The 17th edition of the Mastercard OFF CAMERA International Festival of Independent Cinema will take place in Krakow between April 26 and May 5, 2024. The Organizers of the Festival have presented the artistic concept framed for the coming year and the graphic identity, which refers to the circles of life, designed by Tomasz Kuczma.
ARTISTIC CONCEPT 2024 – Mastercard OFF CAMERA
The upcoming 17th edition of the Mastercard OFF CAMERA International Festival of Independent Cinema gives us a lot of food for thought. It encourages reflection on the merciless passage of time, which filmmakers try to stop for a while and capture on film. It is hard not to think about the world torn by wars and various types of crises, featured in festival films from multiple perspectives. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, or the situation on the Belarusian-Polish border, make us realize that history is not necessarily always the teacher of life. And they pointedly reveal the ubiquitous fear of Otherness in a broad sense. Fear that has become a powerful driver of racial, ethnic, gender, sexual and class hatred, which those who defend the old social and political order feed on.
Hence, we believe even more that cinema, with its unique ability to teach tolerance and empathy and the films presented in the Main Competition “Making Way” and the Polish Film Competition can serve as a kind of antidote for the toxic everyday life. Whereas the productions featured in the new festival sections, which take a closer look at teenage girls and their incredible energy; various kinds of “black sheep” who do not match the general standards and ideas; legal dramas and thrillers about social injustice, and finally – borders and divisions, taken literally or metaphorically, will hopefully provide our viewers not only with valuable lessons on taming the diversity. But they will offer more – exciting film adventures, where differences are celebrated and the Otherness becomes the source of strength.
And we should learn the lessons, if for no other reason than to proceed to a wide-ranging transformation of reality. So that there is no space left for exclusion, hatred, rejection and fear of the unknown.
Grzegorz Stępniak
Artistic Director of Mastercard OFF CAMERA
GRAPHIC IDENTITY 2024 – Mastercard OFF CAMERA
Key Visual Mastercard OFF CAMERA 2024 symbolizes the overlapping circles of life. Our stories, however so different, are indissolubly linked and affect one another. It is up to us alone to decide whether we make a conscious effort to achieve harmony and lightness or, trying to impose our own direction on others, we bring chaos to our link. Many thanks to Maja Ganszyniec for her creative support.
Tomasz Kuczma
Multidisciplinary creative, author of this year’s key visual of the Mastercard OFF CAMERA Festival. Author of album covers, concert visuals, videos, photo sessions, posters and visual identity for artists such as: Katarzyna Nosowska, Krzysztof Zalewski, Smolik, Natalia Przybysz, Mery Spolsky, Rubens, Reni Jusis, Natalia Szroeder, Daria Zawiałow, Ania Karwan, Kayah and Julia Wieniawa. Specializes in visual communication advisory. Author of logos and identity systems for Kayax Music and Mastercard OFF CAMERA Festival, among others. He runs his studio Pracownia 108 in Old Mokotów, Warsaw. He runs his studio Pracownia 108 in Old Mokotów, Warsaw.
CINEMA IS PASSION. CINEMA IS MISSION.
For 9 years now, and for 6 years as the titular partner, it’s been our great pleasure to support the Mastercard OFF CAMERA International Festival of Independent Cinema. Every year we remind ourselves anew of the enormous power cinema has and that the magic of cinema can reach far and wide. It intertwines with our lives by telling stories that are off limits to us on an everyday basis. Cinematography is passion, but also, as the reality shows, it is mission – says Jerzy Hołub, the Marketing Director for Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia in Mastercard Europe.
And it is the face of film art that this year’s 17th edition of the Festival focuses on. Cinema takes on the role of talking about the most difficult themes, presenting stories of individuals whom we do not see on information channels. This is a vital role of taming the diversity, including the excluded, humanizing them. As Mastercard we are convinced that this function of film art is essential, worth supporting and we are proud to be a partner of an event that shows courage in carrying out its mission – sums up Jerzy Hołub.
THE FIRST POOL OF PASSES SOON ON SALE!
The first pool of passes for the Mastercard OFF CAMERA International Festival of Independent Cinema will be soon on sale. The organizers will also reveal the themed sections of the next year’s edition of the festival. Stay tuned with the Festival website at www.offcamera.pl and social media, to track the latest updates and do not miss the opportunity to take part in one of the most important film events in Poland.
For detailed information, contact:
Michał Zalewski – Spokesperson of the Mastercard OFF CAMERA 2024
Tel.: 602377594