Jerzy Kucia

Born in 1942. Graduate of the State Secondary School of Fine Arts in Kraków in 1961 and of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków in 1967. He studied painting, graphic arts and animated film in the studios of professors Wacław Taranczewski, Konrad Srzednicki, and Włodzimierz Kunz.

Immediately after graduation, he began his creative pursuits as a graphic artist and painter, taking part in about 150 exhibitions in Poland and abroad, receiving of awards, including 1st Prize in Graphic Arts at the National Art Festival Wiosna Opolska, 3rd Prize in graphic art at the exhibition XXX-lecie PRL. At present, he works mainly in the field of animated films as a director, scriptwriter and graphic artist.

He debuted with the film Return in 1972. Each of his films has been showcased many times in competitions at important festivals around the world, winning significant awards. His films have earned him many retrospective reviews at prestigious festivals, museums and art centers. Additionally, professor Jerzy Kucia is also involved in pedagogical work. At the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków he headed the Animated Film Studio from 1981 to 2013 as well as the Graphic Design Department. He has given guest lectures and animated film workshops with students at the National Film and Television School in London, the University of Munster, the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, Vancouver, Mumbai, Vienna, Toulouse, Singapore, Bogota, Taipei.

He is a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences and a member of the Polish Film Academy. From 1985 he was part of the board of ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film D'Animation) for successive terms until 2000 and in 1994-97 he was its Vice President. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Polish Filmmakers Association and an expert in the Polish Film Institute. For his artistic achievements, significant contribution to the development of Polish and world animated film art as well as for his educational work he has been honored with prestigious Polish and international awards.

FILMOGRAPHY, AWARDS

Fugue for Cello, Trumpet and Landscape, 2014

Grand Prix Golden Dragon, Kraków Film Festival 2014, International Short Film Competition;

Oscar nomination, Kraków Film Festival 2014, International Short Film Competition;

Special Award, International Animation Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 2014;

Audience Award Les Sommets du cinéma d'animation, Montreal International Film Festival Montreal, Canada, 2014;

Silver Jabberwocky of the Etiuda & Anima International Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 2014;

Honorable Mention Animateka, International Festival of Animated Films, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014;

Grand Prix 12th International Animated Film Festival, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2014;

Golden Horseman, Filmfest Dresden, International Short Film Festival, Dresden, Germany, 2015;

Best Film, Category: Experimental, defining perspective forms of animated film, Anifilm Trebon, International Festival of Animated Film, Třeboň, Czechia, 2015;

Grand Prize Golden Pegasus, International Animated Film Festival ANIMATOR, Poznań, Poland, 2015;

Best Music, Be There! Animation Festival, Corfu, Greece, 2015;

Silver Line, OFAFA 2015, National Festival of Auteur Animated Films, Kraków, Poland, 2015;

International Gold Panda, Best Foreign Animated Short Film, Sichuan Film Festival, China, 2015;

International Gold Panda, Best Visual Effects, Sichuan Film Festival, China, 2015;

International Gold Panda, Nomination for Grand Prize, Sichuan Film Festival, China, 2015;

Honorable Mention, International Animated Film Festival Banjaluka 2015, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2015;

Best Sound Design, Animated Dreams Festival, Tallinn, Estonia, 2015;

Tuning the Instruments, 2000

In an international ranking of the 50 best animated films, organized for the 50th anniversary of ASIFA, "Tuning the Instruments" was ranked 8th;

Platinum Line Award of the National Festival of Auteur Animated Films for the best film of the decade of the Festival. Kraków, Poland, 2004;

Grand Prix, International Animated Film Festival, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2003;

British Animation Awards, Best Foreign Animated Film of the Year, London, UK, 2002;

Prize of Land Baden-Württemberg, Grand Prix, International Animated Film Festival, Stuttgart, Germany, 2002;

Special Jury Award, International Animated Film Festival, Zagreb, Croatia, 2002;

Special Jury Award, International Animated Film Festival, Genzano di Roma, Italy, 2002;

Best Animated Film Award, International Animated Film Festival, Espinho, Portugal, 2001;

Award for Best Animated Film, International Short Film Festival, Siena, Italy, 2001;

Qualification of the film for the award Cartoon d'Or, 2002;

Grand Prix, Matita, Festival of Animated Films, Italy, 2001;

Special Jury Award, Turku International Animated Film Festival, Finland, 2001;

Main Award, Silver Hobby-Horse, Krakow Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 2001;

Main Award, KROK International Animated Film Festival, Odessa - Yalta - Kyiv, Ukraine, 2001;

Best Music Award, KROK International Animated Film Festival, Ukraine, 2001;

Award, International Animated Film Festival, Ottawa, Canada, 2000;

Award, International Festival of Documentary and Animated Films, Leipzig, Germany, 2000;

Grand Prix Golden Line, National Festival of Auteur Animated Films, Kraków, Poland, 2000;

Animated Film Festival on the Internet, 1996;

Award, Utrecht Animation Film Festival, 1996;

Short Films for MTV Europe television network, 1993-1994;

MTV USA Nomination and Award, 1993;

Promex, British Design Awards, 1994;

Przez Pole, 1992

 Golden Dragon Grand Prix, International Short Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 1992;

Main Award, Shanghai International Animated Film Festival, Shanghai, China, 1992;

Main Award, International Animated Film Festival, Huesca, Spain, 1993;

Award, KROK International Animated Film Festival, Ukraine, 1993;

Academy Leader Variations, co-production of artists from USA, Poland, China, Switzerland;

Special Prize, Cannes Film Festival, France;

Award, International Animated Film Festival, Espinho, Portugal;

Parade, 1986

Bronze Hobby-Horse Main Prize, National Short Film Festival, Krakow, Poland, 1987;

Main Award, International Film Festival, Oberhausen, Germany, 1987;

Golden Kuker Grand Prix, V World Festival of Animated Films, Varna, Bulgaria, 1987;

Main Award, National Animated Film Festival, Zamość, Poland, 1988;

Odpryski, 1984

Grand Prix, International Festival of Animated Films, Toronto, Canada, 1984;

Second Place Award, Independent Film Review, Kraków, Poland, 1985;

Grand Prix, National Animated Film Festival, Zamość, Poland, 1987;

Award For the artistic dimension of the film, National Animated Film Festival, Zamość, Poland, 1987;

Źródło, 1982

Spring, 1980

Reflections, 1979

In an international ranking of the 50 best animated films, Reflections was ranked 30th;

Special Jury Award, XII International Animated Film Festival, Annecy, France, 1979;

Bronze Hobby-Horse Main Award, National Short Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 1979;

Golden Dragon Special Award, XVI International Short Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 1979;

Special Award, 11th Art Film Review, Zakopane, Poland, 1980;

Award for Films: Return, The Barrier, Reflections participating in the group screening of the Studio Filmów Animowanych, International Short Film Festival, Oberhausen, Germany, 1984;

Okno, 1979

Krąg, 1978

Asifa and Icograda Award, International Festival of Animated Films, Varna, Bulgaria, 1979;

Bronze Hugo Award, 19th Chicago Film Festival, USA, 1978;

Special Award, International Festival of Animated Films, Espinho, Portugal;

The Barrier, 1976

First Prize, II International Festival of Animated Films, Espinho, Portugal, 1978;

Bronze Pegasus, Art Film Review, Zakopane, Poland, 1978;

W cieniu, 1975

Special Prize, International Film Festival, Huesca, Spain 1978;

Winda, 1973

Third Prize, Oberhausen International Film Festival, Germany, 1974;

Return, 1972

Grand Prix, Grenoble International Short Film Festival, Grenoble, France, 1973;

Special Award, 12th International Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia, 1973;

Honorable Mention, XIII National Short Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 1973;

Major retrospectives and special screenings of film works

5th World Festival of Animated Film, Zagreb, Croatia 1982;

7th International Short Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 1985;

International Film Festival, Pessaro, Italy, 1987;

Prague, Czechia, Polish Institute, 1986;

Berlin, Germany, Polish Institute, 1987;

International Film Festival, Istanbul, Turkey, 1988;

Film Art Center Mikro, Kraków, 1989;

Akademia Ruchu Theater Centre, Warsaw, 1988;

Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, 1990;

Film Center, Montreal, Canada, 1990;

Walt Disney Studios, USA, 1990;

Pacific Film Archive, Berkley, San Francisco, USA, 1990;

Northwest Film, Portland, USA, 1990;

Emily Carr College, Vancouver, Canada, 1990;

Chicago, USA, 1990;

International Animated Film Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 1992;

Odin Teatred, Holstebro, Denmark, 1992;

Back Forum Gallery, Munich, Germany, 1993;

New Film Festival, Linz, Austria, 1993;

International Film Festival, Mumbai, India, 1994;

Ghent, Belgium, 1994; 

Film Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1994;

Youth International Film Festival, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1994;

WRO Festival / Monitor Poland, Poland, 1996;

Akademia Ruchu Theater Centre, Warsaw, Poland, 1995;

Festival of Animated Films, Utrecht, Holland, 1996;

Fantoche Film Festival, Baden, Switzerland, 1997;

Golden Horse International Film Festival, Taipei, 1997;

Etiuda International Film Festival, Kraków, Poland, 1998;

International Animated Film Festival, Cardiff, 1998;

Slovenska Kinoteka, Ljubljana, 2000;

Animex, Masters of Animation series, Japanese Broadcaster, 2000;

Festival of Animated Films, Utrecht, Holland, 2000;

Short Film Days, Istanbul, Turkey, 2001;

Schikaneder cinema, Vienna, Austria, 2001;

Center for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, 2001;

International Film Festival, Mumbai, India, 2002;

Tate Gallery Modern, London, Great Britain, 2002;

Anima Mundi 2002, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brazil;

International Festival New Cinema New Media Cinematheque Quebecoise Montreal, Canada, 2002;

International Leipziger Festival for Documentary and Animation Films, Leipzig, Germany, 2002;

Castelli Animati, International Animated Film Festival, Italy, 2002;

International Short Film Festival, Siena, Italy, 2002;

Filmfest Dresden, International Animated and Short Film Festival, Dresden, Germany, 2003;

Letnia Akademia Filmowa, Zwierzyniec, 2003;

Museum of Modern Art in New York, Retrospective screening as part of presentation of Polish avant-garde film and Polish animated film New York, USA, 2003;

International Festival of Animated Film, Stuttgart, Germany, 2004;

International Festival of Animated Film, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2004;

Pompidou Centre, Retrospective screening of films as part of Polish animated cinematography, Paris, France;

International Animated Film Festival, Norwich, Great Britain, 2005;

International Animation Festival Teheran, Iran, 2005;

Festival de Animacao de Lisboa Monstra, Lisbon, Portugal, 2006;

Kecskemet Animated Film Festival, Hungary, 2007;

Internationale Grafiktriennale Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 2007;

Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, Film Club, Białystok, 2007;

Lato Filmowe, Ińsko, Poland, 2007;

Cinematheque de Toulouse, Toulouse, France, 2008;

VIS Festival, Vienna Independent Short, Vienna, Austria, 2008;

'Małopolskie pejzaże, Dni Małopolski w Brukseli, Brussels, Belgium, 2008;

AFF Era Filmowa, Pałac Młodzieży, Bydgoszcz, Poland, 2008;

International Festival of Animated Film, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2008;

5th International Animation Film Festival Animateka, Ljubjana, Slovenia, 2008;

Retrospective of films as part of 6th International Student Film Festival Zlin Dog / Zlínský pes, Zlin, Czechia, 2009;

Retrospective review of films accompanying the awarding of the Dragon of The Dragons, Kraków Film Festival, Kraków, 2009;

Retrospective review, Polish National Festival of Original Animated Films, Kraków, 2010;

Retrospective review of films in Bruges as a part of A vision of Central Europe exhibition, 2010;

Retrospective accompanying the Special Piotrus award for lifetime achievement;

Se-Ma-For Film Festival, Museum of Cinematography, Łódź, 2011;

Retrospective review during the World Festival of Animated Films, Bulgaria, 2011;

Retrospective review, Lille, France, 2012;

Retrospective organized by the Animated Film Society AFCA and Forum des Image, Paris, France, 2012.

Retrospective review, International Animated Film Festival Animator, Poznań, 2012;

Retrospective accompanying the Crystal Award, The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Annecy, France, 2013;

Retrospective Review, Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media, 2013;

Retrospective Review, Gothenburg International Film Festival, 2014;

Beijing 2014 CUC, Comminicationc University of China, Animow Student Animation Festival in Beijing;

Bogota, 2015, Cinemateca;

Bogota, 2015, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana;

Taipei, 2015, Taiwan - Taipei National University of the Arts;

Taipei, 2015, New Taipei City Documentary Cinema;

Prague, 2016, Filmoteka Narodowa;

Berlin, 2016, Retrospective as part of the festival of Polish cinema filmPOLSKA;

Taichung International Animation Festival (TIAF), Taichung, Taiwan, 2017;

Animavi Festival, International Film Festival of Animated Cinema and Poetic Art in Pergola, Italy, 2019;

Kraków 2021 Pryzmat Gallery, Exhibition and film screenings as part of the Award of the Małopolska Region Ars Quaerendi in the category Master and Student, New film technologies and personal artistic expression;

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR CREATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL WORK

Award for lifetime achievement International Film Festival of Animated Cinema and Poetic Art, Pergola, Italy, 2019;

Nomination for the membership in the American Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, 2019;

Awards of the Malopolska Region Ars Quaerendi 2017 for outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of culture;

Kraków City Award 2015 in the field of culture and art for outstanding artistic achievements;

Asifa Prize 2015 International Animated Film Association Award for outstanding achievement and significant contribution to the art of animated film;

Cristal d'Honneur Pour Jerzy Kucia Lifetime Achievement Award - Annecy International Film Festival 2013;

Polish Filmmakers Association Award 2012 for contribution to national cinematography;

In the international ranking organized in 2010 for the 50 best animations made during the 50 years of the Association Internationale du Film d'Animation (ASIFA): Tuning the Instruments was voted 8th, Reflections was ranked 30th;

The Dragon of the Dragons Award presented by the Kraków Film Festival 2009 for the contribution to the development of the global animated film;

Lifetime Achievement Award - International Animated Film Festival Animator 2012, Poznań;

Se-Ma-For Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, Łódź, 2011;

Honoris Gratia badge of the Mayor of the City of Kraków, 2009;

Gold Medal for Contribution to Culture Gloria Artis awarded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski, 2008;

Golden Laurel awarded by the Polish Culture Foundation, Kraków Branch, 2002;

Kraków Voivode's Award for creative achievements in the field of animated film

and educational work, 1993;

Kraków City Award for achievements in dissemination of culture, 1981;