"TOTO" AWARDED IN THE UNITED STATES

Though over 3 months passed since the end of the American experimental film festival Ann Arbor, it was only yesterday that the news reached us that the festival's audience gave an award to the Polish animation "Toto" by Zbigniew Czapla.

Ann Arbor is one of the oldest, independent American film festival showing experimental films. The first edition took place in 1963. For the first four decades, only films made on 16 mm print were shown at the festival. The filmmakers, which presented his early films at the festivals, include, among others,  Andy Warhol, Kenneth Anger and Agnes Varda. At this year's edition of the festival, over 180 films produced in 20 countries were shown within the frames of 40 screenings. Among them, there were three Polish films: "FFF1" by Marcin Giżycki, "To Thy Heart" by Ewa Borysewicz and the aforementioned "Toto" by Zbigniew Czapla.

"Toto" is a story of a sensitive boy, brought up by a single,  overworked mother, somewhere in the depths,  where life revolves around everyday, common customs. The young protagonist is insidiously seduced by a suspicious "master" and  cynical collector of keys. As  a result of mysterious and  incomprehensible events, the world of his carefree childhood is irrevocably shattered.

So far, the film was present in the programmes of almost fifty foreign festivals.  It was also given five awards abroad. The award given by the audience of the Ann Arbor festival further increases their number. The producer of "Toto" is Warsztat Filmowy from Kraków while Krakow Film Foundation supports its promotion abroad.

You can read more about the festival here