iPuma Film - Polish Cinema in Australia---



History

In 2000, Puma Press became the first organization to launch regular showings of Polish films in Australia. Puma Press undertook this non-commercial activity to bring Poland closer to Australia and to promote Polish cinema to the Australian community.The films have appeared regularly in cinemas in major cities in Australia.

For some of the screenings we invite famous Polish film directors and actors to meet with the audiences.

All of our films have English subtitles.

In 2000 Puma Press featured:
Operation Samum (Operacja Samum);
The Right of the Father (Prawo ojca);
Boys Don't Cry (Chłopaki nie płaczą);
The Primate - Three Years in a Thousand (Prymas - trzy lata z tysiąca).
The showing of The Primate held in Sydney on the eve of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was a world premiere. The first three films, with English subtitles, were also featured in a Polish Film Marathon held in Melbourne in November 2000. The overwhelming response by the public spurred Puma Press to organize similar festivals in other Australian cities.

The 2001 season started with the film A Week In the Life of a Man (Tydzień z życia mężczyzny). After the screening in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, the audiences met with the leading female actress Gosia Dobrowolska. Subsequently in 2001 Puma Press presented the following films:
The Big Animal (Duże zwierzę);
Money is not everything (Pieniądze to nie wszystko);
Young Wolves 1/2 (Młode Wilki 1/2);
Love and Basketball (6 dni Strusia).
After the screening of this film in Melbourne and Sydney the audiences had the opportunity of meeting the Director Jaroslaw Zamojda who came to Australia on our invitation.

In September 2001, we organized a retrospective of films by the acclaimed director Krzysztof Zanussi. The following films were shown:
In Full Gallop (Cwał);
The Silent Touch;
Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease (Życie jako smiertelna choroba przenoszona drogą płciową).
After the screening of this film Mr Zanussi met with the audiences in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. In October, November and December we screened one of the Polish greatest film productions The Spring to Come (Przedwiośnie).

In 2002 Puma Press screened the film Weiser by well known Polish director Wojciech Marczewski. Due to considerable interest in films directed by Krzysztof Zanussi - in November 2002 Puma Press invited him again to Australia with his latest film Supplement as well as with Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease.


Since March 2003, all film promotion, distribution and production activities have been conducted under the name of PUMA FILM

In March 2003 Puma Film screened one of the Polish super-productions Revenge (Zemsta) with Roman Polanski in the leading role. After the screening, one of the lead actors of this film, Janusz Gajos, who visited Australia on our invitation, met with audiences in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

In May and June 2003 Puma Film presented three of the latest and the best Polish films:
Eddie (Edi) - winner of three prizes at the Berlin Film Festival and Poland's 2003 Oscar contender. Subsequently this film was presented to Australian audiences at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2003;
There and Back (Tam i z powrotem);
An Angel in Cracow (Anioł w Krakowie). After the screening of the film An Angel in Cracow in Melbourne and Brisbane, audiences had the opportunity of meeting the Director Artur Wiecek, who came to Australia on our invitation.

In November and December 2004 Puma Film presented a smashing thriller comedy VINCI

In November and December 2008 Puma Film presented the film A Warm Heart (Serce na dłoni) by Krzysztof Zanussi.

In 2008 at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia Puma Film introduced the Australian Award THE GOLDEN KANGAROO.
Australian Jury - actress Gosia Dobrowolska - film director Jerzy Domaradzki - Puma Film owner Ted Matkowski - awarded first two Golden Kangaroos to:
Director Jacek Blawut for his film It isn't the evening yet (Jeszcze nie wieczór)
Actor Jan Nowicki for the best leading role in It isn't the evening yet (Jeszcze nie wieczór).

March 2009 - The showing of It isn't the evening yet (Jeszcze nie wieczór) held in Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide, was a world premiere - 6 weeks prior to the official Polish premiere.
After each screening of this film, the audiences had the opportunity of meeting the Director Jacek Blawut and 2nd Director Jacek Piotr Blawut, who came to Australia on our invitation.

October 2012
- Puma Media organised Inaugural Polish Film Festival in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

May - June 2014 - Puma Media organised 2nd Polish Film Festival in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
May - July 2015 - Puma Media organised
3rd Polish Film Festival in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.
May - July 2016 - Puma Media organised 4th Polish Film Festival in Melbourne and Sydney.

Director Jacek Blawut
(on the right) with the founder of the Golden Kangaroo Award Ted Matkowski
Golden Kangaroo
Award
Actor Jan Nowicki holding
the diploma of the Golden
Kangaroo Award
March 2009 - Director Jacek Blawut & 2nd Director Jacek Piotr Blawut
sightseeing in Australia

September 2009 - at the 34th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, the Australian jury awarded 2 GOLDEN KANGAROO awards to the film director Jacek Borcuch for the film "All that I love" ("Wszystko co kocham") and to the actor Borys Szyc for Excellence in Acting.

Jacek Borcuch - film director and actor

Borys Szyc - actor

May 2010 - at the 35th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, the Australian Jury awarded the GOLDEN KANGAROO to Mr Wlodzimierz Niderhaus (Producer) and Jan Kidawa-Blonski (Director) for the film LITTLE ROSE (Rozyczka). Director Jan Kidawa-Blonski and producer Wlodzimierz Niderhaus accepted Puma Film's invitation to visit Australia and they were present at the screening of the film Little Rose in Melbourne and Sydney in August 2010. Click here for more details about the film
August 2010 - Director Jan Kidawa-Błoński and Producer Włodzimierz Niderhaus
meeting the audience in Melbourne


April 2011 - Borys Szyc (Winner of the Golden Kangaroo 2009 for Excellence in Acting) visited Australia with his partner Kaja Środka. He met with the audience after the screening
of his film Miracle Seller in Melbourne and Canberra. The following 2 weeks Borys and Kaja enjoyed sightseeing and holidaying around Australia as this was their first visit here.