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
Kikuyu Land
Kikuyu Land follows Mr. Mungai’s struggle to reclaim family land taken during the colonial era. Through personal stories and archival research, the film explores the enduring impact of land dispossession in Kenya.
Crocodile
In Crocodile, a group of young, self-taught filmmakers turn Kaduna's streets, homes, and residents into the raw materials of sci-fi cinema. This Tribeca Viewpoints winner examines filmmaking as a means to overcome a city's constraints.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
A career thief’s circumstances grow desperate when he fences valuable merchandise stolen from a vengeful crime family. John Turturro is exquisite as a wiseacre who is typically one step ahead of everyone but now finds himself behind the eight ball.
Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird)
Winner of the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at this year's Berlinale, Anna Fitch and Banker White’s exuberant documentary combines vérité interviews with a playful mix of puppetry, collage, and insect actors to memorialize a friend.
Image: © Mirabel Pictures
Ceremony
Powerful and evocative, Ceremony follows the disappearance of the ooligan in Bella Coola, revealing a story of cultural survival, environmental stewardship, and the enduring relationship between the Nuxalk Nation and the land.
No Good Men
Naru, the sole camerawoman at a major Kabul newsroom, is convinced that there are “no good men” left in Afghanistan. But partnered with the station’s star reporter in the leadup to the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, her outlook starts to shift.