WITOLD GIERSZ RECEIVES THE LOTTE REINIGER AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
On 28 October, the fifth edition of the Emile Awards – the European Animation Awards – took place during the 33rd Etiuda & Anima International Film Festival in Kraków. This year, the Lotte Reiniger Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to Witold Giersz, one of the most prominent figures in Polish animation.
The Lotte Reiniger Award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the art of animation throughout their careers. Previous recipients include Richard Williams, Clare Kitson, Priit Pärn and Vera Neubauer. This year’s laureate, Witold Giersz, is a director, screenwriter and educator born 1927. He began his career in animation in 1950 at the Animated Film Studio in Bielsko-Biała, Poland.
His directorial debut was “The Mystery of the Old Castle” from 1956. However, “Little Western” from 1960 proved to be a groundbreaking work in his career. In this five-minute animated film, Giersz moved away from traditional drawing in favour of contourless patches of colour applied directly onto film stock. By experimenting with the material and form of the image, he developed a distinctive visual language that became one of the defining features of his work.
Witold Giersz’s films have received numerous awards at prestigious international festivals, including Cannes and Annecy. The director himself has also been recognised on numerous occasions for his contribution to animation and Polish culture. In 1971, he received the Second-Class Award from the Minister of Culture and Art for his work as an animation film director. In 1981, he was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for his contribution to culture for children and young people, and in 2008, he received the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
At 99, Witold Giersz continued to work on new films. His daughter, Ewa Giersz, accepted the award on his behalf at the ceremony in Kraków, explaining that the director is currently working intensively on his latest film and hopes to complete it before his 100th birthday.