1. BACKGROUND
Born July 21, 1967 in Katowice, Poland
Address P.O. Box 912
Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
CONTACT
Phone Mobile (North America) +1.347.327.2876
Mobile (Europe) +48.794.192752
E-mail hanna@hannapolakfilms.com
www.hannapolakfilms.com
www.somethingbettertocom.com
www.hannapolak.com
www.childrenofleningradsky.com
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DIR C TOR — HAN NA POLAK – CURRICULUM VITAE
ACAD EMY AWARD-NOMI NATED DIRCTOR
H A N N A P O L A K
CURRICULUM VITAE

2. EDUCATION
1982 – 1986 Secondary School in Katowice, Poland
1988 – 1991 Acting School in Wroclaw and Warsaw
2002 – 2007 Cinematography Division, the Cinematography Institute
of the Russian Federation (VGIK), in Moscow, Master Degree
EXPERIENCE
1987 – 1988. Stage performer in The Theatre of Entertainment, Chorzow, Poland
2000 – 2005. Freelancer cinematographer for ABC TV, France-2,
Fuji TV (Japan), ITN (England), and other TV stations.
2000 – 2004. Filmed The Children of Leningradsky (credits: Director, Producer, and
Cinematographer) for HBO/Cinemax, New York
2002 – 2007. Worked in cooperation with Eureka Media, an award-winning film
production company, on various film projects
2002 – Present. Freelance photographer for various magazines and newspapers
(Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, The Moscow Times, Avisa Norland, Przekroj, etc.)
2002 – Present. Individual work on independent film projects, including:
- Railway Station Ballad (credits: Producer, Cinematographer)
- Al. Tribute to Albert Maysles (credits: Director, Producer, and Cinematographer)
- The Children of Leningradsky (credits: Director, Producer, and Cinematographer)
- Orange Sun (credits: Producer and Cinematographer)
- Faces of Homelessness (credits: Director and Cinematographer)
- Battle of Warsaw 1920 in 3 D (credits: Director and Cinematographer)
- Love and Rubbish (credits: Director, Producer, and Cinematographer)
- Something Better to Come (credits: Director, Producer, Editor, and Cinematographer)
June 2002 – Aug 2002. Filming My Warsaw - A Look from the East for ARTE
and Polish Public TV (credits: Assistant to the Director)
January 2003. White Power: documentary, Camera Assistant (AC)
September – Nov 2004. Shot black-and-white 35mm film on motives of
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (credits: Director and Cinematographer)
May 2005. Jury member for International Film Festival of Documentary and Short
Movies, Krakow, Poland
June 2005 – July 2005. Shot color 35mm film work on motives of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor
Dostoyevsky (credits: Director and Cinematographer)
2006 – 2009. Expert for the Polish Ministry of Culture, evaluating documentary
projects for financing by the Polish Film Institute
August 2006. Filmed Stone Silence in Afghanistan (credits: Cinematographer)
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DIR C TOR — HAN NA POLAK – CURRICULUM VITAE

3. May – November 2008. Filmed Faces of Homelessness in Fargo, N.D.
(credits: Cinematographer, Director)
2008 Commercials. Camera Assistant (AC), Focus Puller, Cinematographer
June – July 2009. Making of and photography for Mall Grils (Galerianki)
August – September 2009. Filmed Officer’s Wife (credits: Cinematographer)
August – November 2009. Filmed The Battle of Warsaw 1920 in 3 D
(credits: Director, Producer, and Cinematographer)
July – November 2012. Love and Rubbish (credits: Director, Producer, and Cinematographer)
October 2012. Jury member for Document International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival,
Glasgow, UK
2012 – Present. CEO and Producer of Hanna Polak Films, an award-winning film production
company
2000 – 2015. Something Better to Come (credits: Director, Producer, Editor, and Cinematographer)
June – July 2015. Jury member for International Film Festival of Documentary and Short
Movies, Krakow, Poland
October 2015 June – July. Jury member for WAMA Film Festival, Olsztyn, Poland
AWARDS
2003 Award for the Best Producer of a Documentary and Short Films, the Documentary
Film Festival in Krakow, Poland
2003 FIPA D’OR, Biarritz, France for Railway Station Ballad
2003 Prix du Jury des Jeunes Europeens, FIPA, Biarritz, France for Railway Station Ballad
2003 Best of Show, The Norwegian Documentary Film Festival, Volda,
Norway for Railway Station Ballad
2003 Audience Award, the Norwegian Documentary Film Festival, Volda,
Norway for Railway Station Ballad
2004 Arts Link grant recipient
2004 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nomination in the category of Best
Short Documentary Subject for The Children of Leningradsky
2005 International Documentary Association Annual Documentary Achievement
Award for the Best Documentary
2005 Notable Videos for Adults Nomination, the American Library Association
for The Children of Leningradsky
2005 Best Documentary, City Olomuniec Award, Czech Republic, for The Children of Leningradsky
2005 Student Award, City Olomuniec Award, Czech Republic, for The Children of Leningradsky
2005 Crystal Mirror Award by the Mirror magazine, Poland—the Award for the “people
of dialogue, those who unite, not divide”
2005 Award “Platinum Goat,” “Ale Kino” Film Festival, Poznan, Poland
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DIR C TOR — HAN NA POLAK – CURRICULUM VITAE

4. 2005 Award NTV Television “Golden Heart Award” in Russia, the “Award for serving
the uppermost ideals of mankind”
2006 Gracie Allen Award, given by the American Women in Radio and Television
2006 Best Documentary, Cinemanila International Film Festival,
Philippines, for The Children of Leningradsky
2006 DUNA TV award, Hungary, for The Children of Leningradsky
2006 “UNICEF Photo of the Year” Third Prize of the International Photo Competition
2006 Emmy Award Nomination of The Children of Leningradsky for an award in two
categories: Best Documentary and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Editing
2006 Honorable Mention, Festroia International Film Festival,
Portugal for The Children of Leningradsky
2006 Honorable Mention, Basel Karlsruhe Forum, Germany for The Children of Leningradsky
2008 Fargo International Film Festival. Three awards: Best Documentary,
Best Director, Best of Show
2008 Fifth International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays, Kiev,
Special Mention Award for “Artistic Mastery of Photographing” for Stone Silence
(credits: Cinematographer)
2008 Lodz, Poland-Festival of the Movies on Family-First Prize for Stone Silence
(credits: Cinematographer)
2012 Prague, Czech Republic, European Documentary Forum, Golden Funnel Award
for the Best Project in Production Svalka: Yula’s Journey
2012 HotDocs Forum, Best Pitch Award for the Best Project in Production (Canada),
Svalka: Yula’s Journey
2013 Leipzig Best Pitch Award (Germany), Svalka: Yula’s Journey
2014 Best Documentary, A Corto di Donne Women’s Short Film Festival, Italy for Love and Rubbish
2014 A Special Jury Award in Feature-Length Competition IDFA (Netherlands),
Something Better to Come
2014 Grand Prix of Art DocFest (Russia), Something Better to Come
2015 Trieste Film Festival, The Alpe Adria Cinema Award for the Best Documentary (Italy),
Something Better to Come
2015 Special Mention, ZagrebDox (Croatia), Something Better to Come
2015 The Youth Jury Prize for Creative Documentary, The International Film Festival
and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) (Switzerland), Something Better to Come
2015 EuroDok: Jury Award, Best Documentary (Norway), Something Better to Come
2015 One World Brussels: Special Mention (Belgium), Something Better to Come
2015 Documenta Madrid: Second Price of the Jury (Spain), Something Better to Come
2015 Doc.fest Munich: VIKTOR Main Competition DOK.international (Germany),
Something Better to Come
2015 Docs Against Gravity: Millennium Award for Best Feature Documentary Film (Poland),
Something Better to Come
2015 Docs Against Gravity: Canon Non Fiction Frame, Special Mention (Poland)
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DIR C TOR — HAN NA POLAK – CURRICULUM VITAE

5. 2015 Favourites Film Festival: Bremen’s Favourite Award (Germany), Something Better to Come
2015 Andrey Tarkovsky International Film Festival: Small Mirror of Art DocFest (Russia),
Something Better to Come
2015 Andrey Tarkovsky International Film Festival: Special Award Club 418 Mirror of Art DocFest
(Russia), Something Better to Come
2015 Underhill Festival: Special Mention (Montenegro), Something Better to Come
2015 Gdańsk DocFilm Festival: Best Cinematography (Poland), Something Better to Come
2015 Documentary Edge Festival 2015: Best International Feature Award (New Zealand),
Something Better to Come
2015 Valetta Film Festival: Best Documentary (Malta), Something Better to Come
2015 Pärnu Film Festival: The Estonian People’s Award (Estonia), Something Better to Come
2015 Berlin’s Favourite Award (Germany), Something Better to Come
2015 Jameson CineFest, Best Documentary (Hungaria), Something Better to Come
2015 Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival (NIHRFF), Youth Jury Award (Germany),
Something Better to Come
2015 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Special Jury Prize International Documentary (U.S.)
Something Better to Come
2015 Cinema Eye The Unforgettables nonimation: Yula, Something Better to Come
2015 Favourites Film Festival: Bergen’s Favourite Award, Something Better to Come
LANGUAGES
Fluent in Polish (native language), English, and Russian
ABILITIES
Perfectionist. Highly creative and very quick learner. Ability to work independently and/or as part
of a team. Very articulate with a high level of stress resistance, experienced in working in difficult
and dangerous situations. Possesses a high level of initiative and strong leadership skills as well as
being very goal-oriented.
Possesses exceptional editing skills. Proficient with Avid.
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DIR C TOR — HAN NA POLAK – CURRICULUM VITAE

6. PRESENTATIONS
May 2005 Guest Speaker – CCUNY, Lecture on “Contemporary documentary”
May 2006 Guest Speaker – UNC School of Public Health,
Lecture on Health and Human Series, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Aug 2007 Guest Speaker – University of Guadalajara, Mexico,
Lecture on “Producing with a low budget”
Aug 2007 Guest Speaker – University of Guadalajara, Lecture on “Innocence on Pain”
March 2008 Guest Speaker – North Texas University, Lecture on “Cinematography,
Difference between Digital and Film Print”
March 2008 Guest Speaker – North Texas University, Lecture on
“Documentary Film Making”
March 2008 Guest Speaker – North Texas University, Presentation of documentaries
Dec 2009 Guest Speaker – Monterey Institute of International Studies, California
Jan 2009 Guest Speaker at Middlebury College in Vermont
March 2010 University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Lecture on “Documentary Filmmaking”
April 2010, Photography Exhibition, Honolulu, Hawaii
November PWSTiF, Lódź, Poland, Lecture on “Documentary Film Editing”
May 2015 Reynolds Journalism Institute, Lecture on “Living Rough”, Columbia, U.S.
May 2015 Boot Camp program for public high school students, Columbia, U.S.
October 2015 Master Class at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference,
Lillehammer, Norway
PUBLICATIONS
November – December 2007 “Wiez” magazine, Poland – Article: Inquiry
December 2007 “Vestnik Analityki”– Article: Window to the East
(www://isoa.ru)
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DIR C TOR — HAN NA POLAK – CURRICULUM VITAE