ŁUKASZ KOWALSKI'S “MY FATHER THE ICEMAN” WINS RISE AND SHINE AWARD AT CPH:FORUM
The project My Father, the Iceman, directed by Łukasz Kowalski, has received the Rise and Shine Award at CPH:FORUM – the key financing and co-production event held during the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. This year's selection comprised 30 projects, with Kowalski's film being the sole title representing Poland.
CPH:FORUM is a prestigious platform dedicated to auteur, visually expressive documentary films with international potential. The programme brings together projects at various stages of development – from early concept all the way to late production – featuring established, award-winning filmmakers alongside emerging voices in documentary cinema.
My Father, the Iceman is a Polish-Danish co-production from 4.30 Studio and Final Cut for Real. The film is produced by Anna Mazerant and Łukasz Kowalski, with Signe Byrge Sørensen serving as co-producer. The project was presented during the CPH:FORUM pitching sessions.
The film follows Ewa, who has fought for many years to secure the release of her father, sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa for the murder of Chris Hani, one of the leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. When she finally succeeds, she is forced to confront a devastating truth: her father has become an icon of the far right. What begins as a personal quest unfolds into a story not merely of familial loyalty, but of political entanglement, memory, and the painful reckoning with the truth about the person closest to you.
The award presented to Łukasz Kowalski's project marks an important distinction for this Polish-Danish co-production, and a notable affirmation of Poland's presence at this year's CPH:FORUM.
You can read more about it here.