Mariusz Kotowski

Mariusz Kotowski
Born	Olsztyn, Poland
Residence	United States
Citizenship	Polish-American
Occupation	Writer, director
Years active	2004–present
Notable work	Pola Negri: Life is a Dream in Cinema

Mariusz Kotowski is a Polish-born writer and director. As a director, he has gained a reputation for cinematic portrayals that are atypical of both Hollywood and independent film styles and that cleverly mix different film approaches into a cohesive whole.

To date, Kotowski's feature films include Pola Negri: Life is a Dream in Cinema (2006), a feature-length biographical documentary about the silent film actress Pola Negri; the Holocaust film Esther's Diary (2010), which was originally released in 2007 as Forgiveness; and Deeper and Deeper (2010), an erotic psychological thriller starring Emmy-winning actor David Lago. All of these films have been released by Kotowski's Austin-based production company Bright Shining City Productions.

Prior to the launch of his directorial career, Kotowski worked as a renowned dancer and dance choreographer. As a dancer, Kotowski has the distinction of being the first Polish citizen ever to receive the rare Triple Fellowship in dance from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in London.

Mariusz Kotowski was born in the city of Olsztyn in northeast Poland. Kotowski's original inspiration to get into the arts came from watching Gene Kelly and Billy Wilder films on television. Kotowski made a decision at a young age to emigrate to America and become a movie director.

Initially Kotowski studied dance and dance choreography in Poland, and received a Master of Arts in Education before being accepted into Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in London. It was there that he became the first Polish citizen ever to receive the rare Triple Fellowship from the organization. Kotowski then moved to New York City 1988, working as a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor by day and studying film directing at the NYU Film School by night.

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