One of our top festivals open for submissions on FFL, Filmfest Dresden, recently just wrapped with its prize-giving ceremony. To celebrate, we’ll be taking a look at some of the filmmakers that won accolades as part of our new “Stars of Dresden” series.
Our final filmmaker in our Stars of Dresden series is Renata Gasiorowska. Having screened at Sundance’s infamous Midnight program, her short CIPKA (“Pussy”) went on to win a Golden Horsemen at Filmfest Dresden. Describing her short as being about “liberation, pleasure and learning to listen to your body”, find out more about the highly innovative filmmaker below.
Renata’s current title
My current film is CIPKA (“Pussy”). It’s about a young girl who stays alone in her flat, gets bored and starts to masturbate. Then it gets weird. It’s a film about liberation, pleasure and learning to listen to your body. I was inspired by Signe Baumane and her fun way to talk about sex and also by Adventure Time and various anime when it comes to style, expression, design and goofyness and cuteness.
Renata‘s inspirations
Pretty much everywhere, both real life and other art. I keep several notebooks where I put all the ideas, sketches or just single words and sentences.
Renata‘s festival strategy
Fortunately, I don’t do it myself. My distributor, Krakow Film Foundation is doing all this and it’s the best.
“I definitely recommend trying to get a distributor / agent for your film!”
I was usually missing deadlines when I was doing sending my film to festivals myself. Distributor also knows what festivals require premieres and plan the whole strategy. Plus, thanks to KFF I went to some really great festivals, where I would never even try to send my film myself, simply because I would never believe I had a chance of being selected.
Renata‘s festival experience
I don’t attend all of them, I would not have the time. Seeing my film on the big screen for a first time was a torture. It’s still a torture after many more times. It makes me anxious as hell, I sweat and my heart beats so hard I wonder if everyone in the room can hear it. I like q&as though, which is weird.
But I don’t know if I have a favorite. At Sundance, when it was screened as a part of Midnight program (which is all about sex, gore, aliens, porn, trashy horror, etc.) where my film was actually the nicest and most timid one!
Renata‘s biggest adversity
Pressure! I made a good film that is successful at festivals and people expect my next one will be good too. It makes me really stressed. I overcome it by telling myself that I’m not a doctor so even if I suck at my job nobody will die.
Renata‘s future steps
I’m in the middle of making my graduation film. So, let’s see how that goes…