The Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival is an annual event organized by the Polish Cultural Fund in cooperation with Ann Arbor Polonia Association and the University of Michigan’s Polish Student Association.
It was founded by Jolanta Nowak in 1993. The initial format of the Festival has developed into a multifaceted program and currently offers three days of events including screenings of feature films, documentaries and short films selected in a juried competition, as well as meetings with distinguished members of the Polish cinema.
Documentary and Short Film Competition was established in 2005 and currently the Festival grants the following awards: Best Documentary Film, Best Debut and the Best Short Narrative Film.
The children’s program, including films and the Children’s Book Fair, was added in 2015.
The Festival started as a non-profit effort of numerous volunteers. It increasingly relies on the financial support of many sponsors, which is vital to the Festival’s presence and success.
The Festival Committee:
Małgorzata Kowalczyk
Festival Director
Andrzej Myc
Vice Director
Barbara Alvarez
Anna Bielińska
Andrzej Dolata
Michał Olszewski
Iwona Wertenberger
Joanna Wierzbicka
The organizers would like to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the following persons:
- Paulina Duda – Facebook
- Weronika Myslak – University of Michigan Polish Student Association
- Amy Olszewski – Festival Host
- Monica Olszewski – University of Michigan Polish Student Association
- Joshua Stanczak – University of Michigan Polish Student Association
- Marcin Szczepański – Videographer