The film “Under the Volcano”, directed by Damian Kocur, has been announced as Poland’s candidate for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The jury making this selection included Olga Wysocka, director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The 97th American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards ceremony will be held on the night of 2-3 March 2025.
“Under the Volcano” selected as the Polish candidate for an Oscar
The film “Under the Volcano”, directed by Damian Kocur, is an insightful portrayal of the emotional state of a young, intellectual Ukrainian family – the Kovalenkos, who on their last day of vacation in Tenerife are confronted with an outbreak of war. Their return to Kyiv proves impossible. In an instant, they go from being tourists to refugees.
The film had its world premiere on 7 September 2024 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Damian Kocur and Marta Konarzewska are authors of the script of “Under the Volcano”. Nikita Kuzmenko is responsible for cinematography, and Alan Zejer did the editing. The film features: Roman Lutskyi, Sofia Berezovska, Anastasiya Karpenko and Fedir Pugachov. The Polish premiere is scheduled to take place during the 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
Photo: Paweł Supernak/PAP
Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as a member of the Oscar Committee
On 18 September 2024, Poland’s candidate for the 97th American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards in the Best International Feature Film category was officially announced. Ten films qualified to compete. From among them, the jury made a selection and opted for the film “Under the Volcano”.
The Polish candidate for an Oscar has been selected by the Oscar Committee, whose composition was approved by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Hanna Wróblewska. The jury was chaired by the director of the 2015 Oscar-winning “Ida”, Paweł Pawlikowski. He was accompanied in the decision-making process by the Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute Olga Wysocka, Director of the Polish Film Institute Karolina Rozwód, Director of the National Film Archive - Audiovisual Institute Tomasz Kolankiewicz, set designer Ewa Braun, actress Krystyna Janda, cinematographer Slawomir Idziak, Director of the Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival Artur Liebhart, journalist Grażyna Torbicka, actor Tomasz Ziętek and composer Marcin Masecki.
Congratulations and good luck at the 97th Academy Awards gala on 2 March 2025!