Tofifest

TOFIFEST International Film Festival

Boban i Marko Marković Orkestar during the 2008 Tofifest festival
Location	Toruń, Poland
Founded	2002
Language	Polish English
Website	http://www.tofifest.pl/en/ Tofifest Official website

The TOFIFEST International Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Toruń, Poland.

It is one of the fastest growing film festivals in Poland and the mission of the Festival is to promote independent cinema. The festival combines Polish and European dimensions in the context of an adventurous and defiant breadth of content, including auteur cinema, and premieres of films presented in Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam, building a bridge between high and popular art. The festival also includes meetings, seminars, concerts and workshops.

The first independent film festival in Toruń Polish OFF Film Festival was held in 2002. It was founded by Monika Weychert-Waluszko and Marek Nowak. The festival was the continuation of the x!-muse tradition. Monika Weychert-Waluszko was the main organiser of film meetings at the Muses House that started in 2000. After a conflict that took place at the Muses House, Weychert was dismissed. Her successor, Katarzyna Jaworska, continued the idea of establishing the art house film festival in Toruń.

The Festival began in December 2003 as the Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI. That year, the festival presented 95 films. The Festival included mainly Polish experimental films of all lengths from student film-makers. The programme also included previews of professional films. At the Grand Prize Competition the audience chose Motór by Wieslaw Palucha as the winner.

In the 2nd edition festival was moved to October and renamed Toruń Independent Film Festival TOFFI. The jury started to be composed of professionals. The winner was chosen by a grand jury. The main award at the festival was OFFIK. The jury comprised Małgorzata Foremniak, Maciej Dominiak, Waldemar Dziki, Barkiet Fukiet and Romuald Pokojski. The jury chose as the winning Krew z Nosa by Dominik Matwiejczyk. At the festival some works were nominated for OFFSkars Awards.

In 2005 festival changed its name to International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI. The changes were also made in the formula of the festival: resigning from amateur films, qualifying for competition both Polish and international productions. Ugór by Dominik Matwiejczyk won the Golden Angel, a major award of the festival. Diabeł by Tomasz Szafrański, was awarded the Golden Mannequin for the most artistically tasteful film and FLISAK, award of President of Toruń for artist from Kujawsko-Pomorskie region.

International Toruń Film Festival TOFFI was held from 18 to 22 October 2006. There were now two separate competitions organised for features and shorts. American production We Go Way Back by Lynn Shelton won the Golden Angel for best feature film. The Golden Angel for short was awarded to Emilka płacze by Rafał Kapeliński, which also received the FLISAK Award. Special Jury Prize and Critic Award of Zygmunt Kałużyński was won by the Slovenian film Odgrobadogroba by Jan Cvitkovic.