- Lecture Screening – the return of one of Octopus Film Fesitval’s favorite sections; this year we will watch “Groundhog Day” read live by Maciej Orlos;
- The first titles of the Main Competition – that is, “Shine a diamond of death” (“Reflet dans un diamant mort”, by Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani), “Together” (by Michael Shanks), “From beyond the grave” (“The Shrouds”, by David Cronenberg), “Animal” (“Animale”, by Emma Benestan);
- VHS HELL LIVE – and during it we will watch two titles with live improvised dialogues: “On the Double Edge” and “Young Corey Gorey.”
- Film poster design workshop with Patryk Hardziej more information about the workshop can be found HERE;
- In the Moonlight. A series dedicated to Tomasz Beksinski We will present four films in his translations, recordings from Tomasz Beksinski’s home cassette archive and the documentary “From the Inside”, and afterwards we will invite you to a gothic dance!
- POTWORY Z SZAFY is back with more genre hybrids, this time with Gregg Araki’s ⅔ Teen Apocalypse Trilogy: The Doom Generation and Nowhere. Araki, a leading representative of American New Queer Cinema, gives vent to anarchic fantasies in these two films, interspersing the loose storylines with absurd dialogues and needle drops of 90s alternative music icons.
The author of this year’s teaser is Kornel Nurzynski – graphic designer, musician (Augen X, Swayzee), creator of short audiovisual forms, combining the nostalgia of the 1980s and early computer techniques with an authorial style.
Festival passes will go on sale on June 25 (11:00 AM) via kicket.com
Festival Pass – 320 PLN (+service fee) / Sold Out
VIP Pass – 550 PLN (+ service fee)/ Sold Out
__
Tickets will be on sale after the festival program is announced
Single film screening: 16 – 25 PLN (+ service fee)
Hidden Screening: 50 PLN (+service fee)
Special Screening: 40 PLN (+ service fee)
We are proud to open the 8th edition of Octopus Film Festival with the world premiere of Dead By Dawn, the feature debut of director Dawid Torrone — a filmmaker known for his bold, visually striking music videos, awarded at festivals including Camerimage, the UK Music Video Awards, and the Fryderyk Awards.
Drawing inspiration from classic Italian giallo cinema and infusing it with a distinctly contemporary and local voice, Dead by Dawn is a Polish micro-budget horror film that blends style, atmosphere, and psychological tension with impressive precision. It is a testament to what genre cinema can achieve when guided by a strong artistic vision and unflinching creative courage.
As part of the 6th. edition of the Octopus Film Festival, we decided to present the audience with another dimension of genre cinema, this time expressed through the length of the form. Octopus Shorts, the International Short Film Competition, has joined the program. This year Octopus Shorts is back with its second edition!
In a short film, we are looking for exactly the same things as in feature-length cinema – creativity, creative courage, madness and a unique combination of genre inspirations with an original idea. More than 300 films from over 35 countries were submitted to the first edition of Octopus Shorts, including. from Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Albania, Romania, Israel, Iran, Mexico, Colombia, USA, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and more!
The best productions will be presented during the 7th. edition of Octopus between August 6 and 11 and judged by a specially selected jury, and the winner will win not only respect and eternal glory, but also a financial prize.
The official Octopus Short 2024 selection is coming soon!
Recruitment will last until June 30 (Regular Deadline).
He accepts applications exclusively through the FilmFreeway website.
Regulations of the contest: LINK
Octopus Shorts competition coordinator: Jarek Tokarski
Contact: jarek.tokarski@velvetspoon.pl
________________________________________________________________________
Octopus Shorts – International Short Film Competition.
For the 6th edition of the Octopus Film Festival, we decided to present to the audience another dimension of genre cinema, this time expressed through the length of the form. The festival program will include Octopus Shorts – International Short Film Competition. This year Octopus Shorts comes back for a second edition!
In a short film we are looking for exactly the same as in a feature film: creativity, imaginative courage, madness and a unique combination of genre inspirations with an original idea. For the very first edition of Octopus Shorts we have received over 300 submissions from over 35 countries, including Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Albania, Romania, Israel, Iran, Mexico, Colombia, USA, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and more.
The best productions will be presented during the 6th edition of Octopus between August 6 and 11 and evaluated by a specially selected jury, and the winner will not only gain respect and eternal glory, but also a financial prize.
Stay tuned for the reveal of the official selection of Octopus Shorts 2024!
Terms & conditions: LINK
Octopus Shorts Competition Coordinator: Jarek Tokarski
contact: jarek.tokarski@velvetspoon.pl
Presspack: GOOGLE DISK
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Press accreditations
Press accreditations are granted to active journalists and bloggers.
Accreditation form: https://forms.gle/StA7bUukqxFURvpg8
NOTE: completion of the form is not the same as obtaining accreditation. Confirmation of obtaining accreditation will be sent in a separate email.
The form will be active until July 21, 2024. After that, please contact us by email: weronika.wolska@octopusfilmfestival.com or phone: 669 067 628.
The cost of press accreditation is 180 PLN
The organizer reserves the right to refuse accreditation. The number of press accreditations is limited.
A press accreditation bearing the signature ‘MEDIA’ entitles you to enter all screenings (including special screenings and the Hidden Screening) and events (excluding workshops) carried out as part of the 7. edition of the Octopus Film Festival upon advance reservation of seats. For each ticketed event, a certain pool is provided for press credential holders. However, this does not guarantee that you will get the space, as it should be remembered that individual locations vary in the volume of space.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us:
weronika.wolska@octopusfilmfestival.com, tel. 669 067 628.
This year, the Audience Award, in the Main Competition, went to “Dog and Robot,” dir. Pablo Berger – a story about friendship, its meaning and fragility, whose protagonists are the titular dog and robot spending the day at the beach. Unfortunately, when exposed to water, the robot rusts, and the dog doesn’t know what to do. It’s a film seduced by images, sound, music and fantastic animation for audiences of all ages, also presented in this year’s section dedicated to the youngest, Octopuses.
Second and third place in the Main Competition went to the films “Hundreds of Beavers” (by Mike Cheslik) and “Femme” (by Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping), respectively.
This year’s festival also included the first installment of Octopus Shorts, the International Short Film Competition, which received more than 300 films from around the world, including. from the United States, Mexico, Ukraine, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Colombia, Romania, France, Australia, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Canada, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Hungary and Poland representing all possible film genres. The official selection included 32 titles. The three-member Jury, consisting of film scholar and editor Karolina Kostyra, literary and film critic Igor Kierkosz, and director and screenwriter Kyle Edward Ball, awarded the main prize, and thus the €1,000 cash prize, to the Hungarian film “Amok” (directed by Balázs Turai), justifying their choice this way – for the boldness and expressiveness of its theme and style. The jury is impressed by the efficient work of the butcher and surgeon. The former brutally pokes at the guts of romantic relationships. The other efficiently stitches what is still salvageable. As a result, “Amok” is a painful but immensely satisfying experience.