Hanna Polak
(PL)

In 2002 Hanna began her studies in the Cinematography division of The Cinematography School of Moscow. In 2004 Hanna completed work on her first independent short film on the life of legendary filmmaker Albert Maysles entitled, Al. Al first opened at the Documentary Film Festival in Krakow, Poland, where Albert Maysles received his Life-Time Achievement Award.

In 2004 Hanna completed her documentary film, The Children of Leningradsky. The Children of Leningradsky was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Short Documentary subject in 2005.

Hanna's additional works include, "My Warsaw - Look From The East" for ARTE TV and Channel 2 on Polish TV, where she worked as assistant to the director.

Currently, Hanna is producing a film about Leon Chec, an artist and soldier in WWII and a follow up film to The Children of Leningradsky about the children living in Moscow's garbage dumps.

Hanna was born in 1967 in Katowice, Poland. From 1987-88 she worked as a stage performer in the Theatre of Entertainment, Chorzov. In 1988-91 Hanna studied acting and theatre studies at the Acting School in Wroclav and Warsaw. Hanna has been involved in charitable activities in Russia since 1995. In 1997 Hanna founded and later collaborated with Active Child Aid to help the underprivileged children of Russia. Hanna uses her photography to help the Russian children. Her photographs have been printed in various magazines and newspapers including, Ogonyok (Russia), The Moscow Times (Russia), Avisa Norland (Norway), Olivia (Poland), Przekroj (Poland), Los Angeles Times (USA), Nowy Dziennik (US?), Kurier Plus (USA), Newsweek (Poland), Super Express (Poland) and others.

Her work as a freelance cinematographer has been featured on ABC TV, France-2, Fuji TV (Japan), ITN (England), TVN (Poland) and various Russian TV stations.

Her work is also featured on HBO and Canal +, Belgian Radio and TV and other TV channels.

In 2002 Hanna has received the award for The Best Producer of Documentary and Short Films at the Documentary Film Festival in Krakow.

In 2005 she was awarded the Crystal Mirror award by the Zwierciadlo magazine in Poland, the award for the “people of dialogue, those who are uniting, not dividing”.

In 2005 Hanna was a jury member at the Documentary Film Festival in Krakow and she has received the “Platinum Goat“ award at the festival “Ale Kino” in Poznan, Poland.