The TOFIFEST International Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

, Poland. It is one of the fastest growing film festivals in Poland and the mission of the Festival is to promote independent cinema. The festival combines Polish and European dimensions in the context of an adventurous and defiant breadth of content, including auteur cinema, and premieres of films presented in Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam, building a bridge between high and popular art. The festival also includes meetings, seminars, concerts and workshops.

History

The first independent film festival in Toruń ''Polish OFF Film Festival'' was held in 2002. It was founded by Monika Weychert-Waluszko and Marek Nowak. The festival was the continuation of the x!-muse tradition. Monika Weychert-Waluszko was the main organiser of film meetings at the Muses House that started in 2000. After a conflict that took place at the Muses House, Weychert was dismissed. Her successor, Katarzyna Jaworska, continued the idea of establishing the art house film festival in Toruń.

Torun Independent Film Festival TOFFI 2003

The Festival began in December 2003 as the ''Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI''. That year, the festival presented 95 films. The Festival included mainly Polish experimental films of all lengths from student film-makers. The programme also included previews of professional films. At the Grand Prize Competition the audience chose ''Motór'' by Wieslaw Palucha as the winner.

Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI 2004

In the 2nd edition festival was moved to October and renamed ''Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI''. The jury started to be composed of professionals. The winner was chosen by a grand jury. The main award at the festival was OFFIK. The jury comprised

Małgorzata Foremniak Małgorzata Irena Foremniak (; born 8 January 1967 in Radom) is a Polish actress. She has appeared in the Polish TV series '' Na dobre i na złe'' as Zofia Stankiewicz-Burska up to 2011 and she has played the role of Ash in '' Avalon''. She took ...

, Maciej Dominiak, Waldemar Dziki, Barkiet Fukiet and Romuald Pokojski. The jury chose as the winning ''Krew z Nosa'' by Dominik Matwiejczyk. At the festival some works were nominated for OFFSkars Awards.

International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI 2005

In 2005 festival changed its name to ''International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI''. The changes were also made in the formula of the festival: resigning from amateur films, qualifying for competition both Polish and international productions. ''Ugór'' by Dominik Matwiejczyk won the Golden Angel, a major award of the festival. ''Diabeł'' by Tomasz Szafrański, was awarded the Golden Mannequin for the most artistically tasteful film and FLISAK, award of President of Toruń for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region.

International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI 2006

''International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI'' was held from 18 to 22 October 2006. There were now two separate competitions organised for features and shorts. American production ''

We Go Way Back ''We Go Way Back'' is a 2006 American film directed and written by Lynn Shelton and starring Aaron Blakely, Maggie Brown, Basil Harris, Amber Hubert and Robert Wright. Plot A young woman who has just been offered her first leading role as an ac ...

'' by

Lynn Shelton Lynn Shelton (August 27, 1965 – May 15, 2020) was an American filmmaker, known for writing, directing, and producing such films as '' Humpday'' and '' Your Sister's Sister''. She was associated with the mumblecore genre. Early life Shelton was ...

won the Golden Angel for best feature film. The Golden Angel for short was awarded to ''Emilka płacze'' by Rafał Kapeliński, which also received the FLISAK Award. Special Jury Prize and Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński was won by the Slovenian film '' Odgrobadogroba'' by Jan Cvitkovic.

International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2007

''TOFIFEST International Film Festival'' was held in November 2007. The Golden Angel for a feature film, which also received the audience award, went to the British film ''

Hallam Foe ''Hallam Foe'' is a 2007 British drama film directed by David Mackenzie based on the novel written by Peter Jinks. The film was released in the United States as ''Mister Foe''. The screenplay was written by Ed Whitmore and David Mackenzie an ...

'', directed by David Mackenzie. The jury also singled out the British film '' The Mark of Cain'', directed by

Marc Munden Marc Munden is an English film director best known for his work on ''Utopia (UK TV series), Utopia'', ''National Treasure (2016 TV series), National Treasure'' and ''The Mark of Cain (2007 film), The Mark of Cain'' among others. Early life Munden ...

, for a special prize. The Golden Angel award in the category of short films was received by Bartek Konopka for the film ''Three'', and a special prize went to Romanian director Radu Jude for the film ''Lampa cu Caciula''. The critics' award: Zygmunt Kałużyński received the New Zealand ''

Eagle vs Shark ''Eagle vs Shark'' is a 2007 New Zealand romantic comedy film written and directed by Taika Waititi and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. The film had its world premiere at Sundance in the World Cinema Dramatic section of the festiva ...

'' directed by

Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Known for quirky comedy films and expanding his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects, he ...

, and Rafter:

Łukasz Karwowski Łukasz Karwowski (born 30 December 1965 in Toruń) is a Polish film director, screenwriter and producer. Early and personal life Karwowski grew up in Toruń, Poland, in the turbulent years of Solidarity and the struggle against the martial law. ...

for the film ''South-North''.

International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2008

''International Film Festival Tofifest'' took place from 5–11 July. Apart from films, in the summertime organizers of the festival offered meetings, live music and plenty of outdoor events. There was a performance of Serbian band Boban and Marković Orkestar as an addition to the projection of ''Gucha - Distant Trumpet''. In 2008 festival expanded and to the international short and feature film competitions added two new: Polish feature film competition and FORWARD! competition for best rule-breaking film. Tofifest 2008 Awards: *Golden Angel for the best feature film – ''Padre nuestro'' by Christopher Zalla (USA) *Golden Angel for the best feature film – ''Auf der Strecke'' by Reto Caffi (Germany) *Golden Angel at the FORWARD! Competition for best rule-breaking film – '' Look Both Ways'' by

Sarah Watt Sarah Ann Watt (30 August 19584 November 2011) was an Australian film director, writer, and animator. She is especially known for her 2005 film '' Look Both Ways''. Early life and education Sarah Ann Watt was born in Sydney on 30 August 1958. ...

(Australia) *Golden Angel in Polish Competition (Audience Award) – ''Sztuczki'' by

Andrzej Jakimowski Andrzej Jakimowski (born 17 August 1963) is a Polish film director, writer and producer, best known for directing the films ''Squint Your Eyes ()'' and '' Tricks ()''. He is an alumnus of Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice. Film caree ...

*Special Jury Prize – ''

Chop Shop A chop shop is a business, often mimicking a body shop, that illicitly disassembles stolen motor vehicles and sells their parts. Chop shops are often linked to car-theft rings as part of a broader organized crime enterprise. In the United Stat ...

'' by

Ramin Bahrani Ramin Bahrani (; born March 20, 1975) is an American Film director, director and screenwriter. Film critic Roger Ebert ranked Bahrani's Chop Shop (film), ''Chop Shop'' (2007) as the sixth-best film of the 2000s, calling him "the new director of ...

and Bahareh Azimi *Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński – ''Ładunek 200'' by Aleksiej Balabanow.

International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2009

Festival took place from 26 June until 3 July. The 7th edition main motto was: "Films are for people". Film Festival programmed special selections such as: Swiss Cinema,

Alain Tanner Alain Tanner (6 December 1929 – 11 September 2022) was a Swiss film director. Early years and education Tanner was born in Geneva, and studied economics at the University of Geneva. In 1951, he joined the film club which Claude Goretta had r ...

and

Michael Haneke Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, Ge ...

retrospectives,

Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s, New Albanian and Kosovan Cinema, Polish Cinema Women with Barbara Sass and Helena Grassowna retrospectives. Helena Grassowna, the actress, who was born in Toruń, was also honored with memorial plaque. Among festival guests were:

Janusz Gajos Janusz Gajos (; born 23 September 1939) is a Polish film, television and theatre actor as well as pedagogue and photographer. Professor of Theatre Arts and an Honorary Doctor of the National Film School in Łódź, he is considered one of the ...

, Agnieszka Grochowska,

Krzysztof Zanussi Krzysztof Pius Zanussi (born 17 June 1939) is a Polish film and theatre director, producer and screenwriter. He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop. He ...

and

Małgorzata Kożuchowska Małgorzata Dorota Kożuchowska (born April 27, 1971) is a Polish actress and TV presenter. She is best known as Hanna Mostowiak in the very popular Polish television series, ''M jak miłość'', Ewa Szańska in the movies '' Kiler'' and '' Kile ...

. Grand Prix: *Golden Angel for the best feature film – ''Home'' by

Ursula Meier Ursula Meier (born 24 June 1971) is a French-Swiss film director and screenwriter. Career A native of Besançon, the capital of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, near the Swiss border, Ursula Meier graduated from Belgium's Institut d ...

(Switzerland) *Golden Angel for the best short film – ''Vacsora'' by Karchi Perlmann (Hungary) *Audience Award for Polish film – ''Boisko bezdomnych'' by Katarzyna Adamik (Poland) *Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński – ''

I've Loved You So Long ''I've Loved You So Long'' () is a 2008 tragedy film written and directed by Philippe Claudel in his directorial debut. It stars Kristin Scott Thomas as a woman who struggles to interact with her family and find her place in society after spe ...

'' by

Philippe Claudel Philippe Claudel (born 2 February 1962) is a French writer and film director. Claudel was born in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, Meurthe-et-Moselle. In addition to his writing, Claudel is a professor of literature at the University of Nancy. He directe ...

(France/Germany) *FLISAK Tofifest Award for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region – Magdalena Czerwińska The Jury adjudged two Special Awards for feature and short film. Awards rembed to ''

Wrong Rosary ''Wrong Rosary'' () is a 2009 Turkish drama film directed by Mahmut Fazıl Çoşkun. Reception Awards * 38th International Film Festival Rotterdam - Tiger Award (Won) See also * 2009 in film * Turkish films of 2009 External links * for th ...

'' by Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey) and ''Please say something'' by David O’Reilly (Ireland). Some awards were given by the Jurors of short and full-length competitions for films who they wanted to distinguish in a special way. They were classified in various categories. Full-length competition categories and winners: Best Director – Xawery Żuławski, Best Screenplay –

Nanni Moretti Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti (; born 19 August 1953) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His films have won accolades, including a at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival for ''The Son's Room'', a Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize ...

, The Best Actress –

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Known for her portrayals of cold, austere women devoid of morality, she is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. With 16 nominations and two win ...

, Best Actor – Nadir Saribacak, Best Editor – Manuel Muñoz, Carlos Serrano Azcona and Carlos Reygadas Best Cinematographer – Lol Crawley. Short competition categories and winners: Best Director – Runar Runarsson, Best Screenplay – Peter Besson, Best Actress – Aisling Lotus, Best Actor – Ben Whisman, Best Editor – Erhan Acar, Best Cinematographer – Lol Crawley.

was honoured with Special Golden Angel.

International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2010

8th ''International Torun Film Festival Tofifest'' held from 26 June to 2 July. From this year the most important competition of the festival is ON AIR which presented the first and second films of directors from all over the world. The leading slogan was: "Because everyone has a rebel inside". The most important sections of that edition were: retrospectives of

Costa-Gavras Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...

and

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...

, Camp Cinema, New Georgian Cinema. More than the traditional film projections, this festival offered its visitors plenty of outdoor concerts or educational programs such as: concert of Polish film songs from recent years with the stars such as

Dezerter Dezerter, founded as SS-20 in May 1981 in Warsaw, is one of the most popular punk bands from Poland. The band was founded by three students of Warsaw's vocational high school ( technikum) - Robert "Robal" Matera (guitar), Krzysztof Grabowski (dru ...

O.S.T.R. Adam Andrzej Ostrowski (, born 15 May 1980 in Łódź, Poland), better known as O.S.T.R., is a Polish rapper, musician, audio engineer and record producer, famous for his freestyle rap skills, ambitious lyrics and unique beats. He graduated from ...

, Dick4Dick, Mosqito, of cinema Institute B61, weekly creative workshops for children "Filmogranie". Many of that events took place among the Gothic buildings, at the Old Town market. That year among festival guests were:

Julia Jentsch Julia Jentsch (; born 20 February 1978) is a German actress. She has received awards including the Silver Bear, European Film Award, and Deutscher Filmpreis, Lola. She is best known for ''Sophie Scholl – The Final Days'', ''The Edukators'' and ...

Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat (; born March 26, 1957) is an Iranian photographer and visual artist who lives in New York City, known primarily for her work in film, video and photography. Her artwork centers on the contrasts between Islam and the West, femininit ...

Bogusław Linda Bogusław Linda (; born 27 June 1952) is a Polish actor known from films such as ''Pigs (1992 film), Psy'' and ''Tato''. He appeared in Andrzej Wajda's ''Man of Iron'' and ''Danton (1983 film), Danton'' and in Krzysztof Kieślowski's ''Blind Chan ...

Anna Polony Anna Polony (born 21 January 1939) is a Polish actress and theatre director. She is former ''Prorector'' of the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Kraków. The media dubbed Polony 'the First Lady of Polish Theatre' or 'the Dame of the Polish Theatre". ...

and

Wojciech Smarzowski Wojciech Smarzowski (born 18 January 1963 in Korczyna, Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Korczyna near Krosno) is a Polish screenwriter and director. He studied filmmaking at the Jagiellonian University and the National Film School in Łódź (1990). His ...

. Grand Prix: *Golden Angel for the best feature film – ''

10 to 11 ''10 to 11'' () is a 2009 Turkish drama film directed by Pelin Esmer. The film, loosely based on the story of Esmer's uncle, Mithat Esmer, who also plays the leading role, follows an elderly collector in İstanbul who lives in a rundown apartment ...

'' by Pelin Esmer (Turkey) *Golden Angel for the best short film – ''Hanoi-Warsaw'' by Katarzyna Klimkiewicz (Poland) *FROM POLAND for Polish film – ''The Dark House'' by Wojciech Smarzowski (Poland) *Critic Award of Zygmunt Kaluzynski – ''First of All. Felicita'' by Razvan Radulescu and Mellisa de Raaf (Romania) *FLISAK Tofifest Award for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region – Olga Bołądź and Marcin Gładych The international Jury adjudged two more awards. Special award for outstanding actor creation was received by Orsolyi Toth (Hungary) for the role in film ''Women without Men''. The second award rambled to ''Altiplano'' (Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands) by Peter Brossens and Jessica Woodworth. Favorite film of Tofifest audience became ''Felicita'' (Georgia) by Salome Aleksi. Jury gave also a special award for documentary film ''Marysina Polana'' directed by Grzegorz Zariczny (Poland). The Jury acknowledged Romanian Bobby Paunescu as the best director.

and

were honoured with Special Golden Angels.

International Film Festival TOFIFEST 2016

Grand Prix: *Golden Angel for the Outstanding European Film Artist – To

Erik Poppe Erik Poppe (born 24 June 1960) is a Norwegian film director, producer and screenwriter. Poppe is regarded as one of Scandinavia's most experienced and compelling film directors recognized for his work with actors and multi-pronged narrative ...

References

* * * * {{refend

External links

Tofifest Official website
Film festivals in Poland Recurring events established in 2002 Culture in Toruń 2002 establishments in Poland