Canadian Premiere
A thrilling glimpse into what it takes to compete in the prestigious and renowned International Chopin Competition, which has been held in Warsaw every five years since 1927. The stakes are high: not only because of the substantial prize money, but due to the overnight launch to fame these young pianists are promised. PIANOFORTE follows a handful of incredibly talented young musicians through rigorous practice sessions, anxiety-filled moments on and off stage, and the despair and joy of the coveted final performance. Director Jakub Piątek’s keen observational eye captures the nerves, the raw emotion, and the camaraderie and friendships that develop over the 21 days of the contest. Of course, the documentary is filled with extraordinary interpretations of the beloved composer Frédéric Chopin’s masterworks. Engaging and entertaining, PIANOFORTE provides rare insight to the sacrifice, ambition and external support required to follow this exalted musical dream.
September 30: Q&A with director Jakub Piątek
Series Media Partner
Community Partner
Poland
2023
Portraits
In Chinese, English, Italian, Polish, Russian with English subtitles
Coarse Language
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Maciej Kubicki
Screenwriter
Jakub Piatek
Cinematography
Filip Drożdż
Editor
Ula Klimek-Piątek
Original Music
Teoniki Rożynek
Director
Photo by Michal Hara
Jakub Piątek
Jakub Piatek was born in 1985 in Poland. Piatek studied at the Polish National Film School in Łódź. Before studying directing, he worked as a journalist. His full-length feature debut Prime Time (2021) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. PIANOFORTE (2023) also premiered at Sundance, receiving its international premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Piatek currently teaches film at the Polish National Film School.
Filmography: Prime Time (2021);
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life follows Jack as he reflects on his 1950s Texas childhood and the death of his younger brother. Deeply spiritual and poetic, Malick’s film moves through grief, memory, time, and space. And there are dinosaurs.
Sometimes, I Imagine Them All at a Party
Fourteen years ago, Daniela Magnani Hüller survived an attempted femicide by a schoolmate. Now a filmmaker, she revisits the events surrounding that fateful incident, creating a moving collage of interviews, personal recollections, and archival material.
Image: © Bildersturm
Queen at Sea
An academic is pitted against her stepfather in a moral crisis over the care of her mother, who lives with dementia. Winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at the 2026 Berlinale.
Image: © Seafaring
The Story of Documentary Film – The 2000s
The Story of Documentary Film – The 2000s enters a decade shaped by 9/11, war, fear, and politics. Through films such as The Cove and Grizzly Man, these chapters trace the documentary medium's encounter with modernity as it begins to unravel.
Image: © Iraq in Fragments, 2006, dir. James Longley, USA, Daylight Factory Typecast-Pictures