Polish Cinema in Australia

In the year 2000, for the first time in the history of the Polish community in Australia, Puma Press has launched regular showings of Polish Films. 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 are inviting famous Polish Film Directors and Actors to meet with the audiences.

Most of our films has English Sub Titles.

In 2000 Puma Press featured:
w “Operation Samum” (Operacja Samum);
w “The Right of the Father” (Prawo ojca);
w “Boys Don’t Cry” (Chlopaki nie placza);
w “The Primate - Three Years in a Thousand” (Prymas - trzy lata z tysiaca).
The showing of “The Primate” held in Sydney, on the eve of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was a world pre-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” (Tydzien z zycia mezczyzny). After the screening in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, the audience met with the leading female actress Dobrowolska. Subsequently in 2001 Puma Press presented the following films:
w "The Big Animal” (Duze zwierze);
w “Money is not everything” (Pieniadze to nie wszystko);
w “Young Wolves 1/2” (Mlode Wilki 1/2);
w “Love and Basketball” (6 dni Strusia).
After the screening of this film in Melbourne and Sydney the audience 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 famous Directo Krzysztof Zanussi. The following films were shown:
w “In Full Gallop” (Cwal);
w “The Silent Touch”;
w “Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease” (Zycie jako smiertelna choroba przenoszona droga plciowa).
After the screening of this film Mr Zanussi met with the audience in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. In October, November and December we screened one of the Polish greatest film productions “The Spring to Come” (Przedwiosnie).

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 - Puma Press invited him again into Australia with his latest film “Supplement” as well as with film “Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease”. Mr Zanussi visited Australia twice: in September 2001 and in November-December 2002.

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 leading actors of this film, Janusz Gajos met with the audience in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. He visited Australia on our invitation.

In May and June 2003 Puma Film presented to the Australian audience three of the latest and the best Polish films:
w “Eddie” (Edi) - winner of three prizes at the Berlin Film Festival and Poland's 2003 Oscar contender. Subsequently this film was presented to the Australian audience at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2003;
w “There and Back” (Tam i z powrotem);
w “An Angel in Cracow” (Aniol 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.

Puma Press would like to express its sincere thanks to the Embassy and to the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland for their support and assistance.