The Polish Film Club Kino OKO returns to the Polish Cultural Center with a splash by presenting a movie with the director in attendance. The documentary We Will Be Happy One Day / Kiedyś będziemy szczęśliwi (2011, 43 min) directed by Paweł Wysoczański has won multiple awards at international documentary film festivals. The movie is about an adolescent from a poor neighborhood in Silesia with the dream of making a movie using his cell phone.

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski in Seattle; admission free, in Polish w/ English subtitles. Mr. Wysoczanski will be at the Q&A after the screening

More: about the movie (PL), Polish Film Club

Jerzy Kukuczka

The UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee presents a 2014 documentary movie Jurek about the famous Polish mountaineer Jerzy Kukuczka directed by Pawel Wysoczanski. Mr. Kukuczka (1948-1989)  pioneered several routes in the Himalayas and other high mountains; many of his ascents were without oxygen or in winter. He died on Lhotse. The movie received the Grand Prix at the 2015 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. Mr. Wysoczanski will be present at the screening.

Where: Walker-Ames room, Kane Hall at the University of Washington campus; admission free

More: about Jerzy Kukuczka,  UW PSEC

The book for the meeting is Inna dusza by Lukasz Orbitowski, published by Wyd. Od deski do deski in 2015. Mr. Orbitowski, 38, writes short stories, books, columns and screenplays; he was nominated to the 2014 Nike Award  for novel Szczesliwa ziemia. Inna dusza is a highly praised factual description of a famous cold-blooded murder in a provincial city in Poland in 1990s. This event is in Polish.

Where: room #1 at the public library in Redmond, WA; admission free, in Polish

More: about the book, author about his book in Polish TV (PL),  Polish Book Club

The parliamentary and local elections in Poland have been called for Oct 25, 2015; voting in the United States is set on Oct 24. Polish citizens can vote in person or by mail. In Seattle, you can vote in person at the polling station #171 at the Polish Cultural Center. Polish citizens residing in the USA have to register for this elections to be able to vote. The registration deadline for voting by mail is Oct 7, 3 pm PST, for voting in person is Oct 22. The easiest way to register is through the online registration site.

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski; registration and a valid passport is needed to vote

More: Detailed election and registration info (in Polish)

The Seattle International Piano Festival & Competition (SIPF) presents the festival gold medalists in the winners' concert. Besides medals in different categories such as professional and collegiate, the Festival features the winner of the President Prize for the best performance of Chopin's works. Organized by Seattle International Piano Festival with Dr. Ivona Kaminska as the President and a co-Founder.

Where: Norcliffe Founders Room at Benaroya Hall in Seattle; donation suggested

More: about SIPF, Ivona Kaminska, Chopin Academy of Music, SIPF runs from Oct 16 to 19, 2015

This event has been cancelled.

More: Please contact Urszula Kubik

Citizen

This is the program for the second weekend of the 2015 edition of SPFF. The Festival is running October 7 to October 18 this year. The venue is SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle.

Fri Oct 16 - SIFF Cinema Uptown

   6:30 pm   One Billion Happy People / Miliard szczesliwych ludzi (2011 documentary, 90 min),

                           dir. by Maciej Bochniak

                           director Maciej Bochniak at the Q&A

                  I'm Pole / Jestem Polakiem (2013 short documentary, 18 min) dir. by Pawel Hejbudzki

   8:30 pm   Anatomy of Evil / Anatomia zła (2014 thriller, 120 min), dir. by Jacek Bromski

                           director Jacek Bromski at the Q&A

Sat Oct 17 - SIFF Cinema Uptown

  12:30 pm   Warsaw Uprising / Powstanie Warszawskie (2014 WWII documentary, 85 min),

                           dir. by Jan Komasa

                  City of Ruins / Miasto ruin ( short 5 min), dir by

                  Entropy / Entropia (2014 WWII short drama, 13 min), dir. by Wojciech Kimala

                           actor Adam Bobik at the Q&A

   2:35 pm   Strong Coffee Isn't That Bad / Mocna kawa wcale nie jest taka zla (2014 family drama,

                           50 min), dir. by Aleksander Pietrzak

                            Marian Dziedziel & Adam Bobik at the Q&A

                  I'm Pole / Jestem Polakiem (2013 short documentary, 18 min) dir. by Pawel Hejbudzki

   4:00 pm   Discussion Panel with Festival Guests  (40 min)

   5:05 pm   Disco Polo (2015 drama, 105 min), dir. by Jacek Bochniak

                           director Maciej Bochniak at the Q&A

   7:30 pm   Warsaw 44 / Miasto 44 (2014 WWII drama, 218 min), dir. by Jan Komasa (feature)

                            actress Anna Prochniak at the Q&A

Sun Oct 18 - SIFF Cinema Uptown

 12:35 am   Spitfire Liberator: The Alex Herbst Story (2015 documentary, 100 min),

                            dir. by Slawomir Ciok

   2:45 pm   Floating Skyscrapers / Plynace wiezowce, (2013 sex drama, 93 min),

                            dir. by Tomasz Wasilewski

   4:45 pm   Citizen / Obywatel (2014 drama, 100 min), dir. by Jerzy Stuhr

                            actress Anna Prochniak at the Q&A

   7:00 pm   Warsaw By Night (2014 drama, 105 min), dir. by Natalia Koryncka-Gruz

                            actor Marian Dziedziel at the Q&A

The Festival looks for volunteers - if you would like to help, please contact Monika Johnson

Where: at SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle; tickets $10/$5 & passes $60 available at Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski on Fridays Sep 25 and Oct 2.

More: Seattle Polish Film Festival, SGSCA

Slawomir Dobrzanski

The Seattle International Piano Festival (SIPF) presents a mini concert of works by Maria Szymanowska and a master class about Chopin music including Grand Polonaise in E Flat Major by a guest pianist  Stanislaw Dobrzanski. Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831) was a composer and pianist who inspired Chopin. Dr. Dobrzanski comes to Seattle as a juror at the SIPF; he is an active performing artist as well as a professor at the Kansas State Univ. 

Where: Steinway Piano Gallery in downtown Seattle; donation suggested

More: about Maria Szymanowska, Slawomir Dobrzanski, SIPF runs from Oct 16 to 19, 2015

Joan Laage by P. Gula

The Dead Class is a famous play by Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990), Polish playwright, director and visual artist renowned for his theatrical performances. The play Borderline: Kantor's Dead Class Revisited has been directed by Joan Laage and staged with six other artists. Ms. Laage (aka Kogut Butoh) is known in Seattle for her symbolic dance performances based on the Japanese Butoh style; she also spent some years in Cracow, Poland.

Where: at the Taoist Studies Institute 225 N 70th St, Seattle, WA 98103; tickets $12, reservation recommended

More:  Tadeusz Kantor, Joan Laage, more info and reservation at laagekogut@fastmail.com  

Till Oct 15:  Exhibition Vanity of Vanities by Anna Skibska at the Kirkland Arts Center

Ms. Anna Skibska is an internationally acclaimed artist known for glass sculptures created in her own strand technique. She is a longtime Seattle resident and a graduate of the Arts Academy in Wroclaw, Poland. The exhibition at the KAC titled La Skibska: Vanitas Vanitatum and others features glass sculptures and for the first time also her glass jewelry. The exhibition is open till October 15, 2015.

Where: at the Kirkland Arts Center in Kirkland, WA; admission free, gallery hours are Tue-Fri 11 am - 5 pm, Sat 11 am - 6 pm

More: Skibska at KAC, Anna Skibska's site

Our Little Game

This is the program for the free independent movie screenings that are part of SPFF. The venue is Seattle Film Institute.

Tue Oct 13 - Seattle Film Institute

   7 pm   Modern Love Showcase (total runtime 69 min)

                  LARP (2014, 28 min), dir. by Kordian Kadziela

                  Bittersweet / Gorzko! (2015, 19 min), dir. by Michal Wawrzecki

                  Summer of Love / Lato miłości (2015, 23 min), dir. by Marcin Filipowicz

Wed Oct 14 - Seattle Film Institute

   7 pm   Women in Depth Showcase (total runtime 58 min)

                  Picnic / Piknik (2015, 5 min), dir. by Monika Majakowska

                  Interruption / Przerwanie (2015, 7 min), dir. by Adam Suzin

                  Our Little Gama / Taka nasza gra (2015, 19 min), dir. by Katarzyna Lesisz

                  Invisible  (2015, 22 min), dir. by Zofia Pregowska

                  The Cart / Wózek (2015, 6 min), dir. by Patrick Eriksson

Where: at Seattle Film Institute in Seattle; independent movies are free of charge

More: Seattle Polish Film Festival, SGSCA

Grain of Truth

Gods

Foreign Body

This is the program for the first extended weekend of the 2015 edition of SPFF. The Festival is running October 7 to October 18 this year. The venues for the first weekend are SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle, Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski and Northwest Film Forum (NWFF).

Wed Oct 7 - NWFF

   7 pm      Sexmission / Seksmisja (1984 comedy, 117 min), dir. by Juliusz Machulski **free screening

Thu Oct 8 - Polish Home

   6-9 pm    Vodka and a Drop of Art Party, at the Polish Cultural Center, see separate news item

Fri Oct 9 - SIFF Cinema Uptown

   6:30 pm   Carte Blanche (2014 drama, 106 min), dir. by Jacel Lusinski

   8:40 pm   Grain of Truth / Ziarno prawdy (2015 thriller, 110 min), dir. by Borys Lankosz

                          actress Magda Czerwinska at the Q&A

                          The last screening followed by a cocktail hour with guests at Tin Lizzie Lounge

Sat Oct 10 - SIFF Cinema Uptown

   1:00 pm   Fanciful / Piate: nie odchodz (2014 drama, 75 min), dir. by Katarzyna Jungowska

                  How to Rob a House (2014, short thriller 7 min), dir by Adi Spektor

                         director Adi Spektor at the Q&A

   3:00 pm   The Heart and the Sweetheart / Serce serduszko (2014 drama 110 min),

                         dir. by Jan Jakub Kolski

   5:20 pm   Polish Sh*t / Polskie g*wno (2014 drama, 100 min), dir. Grzegorz Jankowski

   7:30 pm   Gods / Bogowie (2014 bio / drama, 120 min),  dir. by Lukasz Palkowski

                          actress Magda Czerwinska at the Q&A

                          The opening weekend reception after the last screening at Ten Mercer Bar nearby

                          Free and open to the public

Sun Oct 11 - SIFF Cinema Uptown

 11:50 am   We Film the People / My filmujemy naród (2012 documentary, 60 min),

                          dir. by Anna Szczepanska

                  How to Rob a House (2014, short thriller 7 min), dir by Adi Spektor

                         director Adi Spektor at the Q&A

   1:20 pm   Treblinka's Last Witness / Ostatni swiadek (2014 documentary, 100 min),

                         dir. by Alan Tomlison

   3:25 pm   Karski (2014 docudrama, 92 min), dir. by Magdalena Lazarkiewicz

                        director Magdalena Lazarkiewicz at the Q&A

   5:40 pm   Secret Sharer / Tajemniczy sojusznik, (2012 love story, 103 min),

                        dir. by Piotr Fudakowski

   7:45 pm   Foreign Body / Obce Ciało (2014 drama, 117 min), dir. by Krzysztof Zanussi

The Festival looks for volunteers - if you would like to help, please contact Monika Johnson

Where: at SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle, Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski and Northwest Film Forum; tickets $10/$5 & passes $60 available at PCC Dom Polski on Fridays Sep 25 and Oct 2.

More: Seattle Polish Film Festival, SGSCA

The Seattle Polish Film Festival invites everybody to the festival kick-off party, an exhibition and vodka tasting at the Polish Home in Seattle. Vodka and a Drop of Art is a showcase of classic Polish poster art with a live DJ, food, red carpet photos, vodka testing and a chance to meet some Polish filmmakers coming to this year's SPFF. This event is part of the Capitol Hill Art Walk. Come to enjoy the art the spirits and starting the festival in style.

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski, in Seattle, admission free

More: Seattle Polish Film Festival

The 2015 Seattle Polish Film Festival starts at the Northwest Film Forum with a FREE screening of the cult sci-fi comedy Sexmission / Seksmisja, directed by Juliusz Machulski in 1984 and starring young Jerzy Stuhr and Olgierd Lukaszewicz. The two male protagonists wake up from hibernation in a post-apocalyptic future to an all-female world. In Polish w/ English subtitles.

Where: at NW Film Forum in Seattle; admission free; happy hour starts at 7 pm, screening at 8 pm

More: Seattle Polish Film Festival

& Pierogi Fest

The Polish Home Foundation cordially invites all the volunteers and their significant others to a volunteer appreciation party. Everybody who contributed their time, treasure or talent to the Polish Festival or Pierogi Fest is invited to join in the celebration. The event includes: toasts, raffle, DJ music and more.  Please come to hear the praise, and to eat, drink, share stories and be merry together! 

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski; admission free.

More: for more info contact volunteer coordinator Monte Bridges or Festival Director Alisa Lahti.

Cpt. Herbst, Everett 2009

Blue Horizon Films, the Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles and the Polish Home Foundation of Seattle invite everybody to a west coast premiere of a documentary movie Spitfire Liberator: The Alex Herbst Story directed by Slawomir Ciok. Cpt. Alex (Witold) Herbst was a fighter pilot flying Spitfires with the famous Polish RAF squadrons 303 & 308 in missions over Great Britain and Europe. After the screening there will be a Q&A session with Mr. Herbst and a reception. Polish Consul General Mr. Mariusz Brymora will attend this event. Update: Nasz Dziennik article about the event  (in Polish).

Where: at the Museum of Flight in Seattle; admission free, RSVP required by email or phone 206 474 6311 by September 21, 2015

More: event flier, Blue Horizon site, or contact Krystof Poraj-Kuczewski or call 206 295 3533

Mariusz Brymora

The Polish Home Association invites members of Polish community to a town hall meeting with Consul General Mariusz Brymora. The event is an opportunity for Q&A with the Consul and sharing of the activities in the Pacific NW. It will also be an award ceremony. The following local activist will be honored with the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland: Ms. Anna Cholewinska, Mr. John (Janusz) Golubiec and Mr. Ryszard Kott. The program will be as follows: 5:30 informal interaction & Q&A with the Consul with the official program following around 6:00 pm.

Where: at the Polish Cultural Center Dom Polski; the meeting is free and open to the public

More: for more info please contact Honorary Consul Teresa Davis at polishconsulseattle@outlook.com