light equipment and ARRI film camera 35 mm
• OLIVER STAPLETON light equipment and film camera 35 mm
• BILL LOVELL presentation of the latest film camera HD ARRI D 20

Workshop of PANAVISION

• LASZLO KOVACS film camera 35 mm i the latest lenses by PANAVISION
• HENRY BRAHAM presentation of the latest HD camera by PANAVISION - GENESIS

Workshop of SACHTLER:

• BILLY WILLIAMS presenting SACHTLER light equipment and PANAVISION film camera

Workshop of AVID:

Creative editing workshop, under patronage of AVID company, was a part of Camerimage Editing Events and led by MICHAEL TRONICK. As the event gathered many students from Film School from Lodz (nearly all students of editing) and from abroad, there was no place left in the Seminar Room. It was a unique opportunity to watch some parts of the film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" brought by Tronick from the film set and to edit them on AVID Adrenaline. The scene prepared by students, called "Camerimage version", was compared with the final film scene. As the students were editing, Tronick was talking about the work on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", co-operation with people engaged in production and postproduction of the film. Showing various versions of one scene edited in different ways, Tronick remarked on the creative process which aim is the final effect with the right rhythm, pace and emotions of the scene.

- Technical presentation of the editor work with 2K files with the technological support from AVID company was prepared by Borys Więzowski (ADTV) and was held before Tronick workshop.

 

Students and cinematographers from all over the world had an opportunity to take part in the seminars on the art of cinema and its creation. These encounters were led by such artists as: Chris Doyle, Mike Figgis, David Watkin, Peter MacDonald, Michael Tronick, Peter Strietmann or Christopher Seguine. For example, Chris Doyle seminar, which started at 2 a.m. and finished at 5 a.m. (because of Doyle's short stay in Lodz), filled the Seminar Room with a crowd.

Seminar on editing, again led by Michael Tronick, took place on 3rd of December. Tronick called his panel "Feature Editors Under Siege" and talked about the latest changes in relations between an editor and a director during their work on a feature film. Film stars, producers, screenwriters, and even cinematographers interfere more often in the shape of the film. Tronick asked about the legitimacy of these changes and pointed at the problems concerned with these relations, its effect on the final shape of the film. Later in the second part of the seminar, Tronick showed the audience how the film scene evolves in the process of editing and in the whole production (from cartoon storyboard to the final version).

Camerimage Festival is also a perfect forum to present the latest technical inventions of the companies of the film industry.

This year presented its products:

P+S TECHNIK, COLOR BY DELUXE, PANASONIC, BEIKS, KODAK, ARRI, FUJIFILM, PANAVISION, APPLE, CINEVATION

Lots of accompanying events influenced on the unforgettable atmosphere of the Festival. They are worth to mention.

MIKE FIGGIS surprised the Camerimage audience again. He organised an exhibition "Mike Figgis Work in progress" on the ground floor of the Grand Theatre. Empty walls were systematically filled with photos documenting the Festival and the city Lodz. That was something new! The director presented also his two short documentaries COMA and VENICE, received with great interest by the audience.

Warsaw Film School with the support from SONY was producing a film étude during the Festival, which was later presented to the audience at the end of Camerimage.

An exhibition of photography by Oskar Kihlborg VOLVO OCEAN RACE, located in foyer of the Grand Theatre (Festival Centre), aroused with a great interest of Festival participants. The publishing house Słowo/Obraz Terytoria organized an encounter with the authors of the book "Prywatna historia kina polskiego" ("Private history of Polish cinema") - Bartosz Michał and Łukasz Figielski. The special guest of this panel was Kazimierz Kutz - Camerimage 2005 prizewinner for Polish duo: Cinematographer - Director and one of the character of this book. In order to pay homage to Stanislaw Latallo, cinematographer and director who has died tragically, Camerimage organizers presented the review of films he released and with his role in, and also the documents directed by his son, Marcin Latallo, dedicated to the father: ŚLAD, ILUMINATION, HOW FAR, HOW NEAR, POZWÓLCIE NAM DO WOLI FRUWAĆ NAD OGRODEM. There was also a promotion of the book about Stanislaw Latallo "Unfinished portrait". "Krzysztof Kieślowski cinematographers encounter" - was a meeting with cinematographers who worked with this director and took place in Museum of Cinematography. The organizers also prepared an exhibition of Kieślowski's unique photographs "Pictures from Lodz". One of the most important events of this year's Camerimage was a world premiere of Charlie Chaplin films with a new music composed by Krzesimir Dębski, which took place during the Closing Ceremony of the Festival. Krzesimir Dębski and Eugene Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's son) were Camerimage honourable guests. This presentation was organized with the personal support from composer and Chaplin's descendant, and LIMELIGHT FILMS company. Existence of Camerimage was continued in the Festival's Club after the screenings. Every night there was a different concert of the band on live: Adam Nowak i przyjaciele, Teodsii Spasov Trio, Sing Sing Penelope, Dorn, Masala Sound System, Happysad or Farben Lehre.

A unique event of the Festival was a seminar - Camerimage Forum - devoted to the authorship and working conditions of cinematographers. Members of national societies of cinematographers from Great Britain, France, Germany, USA, Bulgaria, Hungary and Portugal took part in the seminar. The preparation of the panel supported German and British Society of Cinematographers, and also Goethe Institute from Warsaw. The effect of the forum is the International Assamble of Cinematographers on the CAMERIMAGE Festiwal and the revolutionary text in which cinematographers commit that their profession is underestimated and as filmmakers they demand to have the same rights as directors or producers.

Another important statement of the Festival, connected with authorship, was the appeal to the commercial tv stations to cease interrupting film screenings with commercials.

THE APPEAL TO THE COMMERCIAL TV STATIONS WHICH INTERRUPT FILM SCREENINGS WITH COMMERCIALS Participants and organizers of International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE appeal for ceasing the copyright violation and interruption of feature films screenings by advertisement breaks. Commercial and mercantile reasons may not be the justification to barbaric acts of disrespect for filmmakers, the audience and the art of cinema. and civic legal initiative: Dear Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President of The Senate, We kindly ask to make amendment to Broadcasting Act. We would like to implement law forbidding TV stations from interrupting feature films with commercials. We consider it copyrights violating and lack of respect for movie creators. It is a barbarian act committed out of lust for profit, hitting spectators and film maniacs. We believe that The Parliament of Republic of Poland will take appropriate action and make amendment to the Broadcasting Act, bringing back the decency to media actions. This is an assembly of participants and organizers of Camerimage Festival.

The 13th edition of International Festival Camerimage finished on Sunday, December 4th The Awards were granted:

The 13th edition of International Festival of Cinematography - Camerimage had an outstanding atmosphere and climate, which aroused an intere