10-09-2008

Gdynia Polish Film Festival Competition Spotlight: Mr. Kuka's Advice

By Katarzyna Grynienko

    Dariusz Gajewski's Polish-Austrian co-production Mr. Kuka's Advice screens in the Gdynia main competition following a successful premier in Austria.

    Active ImageActive ImageThe story features a young man in his twenties who decides to go away for a summer season job.

    He turns to his neighbor, Mr.Kuka, an older man spent many years as a "working tourist" and takes his advice to leave for Vienna, where he has to face the realities of living abroad.

    "The movie was a joint effort from Opus Film (http://www.opusfilm.com/) and Prisma Film (http://www.prismafilm.at/) from Austria. We also got financing from PTV-Film Agency, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation - ORF, Austrian Film Institute, Vienna Film Fund and the Polish Film Institute (http://www.pisf.pl/)," Ewa Puszynska, the main producer from Opus Film told FNE. "The movie premiered on September 3 in Austria and was very well recieved. We are definetly planning to distribute this picture internationally, as it is a joint effort from Austria and Poland. Atlas Film(http://www.atlas-film.com/) is handling the sales," she adds. The total budget is 7.4 million slotys (2.1 million Euros) with 690,000 Euros from PFI(http://www.bazafilmowa.pl/).

    Dariusz Gajewski's debut feature film Warsaw won the best director and the best script awards at the 2003 competiton in Gdynia.