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Netflix unveiled its slate of Polish-language series and films due to hit its service in 2023 in a “See What’s Next” event in Warsaw on Tuesday.

Since arriving in Poland in 2016, the platform has steadily ramped up production of local content and has gotten behind 40 original local Polish films and series to date

The 2023 offering is topped by eight Polish features, including four new titles: Kiss, Kiss!, Phenomenon, Soulcatcher and Squared Love Everlasting, as well as three series Absolute Beginners, Infamy and Feedback, about an alcoholic former rock star and adapted from the Polish best-seller of the same name by Jakub Żulczyk.

Spanning romantic comedies, thrillers and sci-fi and coming-of-age dramas, the feature slate taps into a raft of popular local acting talent.

Kiss, Kiss! features top actor Mateusz Kościukiewicz as a womanizer who decides to test his powers of seduction by pursuing a woman who is...

Squared Love All Over Again (Miłość do kwadratu jeszcze raz) is a movie directed by Filip Zylber starring Adrianna Chlebicka and Mateusz Banasiuk..

In this second part of Squared Love we continue where we left off and go on more or less as expected, trying to turn over the screenplay and say “nothing new here” and will try, using the same framework, to make it work.

And, using these same frameworks, it didn´t work the first time around and doesn´t work the second time.

However, this is a movie that divides specialized reviewers and the audience: The first one was totally profitable.

Storyline

A famous journalist and a fashion model teacher try to redo their lives and return to their jobs after a passionate relationship. When they return, they discover that things have changed, forever?

Movie Review

Squared Love Again is a movie to be measured with two...

★★★★☆Described by its writer and director Tomasz Wasilewski as "the first Polish Lgbt film", Floating Skyscrapers (2013) boldly goes where n Pole has gone before in its intricate study of repressed homosexuality. Mateusz Banasiuk stars as aspiring champion swimmer Kuba, an ambitious athlete with the world at his feet. However, when feelings for the boys at his pool float to the surface, problems at home begin arise, made all the more complicated by the fact that he and his girlfriend are cohabiting with his resentful mother. Attending a gallery opening with his girlfriend Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz), Kuba shares a cigarette with the handsome Michal (Bartosz Gelner).

This Ain't California | Nebraska | Frozen | Kill Your Darlings | Oldboy | Powder Room | Homefront | Getaway | The Patience Stone | Big Bad Wolves | Black Nativity | Floating Skyscrapers | Klown | Rough Cut | A Long Way From Home | Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf's

This Ain't California (Tbc)

(Marten Perseil, 2012, Ger) 90 mins

Just as its East German teen subjects took skateboarding behind the Iron Curtain, so this "documentary" smuggles faked footage into its true 1980s history. The result is a fascinating parallel pop-cultural history with a moving (but imaginary) human centre. Working out what's true and what's not only adds to the fun.

Nebraska (15)

(Alexander Payne, 2013, Us) Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb. 115 mins

Stubborn old Dern and son take a quixotic road trip back into family, and American, history.

Frozen (PG)

(Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, 2013, Us) Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel. 108 mins

Disney's classy, sparkly assault on the Christmas holidays, with wintry vistas, musical numbers and a sister-powered fairytale.

Understated performances and sexual realism are a solid start for Poland's "first Lgbt film"

With its lingering shots of the male body, pensive smoking scenes and overbearing, daytime-tv-watching mother, Tomasz Wasilweski's timely drama about a young swimmer coming to terms with his sexuality may not avoid all the top-10 gay movie cliches, as outlined by Jack Cullen in this newspaper,, but it builds a compelling narrative on the back of its understated performances, sexual realism and austerely beautiful cinematography. Put it this way, Mateusz Banasiuk is Kuba, a promising athlete locked into a daily routine of training and trying to keep the peace at home between his doting girlfriend and possessive, inappropriate mum. The appearance of the cabinet-jawed Michal (Bartosz Gelner) forces him to reassess where his loyalties lie. Wasilewski leads us into a perfect storm of domestic anguish, towards a climax as bleak as the deserted industrial spaces that form the backdrop.

★★★★☆An ornate, clinical study of gay identity in a predominantly Catholic Poland, Tomasz Wasilewski's Floating Skyscrapers (2013) pulsates with vitality and sexual repression. A belligerent statement about contemporary attitudes towards Lgbt culture, this confident sophomore feature appropriates arthouse aesthetics in a daringly barbed fashion. Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk) is a young professional swimmer with an unquenchable appetite for carnal pleasure. His nightly dances between the sheets with girlfriend Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz) are punctuated by fellatio sessions with other men in the local pool's toilets.

Floating Skyscrapers is described by its director Tomasz Wasilewski as the first Lgbt Polish film, which makes the film itself as taboo-breaking as its main characters themselves, who struggle to assert their desires, and their right to express them, in a society that is unceasingly hostile to this. Wasilewski's second feature, receiving its world premiere at Tribeca this year, enlivens its familiar coming-out story with interesting architecturally designed details, an intriguing approach to sound design, and a visual motif (as hinted at in the title) that at times recalls Tsai Ming-liang's similarly water-based imagery.The narrative centers mostly on Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk), a young man who has been training for 15 years to be a champion swimmer. While he undeniably has talent, as his coach constantly...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

For fifteen years, Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk) has been training to be a champion swimmer. When not at the gym or in the pool, he spends his time sexing his girlfriend Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz) and dealing with his overbearing mother Ewa (Katarzyna Herman), who bares a disturbing resemblance to Norma Bates (for instance, she makes Kuba massage her shoulders while she’s in the bath—with him still nursing a Sylwia-inspired erection, no less). Out of a seeming boredom with the status quo, Kuba begins to be distracted by guys at the gym—even going to so far as to hook up with a guy who cruises him in the shower (although he freaks out about it leaves before he can finish).

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Ideally there’d be a way around this, but it appears there is not: if you’re a gay couple in an independent film, things aren’t going to end well for you. The cloud of disaster hangs low over “Floating Skyscrapers,” a Polish drama about two male lovers that begins with the conspicuous, unseen activity of consensual male sexual activity behind bathroom doors as if it was a big, honking warning: walk into this film, and you’re going to see and feel it all; if it wasn’t so upsetting, we wouldn’t be hiding it right now. Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk) moves through the waters like a shark, zipping through the pool as he trains daily, bred seemingly from his early youth to produce a certain kind of results. This is mirrored with his relationship with conventionally-gorgeous blond girlfriend Sylwie (Marta Nieradkiewicz), whom he seduces regularly, the two of them seemingly in love.

If these two quality celluloid offerings from the upcoming Tribeca Festival are harbingers of what's to be offered, get your tickets now for as many films as you can. Here are engaging, vital, and timely features that beg your attendance.

For example, Tomasz Wasilewski's beautifully crafted Floating Skyscrapers is a heartfelt chronicle of a love affair between two young men in still highly homophobic Poland. Amidst the grey, barren urban landscapes of Warsaw, the closeted bisexual swimmer Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk) is in a quandary. In between his daily massaging of his mother's back while the two are nude in the bathtub -- and in the midst of the frequent sex bouts with his long-time girlfriend Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz), who resides with him and his jealous ma -- he receives anonymous guilty blowjobs from young male admirers he refuses to kiss or reciprocate on in kind.

But then one night...

With filmmakers from Iraq, Bolivia, India and out of all places, Greenland, it's no wonder that many of the filmmaker names selected in Sundance's 2010 edition World Cinema Dramatic Competition are drawing a blank stare. Among those that we do know we find Taika Waititi returning to the festival (after the little seen charmer Eagle vs. Shark) with a set in the 80's pic called Boy, and David Michod will be coming to the festival as the scribe for Hesher, and as the the writer-director of Animal Kingdom starring Guy Pearce. - With filmmakers from Iraq, Bolivia, India and out of all places, Greenland, it's no wonder that many of the filmmaker names selected in Sundance's 2010 edition World Cinema Dramatic Competition are drawing a blank stare. Among those that we do know we find Taika Waititi returning to the festival (after the little seen charmer Eagle vs. Shark) with a set...

Sundance released their slate for 2010. It includes:43 documentaries on the Middle East12 films about friends who 'discover' something33 movies about people you've never heard about1 comedyHopefully the lineup this year is strong but it doesn't look that way compared to last year. Last year we had Push (Precious), that Lil Wayne documentary that never went anywhere, Mystery Team which might make my top ten, Moon, Mike Tyson documentary, Cold Souls. Just so much last January that was excellent. I hope I don't go out therer and freeze my tail off just to see...I don't know, a documentary about a former Pakistani prime minister or something silly like that.Here's the lineup so far: Premieres To showcase the diversity to contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented by Entertainment Weekly.

I feel a special bond with the Sundance Film Festival. Not because I’ve been there, but because the guy in charge of it this year, John Cooper, shares my name. Because we share this bond, I feel that I’m able to take license in referring to the man as Coop for the rest of this article.

For the annual event held in Park City, Utah from January 21-31, thousands of films are submitted and screened — this year, 3,724 films were viewed by the festival’s ten programmers. I wonder when they slept.

Coop has high hopes for the festival as a whole:

“We may even be going into a golden age for independent films, in that the technology will make it possible for the films to be made and for audiences to see them. The industry is going through a major evolutionary stage right now, there’s no doubt about that,...

Sundance released their slate for 2010. It includes:43 documentaries on the Middle East12 films about friends who 'discover' something33 movies about people you've never heard about1 comedyHopefully the lineup this year is strong but it doesn't look that way compared to last year. Last year we had Push (Precious), that Lil Wayne documentary that never went anywhere, Mystery Team which might make my top ten, Moon, Mike Tyson documentary, Cold Souls. Just so much last January that was excellent. I hope I don't go out therer and freeze my tail off just to see...I don't know, a documentary about a former Pakistani prime minister or something silly like that.Here's the lineup so far: U.S. Documentary Competition This year’s 16 films were selected from 862 submissions. Each film is a world premiere. Bhutto(Directors: Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O'Hara; Screenwriter: Johnny O'Hara)—A riveting journey through the life and work of recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto,...

Sundance 2010: World Cinema Narrative Competition Lola Dueñas, Pablo Pineda in Me Too by Álvaro Pastor, Antonio Naharro This year’s 14 films were selected from 1,022 international narrative feature submissions. Film information from the Sundance Film Festival website. All that I Love / Poland (Director and Screenwriter: Jacek Borcuch) — In 1981, during the growing Polish Solidarity movement, four small-town teenagers form a punk rock band with the hope of playing at a local festival. Cast: Mateusz Kosciukiewicz, Jakub Gierszal, Mateusz Banasiuk, Olga Frycz, Igor Obloza. North American Premiere Animal Kingdom / Australia (Director and Screenwriter: David Michôd) — After the death of his mother, a seventeen year-old boy is thrust precariously between an explosive criminal family and a detective who thinks he [...]...

The Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the lineup of films playing in competition from January 21 through January 31, 2010. The early fest typically debuts some of the best films the year has to offer, like 2009’s Precious, (500) Days of Summer, and Moon.

I’m bummed I won’t be in Park City, Utah next month because the lineup looks great, and these are just the films playing in competition. Here’s a few that stood out to me:

The Allen Ginsberg trial film Howl starring James Franco, a documentary by Alex Gibney (a truly great filmmaker) on Jack Abramoff, Mark Ruffalo’s directorial debut Sympathy for Delicious, a doc about Joan Rivers, the directorial debut of “How I Met Your Mother” star Josh Radnor titled Happythankyoumoreplease (I wrote a glowing script review of it here), Hesher with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman, and Blue Valentine starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.

I...

Sundance Film Festival 2010 is a little over a month away and that means we can now bring you a list of the competition films that will be playing. Here you go boys and girls… enjoy!

Documentary Competition

“Blue Valentine” – Directed by Derek Cianfrance, written by Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne and Joey Curtis, a portrait of an American marriage that charts the evolution of a relationship over time. With Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Mike Vogel, John Doman. “Douchebag” – Directed by Drake Doremus, written by Lindsay Stidham, Doremus, Jonathan Schwartz and Andrew Dickler, in which a man about to be married takes his younger brother on a wild goose chase to find the latter’s fifth-grade girlfriend. Features Dickler, Ben York Jones, Marguerite Moreau, Nicole Vicius, Amy Ferguson, Wendi McClendon-Covey. “The Dry Land” – Directed and written by Ryan Piers Williams, in which a returning U.S. soldier tries to reconcile his experiences overseas with his life in Texas.

Photo: Sundance Today the Sundance Institute announced the films that will be in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in both the U.S. and International dramatic and documentary categories. The festival will run from January 21-31 in Park City, Utah. There are a few changes this year as there will be no opening-night picture and the festival will take select festival films to eight cities during as the fest plays out.

Last year notable films such as this year's major Oscar contenders Precious and An Education debuted at Sundance 2009 as did audience and critical favorite (500) Days of Summer.

As for this year's crop I have highlighted a few titles among the list below in red, but I have primarily done so considering the names attached to the pictures not necessarily based on any advanced buzz I've heard around any of the films. Names to look out for include Ryan Gosling,...

And the first announcement is upon us and includes quite a few movies we've already reported on.. What does that include?

The incredible looking Estonian drama The Temptation of St. Tony for which we got the exclusive trailer on a while ago. It's by Veiko Õunpuu who did the incredible Sügisball and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing this.

From Spencer Susser, the director of the incredible zombie short I love Sarah Jane comes Hesher, his first feature which stars Jgl!

David Michôd's Australian thriller Animal Kingdom which stars Guy Pearce.

From Taiki Waititi, director of Eagle vs Shark comes Boy which we previously reported on, but then it was known as The Volcano.

Full list after the break!

U.S. Documentary Competition

This year’s 16 films were selected from 862 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

Bhutto (Directors: Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O'Hara; Screenwriter: Johnny O'Hara)—A riveting...

This year’s 14 films were selected from 1,022 international narrative feature submissions. All that I Love/Poland (Director and screenwriter: Jacek Borcuch)—In 1981, during the growing Polish Solidarity movement, four small-town teenagers form a punk rock band with the hope of playing at a local festival. Cast: Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Jakub Gierszał, Mateusz Banasiuk, Olga Frycz, Igor Obłoza. North American Premiere Animal Kingdom/Australia (Director and screenwriter: David Michôd)—After the death of his mother, …...