“THE PAWNSHOP” NOMINATED FOR IDA AWARDS
Łukasz Kowalski's documentary has been nominated for the IDA Awards in the feature film and for the best director categories.
The International Documentary Association (IDA for short) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1982 to promote documentary film. For thirty years, the organisation's members have been awarding IDA prizes to the best documentary productions of the year. Obiekt by Paulina Skibińska was the only Polish film to be nominated for the IDA Awards in the short film category this year.
The nominated The Pawnshop is a moving, humorous story about people who fight for their own survival while helping those in even greater need. Jola and Wiesiek are a couple of eccentric businesspeople from Bytom. Together with three employees, they run what is probably the largest pawnshop in Europe. However, it's well past its prime due to mines closing in the vicinity and rising unemployment. With less and less means to live, the citizens of the “Polish Detroit” try to pawn increasingly obscure and useless items. Wiesiek's crazy marketing stunts do little to help the failing business and neither does Jola's tender heart, who supports their customers not only with a good word but also with hot soup or a warm jacket. Although the pawnshop brings losses, it becomes an important spot for the local community. Soon, however, it teeters on the verge of bankruptcy, putting Jola and Wiesiek's relationship to the test. In the face of impending disaster, the owners will make one last attempt to save their business and love.
The IDA is based in Los Angeles but has more than 2000 members from 53 countries. The organisation focuses on film education, funds the creation of documentaries through the Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund, organises documentary film screenings, publishes the quarterly magazine Documentary, and more. It has been awarding the prestigious IDA Awards since 1985.
The full list of films nominated for the IDA Awards can be found here.