This year is special, we are celebrating 30^th anniversary of tourist film. Since 30 seasons International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals CIFFT, managed by Alexander V. Kammel – director and creator of this organization, selects the best World’s tourism film. FilmAT Festival is proud to be one of the festivals scattered around the Globe associated in CIFFT. We are happy to make our contribution to this work by presentation results of our international jury gathered in Warsaw.

Year 2018 is special, so Gala took place in an unique venue: Raffles Europejski Hotel the most luxurious Poland’s hotel which recently opened after renovation, has open the doors for most demanding guests. In hotel’s history, Europejski hosted many distinguished guests: politicians, businessmen, intellectuals, artists. It’s been a legendary place, an important part of Warsaw’s and Polish history.

Now to this legend joined another one – 130 years old renown of Raffles Hotels & Resorts. Well known luxurious hotel’s operator brought back the brilliance to Europejski. Fusion of tradition, art and modernity brought this historical hotel into 21^st century.

Spacious and glamorous hotel’s ballroom was a place of solemn dinner and award ceremony. Before the presentation of winners, guests were welcomed by a traditional drink prepared by Peru Embassy in Warsaw.

Gala held under the patronage of  International Committee of Tourism Film Fesitvals CIFFT, Polish Tourism Organization, General Road Transportation Inspectorate of Poland and National Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Partners of Gala were Volkswagen Poznań Ltd. and Peru Embassy in Warsaw.

It was a pleasure to host among honorary guests: Mr. Alexander V. Kammel – director of CIFFT, Hugo Marcos – CIFFT General Secretary, Minister Alvin Gajadhur – General Road Transportation Inspector of Poland, Mrs. Agnieszka Jędrzejczyk-Wojciechowska – v-ce president of Polish Tourism Organization, Mr. Wojciech Bartelski – president of Warsaw Tramways Company, Mrs. Urszula Nowinowska – director of the office of General Road Transportation Inspectorate, Mr. Zbigniew Kajdanowski – director of PGE Energia Ciepła S.A., Mrs. Dorota Niedbalska – Chef of Health and Security Deparment Volkswagen Poznań Ltd., Mr. Łukasz Niewada – Chef of Security  Department Volkswagen Poznań Ltd., Mrs. Isabel Martín Benítez Tourism Consuellor of Spain Embassy in Warsaw, Mrs. Ivana Bilkova – director of Czech Tourism Organization for Poland,  Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Mr. Gycs M. Gordon – director of Commerce Office of Preu in Germany (Oficina Comercial del Perú en Alemania), Mrs. Carmen de Leon Funke – director of Tourism Office of Dominican Republic in Prague, Mrs. Montserrat Sierra director of Catalan Tourist Board Office in Frankfurt, Mrs. Gabriele Lenger – director of Austria.Info in Warsaw, Mr. Tomasz Pędzik director of sales and marketing of German Center of Tourism in Poland, Mr. Adam Karzewnik – v-ce president of Piotrków Trybunalski, Mrs. Anna Zgierska – director of the Office for City Communication and Brand of the President of the City of Gdańsk, Mr. Henryk Gazurek Mayor of Istebna Commune.

Since 13 years we award with a Tourist statuette a person or institution which promotes Poland around the World. During past years of Festival, special statuette was awarded to film directors – Krzysztof Zanussi, Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polański, Se-ma-for Studio, Łódź Film School, pianist Rafał Blechacz or “Mazowsze” Ensemble.

This year Festival Board and International Tourfilm Academy decided to award Tourist 2018 to Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble. Award was received by Tomasz Janikowski and Wojciech Korpusik. Dancers of the Ensemble during Gala presented polonaise by Wojciech Kilar with beautiful polish noble dresses.

During 13^th edition of Festival of Tourism and Corporate Films FilmAT, very important was a “Road Safety” category. This competition took place under the patronage of General Inspectorate of Road Transportation an the head of institution Minister Alvin Gajadhur. All applied films touched different aspect of this subject.

Volkswagen Poznań Ltd. presented film “We see safety everywhere”, awarded by the jury as the best Corporate Image Film.

In Road Safety category 2^nd prize was awarded ex equo to the film “That’s how road reality looks like” applied by City of Elbląg Police and a series of films produced for Road Management of Warsaw “10 meters”. 1^st prize in category went to “Put your smartphone down an live!” applied by Warsaw Tramways.

There is never enough of such films! It should be watched in internet to remind people how important are rules of road safety.

FilmAT Festival is organizing two competitions: national and international, each in three groups of categories:

1. Tourism Communication
2. Documentaries & TV reports
3. Corporate & institutional films

National jury was leader by Zbigniew Żmudzki – Polish co-producer of Oscar winning animation “Peter and the Wolf”, whereas a chairperson of international jury Agnieszka Pająk –producer of award winning film  “Poland’s Riviera”, nominated in 2015 to the Grand Prix CIFFT as one of the best tourism films of the World.

National jury of 13th FilmAT Festival decided to award National Grand Prix for two films:

– Grand Prix Tourism filmowi „Museum? As you didn’t know” applied by The National Museum in Poznań

and

– GRAND PRIX CORPORATE for film „Agro-Masz” directed by Kamil Nowak

International jury of 13^th FilmAT Festiwal awarded GRAND PRIX TOURISM for the film:

“What makes an extraordinary in Abu Dhabi” applied by

Departament of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

At the end of the Gala, there was of course a surprise. A beautiful and tasty layer cake for the 30th anniversary of the tourist film in the world funded by the famous Warsaw confectionery OLCZAK I SYN was donated with the new statuette of tourist to Alexander V.Kammel – creator and director of the International Committee of Tourfim Festivals CIFFT.

Full list of winners you can find at:  www.filmat-festival.com.

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Since the beginning of the Festival 13 years ago I have pleasure to decide about special awards, awards of the Festival’s director. In this special year of 30th anniversary of the World’s tourism film it has been a responsible choice, I decided to point out Polish films with supreme impact Worldwide.
I decided to award two productions. The first one is a series “Our people round the world” made for eurobank. This films are underlining importance of international cooperation in today’s global civilization. Without it any serious activity can not exist. Relay showed in one of films may be symbolic picture with a deep message, full of heart and spirit, related not only to the functioning of eurobank at financial markets.

The second film – „Week Ends in Gdańsk” – applied by the City Office of Gdańsk reminds us about the paths of freedom and a history of liberation of Poland and Central Europe witch started there. The film shows dynamic and lively city, attractive for tourists who can breathe there an atmosphere of freedom.