JANUSZ ZAORSKI
Born on 19th September 1947 in Warsaw. Film, television, theatre, and radio director.
Producer and screenwriter.
1965-69 studied at the Łódź Film School at the Department of Film Directing. Master’s degree in Film Arts (diploma in 1971).
2009 PhD in Film Directing at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw.
Member of the Polish Filmmakers Association, the European Film Academy, the Polish Producers Alliance, and ZaiKS (Polish Society of Authors and Composers).
1987 – 90 The Chairman of the Polish Federation of Film Societies
1987-91 The Chairman and Artistic Director of the DOM Film Studio
1991-93 The President of the Radio and TV Committee
1993-95 The President of the National Council of Radio Broadcasting and Television
Since 2005 lecturer at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw
Author of 15 motion picture films, 12 television films, 5 TV series and 10 TV theatres.
Most important motion picture films:
Awans (Promotion) 1974 – Main award at Gdańsk Film Festival
Pokój z widokiem na morze (A room with a view of the sea) 1978 – Silver Leopard Award (main award), FIPRESCI award in Locarno
Baryton (Baritone) 1985 – Main award at Gdańsk Film Festival, honourable mention in Montreal
Jezioro Bodeńskie (Lake Constance) 1986 – Grand Prix (Golden Leopard) in Locarno, the youth jury’s award
Matka Królów (Mother of the Kings) 1988 – Silver Bear (main award) in Berlin
Grand Prix – Golden Lions in Gdynia and the critics circle’s and youth jury’s awards, Grand Prix
Sopot (Yugoslavia) 15 foreign and national awards in total
Piłkarski poker (The Soccer Poker) – MKiS award (The Minister of Culture Award) 1989
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku (Happy New Year) 1997 – Award for best director at Gdynia Film Festival
Syberiada polska (Siberian Exile) 2013 – Grand Prix in Seattle
Pokolenia (Generations) 2017
Important television films
Kaprysy Łazarza (Lazarus’ Whims) 1972 – 14th place in the survey on the top 100 Polish television films conducted by a Polish weekly “Polityka”
Zaległy urlop (Overdue Leave) 1978 – award for the screenplay at TV Film Festival in Olsztyn
Biało-Czerwono-Czarny, czyli Olisadebe (Olisadebe: White-Red-Black) 2002 (documentary)
Cudownie ocalony (Miraculously Saved) 2004 – Grand Prix (Golden Chest) in Plowdiw, Bulgaria
Mundial Biało-Czerwonych: Trzej przyjaciele z boiska (World Cup of Eagles: Three Friends from the Sports Fields) 2006 (documentary)
Important TV series
Zezem (With a Grain of Salt) 1977 Grand Prix TV Film Festival in Olsztyn
Punkt Widzenia (Point of View) 1980
Od A do Zet (From A to Z) 1999 – the history of Polish bandstand and cabaret
Important TV theatres
Ziemia tragiczna (Tragic Land) by Erskine Caldwell 1980
Chłodna jesień (Chilly Autumn) by Eustachy Rylski 1989
Ach, co za wynalazek (Ah, What an Invention) by Mikhail Bulgakov 1995
Odbita sława (Regained Glory) by Ron Horwood 1996
Cyrograf, Mizerykordia i Małpa (A Chirograph, a Misericord and a Monkey) by Jerzy Niemczuk 1999, 2001, 2006