Artists

Aleksandra Korejwo – Director

Director, screenwriter, visual artist and animator.
She makes original animated films using the technique of animation in loose matter directly under the camera.
Aleksandra Korejwo is the recipient of over 40 awards, distinctions and nominations at national and international festivals and diplomas of recognition, including such prestigious awards for her original animated films in loose matter as the Grand Prix in Shanghai and the First Place in Los Angeles.
Member of the Polish Filmmakers Association.
Member of ASIFA.
Member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) – founded on 11 May 1927, an honorary professional organisation dedicated to promoting the art and knowledge of filmmaking. Its membership (2020) comprises almost 10,000 film professionals. The Academy is known around the world primarily through its annual Academy Awards ceremony – the Academy Awards.

Aleksandra Korejwo creates her films using a proprietary loose-matter animation technique (hand-coloured salts depending on the colour palette assumed for the film), directly under the camera. Her primary tools for creating animation are the ‘lost’ feathers of condors and other birds. Occasionally, she uses various brushes, strainers and other objects, adapting them for the purpose of creating a film image. This unusual animation technique, which builds up a kinetic image from millions of particles of salt, involves piling up successive film frames, which are ‘destroyed’ after being recorded on film so that further phases of movement can be created. Work for films inspired by music begins with an analysis of the rhythm of the music – creating a kind of score for the creation of the film image.

Films directed by Aleksandra Korejwo, made at the TV Animation Film Studio in Poznan, were presented between 1984 and 2024 at over 300 film festivals and reviews around the world.
The series of film miniatures to classical music, in which Aleksandra Korejwo made 10 films, was sold to more than 100. countries, including: Sweden (several times), Mexico, Japan (3x), Spain (4x), UK, Switzerland, Korea (several times), Croatia, Slovenia, Norway, Finland (2x), Iran, Kuwait, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, China (3x), USA, Taiwan, Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, Canada, France (2x), Germany, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Hungary (2x), Lithuania and Taiwan (several times).

The series was also released twice on DVD in China.
In 2000, a collector’s edition consisting of 6 volumes in cloth covers with embossed titles:

 In 2003, a commercial release consisting of 4 discs:

1996 – 2008
Juror of many international animation festivals, including:
International Animated Film Festival, Lucca, 2008
International Film Festival, Madrid, Spain, 2001
International Animated Film Festival, Annecy, 1999
6th International Oslo Animation Festival, Oslo, 1999
1st International Students’ Animation Film Festival, Lodz,1998
National Festival of Films for Children ‘Ale kino’, Poznan, 1996

1995 – 2007
Collaborates with Acme Filmworks in Hollywood.

1991 – 2003
Participation of art projects for animated films in collective exhibitions of film art:
2003 – 40th International Children’s Book Fair, Bologna
2000 – 20th anniversary of TV SFA at OFAFA’2000 Festival, Krakow
1999 – International Biennial of Animated Films, Bratislava
1995 – Municipal Gallery BWA ‘Arsenał’ in Poznań
1994 – 12th National Festival of Films for Children and Young People, Poznan
1991 – Polony Gallery, Poznań
1991 – Polish Museum of America, Chicago

From 1984-11-01 to 2001-06-30
Employed as a director at the Television Animation Film Studio in Poznań.
1985 – 1993
Assistant and lecturer at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Poznan in the Studio of Visual Activities and Structures and in the Animated Film Studio.
1984
Diploma with honours from the State Higher School of Visual Arts in Poznan.
1979 – 1984
Studies at the State Higher School of Visual Arts in Poznan – Faculty of Painting, Graphic Arts and Sculpture and the Animated Film Studio under Prof. Kazimierz Urbański.
1978 – Graduated from the State Secondary School of Fine Arts in Bydgoszcz.

Filmography:

2017
THE BLUE CAR | 11:29′
Director: Henrik A. Meyer
Animation Director: Aleksandra Korejwo
Production Company: Henrik A. Meyer Productions

2011
JUBILEE CONCERT | KONCERT JUBILEUSZOWY | 71:00’
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation
Producer, production: Miriam Art Studio
Film co-financed by Polish Film Institute
Awards:
THIRD AWARD, International Catholic Film and Multimedia Festival, Niepokalanów, Poland, 2012
BEST OF THE WORLD, International Film Festival, Annecy, France, 2011
BEST OF THE WORLD, International Film Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 2010

2009
Spot do trailera Lucca International Animated Film Festival, Italy, 2009-03-18|22
Direction, artwork, animation

2008
CHOPIN | WALC do muzyki Fryderyka Chopina | 12:00’
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation, camera
Own production in association with Acme Filmworks Hollywood
Award:
NOMINATION „BEST OF THE WORLD”, International Animation Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 2010

IMPROVISED LIVE VISUAL COMPOSITIONS | 06:00′
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation
‘Opus’ Gala Concert, Warsaw, 27.06.2008 

2005 – 1996
PROMOTIONAL AND ADVERTISING SPOTS | SPOTY PROMOCYJNE I REKLAMOWE:
01. Guardian Angel for Jiffy Lube
02. Transformation for Gaviscon
03. Royale Treatment for Cremora Royale
04. Musical Journey for Riverwind Casino
05. Card Trick for Riverwind Casino
06. Be Swept Away for Riverwind Casino
07. Casino Games for Riverwind Casino
08. Highest Standards of Professionalism for Bank Hapoalim
09. Landscape for Colorado Lottery
Reżyseria, plastyka, animacja
Produkcja: Acme Filmworks Hollywood

In SHOOT magazine of 24 January 2003, Millie Takaki wrote about the ‘Landscape for Colorado Lottery’ spot:
/…/ In this animated spot, 30 Colorado Lottery balls bounce around, transforming into bits of wildlife and breathtaking scenery of the state, including blooming flowers and a flowing stream. There is even a deer galloping in one of the spheres, pushing a ball across the screen. A scene of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains emerges from the cavalcade of balls, highlighting the fact that nature and wildlife are the beneficiaries of the money raised by the Colorado Lottery. Finally, half a dozen numbered balls fill the screen. Below them, a message appears: ‘Six numbers add up to pure fun’. The ad ends with the Colorado Lottery logo, accompanied by the slogan ‘Your ticket to a more beautiful Colorado’. ‘Salt’ has an unusual look and style. What makes it particularly eye-catching is the way the visuals have been created – the images are actually coloured salt, manipulated with a condor pen by Polish director and animator Aleksandra Korejwo, who makes commercials for Hollywood-based Acme Filmworks. Each frame of the animation was generated and shot under a top-lit Oxberry camera. Korejwo is known for this unique brand of animation, having recently been recognised with a nomination at this year’s Annie Awards for her spot promoting Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, ‘Every Move You Make’ (SHOOT, 1/17, p.7).

2004
SUITE FOR FREEDOM | 15:00’
Co-directed with Caroline Leaf and Luc Perez – animation sequence in loose matter, 02:24′
Production: Acme Filmworks Hollywood, Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Suite for Freedom is a 15-minute piece on the subject of freedom, unfreedom, American slavery and the movement that rose up to oppose it, the Underground Railroad. Three animators contributed one movement each, moving from abstract to narrative and up and down the scale of representation.
The first movement, Freedom and Unfreedom, unfolds in a single two-and-a-half-minute shot. A mood piece with no dialogue, a single African-American figure appears in an abstract landscape dancing among multicolored energy fields. Free of limb and spirit, the figure dances to and fro, and is joined by another figure. Suddenly dissonant phrases burst into the mix as a hard gray boundary falls down between the two, and shortly more and more walls start to fall around the figure until he is completely trapped in a small box, at about the size and comfort level of the compartments in which slaves were shipped from Africa to America.

Polish director Aleksandra Korejwo animated the segment in multicolored salts, manipulated with a condor’s feather, shot top-lit on ones. The result is a uniquely striking look, as if the work was painted on a canvas that was nothing more than a light breeze, slipping away as fast as we can find a foothold. The acting is mostly abstract, but the facial features of the captive do come into sharp relief at the very end when his pain is at its peak, which is a nicely Tolstoyan touch.

An extract from the review:
Fresh from the Festivals: January 2005’s Reviews: Taylor Jessen reviews five short films: Gopher Broke by Jeff Fowler, In the Rough by Paul Taylor, Suite for Freedom by Aleksandra Korejwo, Caroline Leaf and Luc Perez, Oedipus by Jason Wishnow and A Bucks Worth by Tatia Rosenthal. Includes QuickTime movie clips!

2002
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation, camera
Production: Acme Filmworks Hollywood for Sinai Hospital
Awards:
NOMINATION TO ANNIE AWARDS, Annie Competition Rewards ‘Courage’, for outstanding achievement in animation, 2003-02-01
NOMINATION TO ‘BEST OF THE WORLD’, International Animation Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 2002

2001
BIRTHDAY TAGS CELEBRITY „HALLMARK”
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation, camera
Production: Acme Filmworks Hollywood
Award:
NOMINATION TO „ANNIE AWARD’S”, USA, 2001

1998
THE WONDERFUL ICE CREAM SUIT
Animated opening credits for a live-action feature film
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation, camera
Production: Acme Filmworks Hollywood for Walt Disney Pictures
Awards:
NOMINATION TO „BEST OF THE WORLD”, International Animation Festival, Hiroshima, Japonia, 2000
FIRST PLACE ASIFA-EAST 1999 Awards in category Commercials and Promotional Films za animowaną czołówkę do filmu fabularnego „The Wonderful Ice Cream Suite”, San Francisco, USA, 1999-04-01
NOMINATION OF FINALIST for the London International Adversting Awards in the stop motion animation category for the animated lead for the live-action feature film ‘The Wonderful Ice Cream Suite’, London, UK, 1998
NOMINATION FOR THE ‘ANNIE’ AWARD for the animated lead for the live-action feature film ‘The Wonderful Ice Cream Suite’, Hollywood, USA, 1998

WIECZORYNKA – WIOSNA
Front and back credits for the programme ‘Wieczorynka’ TVP S.A. | 00:25′.
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio of Animation Films for TVP

WIECZORYNKA – LATO
Front and back credits for the programme ‘Wieczorynka’ TVP S.A. | 00:25′.
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio of Animation Films for TVP

1997
KONWENCJA PRAW DZIECKA Artykuł 16. | 00:30’
(for UNICEF in New York)
Direction, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

SPECIAL SELECTION
30-second commercial for Campbell’s Soup Company (USA)
Direction, screenplay, artwork, animation
Production: Acme Filmworks inHollywood and Red Rover Studio in Toronto
Awards:
NOMINATION FINALIST in the London International Adversting Awards in the category of commercial films made using stop motion animation for the advertising spot ‘Special Selection’, London, UK, 1998
BEST COMMERCIAL FILM, Zagreb World Festival of Animated Film, Zagreb, Croatia, 1998
NOMINATION TO ‘BEST OF THE WORLD’, for commercial spot ‘Special Selection’, 7TH International Animation Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 1998
THE MOBIUS ADVERTISING AWARDS, in the category of TV Commercial Films made in non-computer animation, for outstanding concept and execution of the advertising spot ‘Special Selection’, USA, 1997
CLIO AWARD for direction and animation of the commercial spot ‘Special Selection’ for Cambell’s Soup Company, USA, 1997

BUTTERFLY
15-second commercial animation spot
Direction, screenplay, visual art, animation
Production: Acme Filmworks in Hollywood for United Airlines, Locomotion Channel

WIECZORYNKA – JESIEŃ
Front and back credits for the programme ‘Wieczorynka’ TVP S.A. | 00:25′.
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio of Animation Films for TVP

WIECZORYNKA – ZIMA
Front and back credits for the programme ‘Wieczorynka’ TVP S.A. | 00:25′.
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio of Animation Films for TVP

1996
CARMEN TORERO z „Carmen-Suity” | 04:00’
Direction, screenplay, visual arts, animation
Production: TV Studio of Animated Films
Awards:
DIPLOMA OF RECOGNITION for directing the film, Jury of the International Biennial of Animated Films BAB’99, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1999-10-13
POZNAŃ GOATS AWARD for the author of the best artwork in animated film, Jury of the International Competition, XVI International Festival of Films for Children ‘Ale kino!’, Poznań, Poland, 1998-05-01
NOMINATION FOR ‘BEST OF THE WORLD’ for the film ‘Carmen Torero’, 7th International Animation Festival, Hiroshima, Japan, 1998-08-24
CERTIFICATE OF FINALIST for ‘a very beautiful film made using a unique animation technique’ awarded by the Jury of the 27th Wellington & Auckland International Film Festival, Wellington, New Zealand, 1998-08-02
SILVER CROSS AWARD for special artistic value, Jury of the 4th National Festival of Auteur Animated Films, Cracow, Poland, 1997-12-15
FIRST PLACE AWARD for the best animated film in the category up to 5 minutes, Jury of The 5th Los Angeles International Animation Competition ‘World Animation Celebration’, Los Angeles, USA, 1997-07-11

1995
CARMEN HABANERA z „Carmen-Suity” | 05:00’
Director, script, visual arts, animation
Production: TV Studio of Animated Films
Awards:
DIPLOMA OF RECOGNITION for directing the film, BAB’99 International Biennial of Animated Films, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1999-10-13
SPECIAL JURY DIPLOMA for originality of film visual arts, International Festival of Animated Films KROK’95, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1995-08-26

1995
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Four 30-second commercial films to opera music for the Austin Opera House, Texas, USA
Direction, script, artwork, animation
Production: Acme Filmworks in Hollywood
LUCIA
LA TRAVIATA
TANNHAUSER
SEASON
Award:
THIRD AWARD FOR ANIMATION of the film ‘Season’ for Professional Film up to 2 minutes, awarded by ASIFA – EAST ‘Animation Awards’, New York, USA, 1997-04-03

IMPRESSIONS 
Original film to music by Carlo Chanez
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: Acme Filmworks in Hollywood
Award:
THIRD AWARD FOR DESIGN for professional film up to 2 minutes ‘Impressions’, awarded by ASIFA – EAST ‘Animation Awards’, New York, USA, 1997-04-03

1994
CARMEN SUITE z „Carmen-Suity” | 05 :00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

1993
NAD PIĘKNYM MODRYM DUNAJEM Walc Op. 314 | ON THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE, 06:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

1991
EXULTATE JUBILATE ALLELUJA | 04:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK Romanze Andante z Serenady G-dur | 06:00‘
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

1990
ŁABĘDŹ ze Suity „Karnawał Zwierząt” | THE SWAN, 03:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych 
Awards:
DIPLOMA OF RECOGNITION for directing a film, BAB’99 International Biennial of Animated Films, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1999-10-13
GRAND PRIX for best animated film up to 10 minutes, International Animated Film Festival, Shanghai, China, 1992-12-10
SPECIAL AWARD for excellent transposition of music into pictures, 12th National Festival of Films for Children and Young People, Poznan, Poland, 1992-02-07
DIPLOMA OF HONOUR FOR BEST ANIMATION in 1990, Polish Filmmakers Association, Poznań, Poland, 1992-02-06

AVE MARIA (Ellens Gesang III, D.839) | 05:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych 
Award:
AWARD OF “SILVER KNIGHT” for the script and direction, 5th International Film Festival of the Slavonic and the Orthodox Church Nations “Golden Knight”, Minsk, Belarus, 1996-06-02

TANIEC SZKIELETÓW | DANCE MACABRE, 05:00’
Animation
Directed by Kazimierz Urbański
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

1989
THE SPINNER | PRZĄŚNICZKA , 03:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych 
Awards:
RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE for directing the film, International Biennial of Animated Films BAB’99, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1999
MAIN AWARD FOR ANIMATION for the year 1989 of the Polish Filmmakers Association, Warsaw, Poland, 1990-02-06

1988
TRUDNY RACHUNEK | 07:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

1987
PIERWSZA PODRÓŻ AKO | 06:00’
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

1984
TROY | TROJA | 07′
Debut, graduation film PWSSP
Director, script, artwork, animation
Production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych

Individual awards:
NOMINATION for the National Award for Artists “The Ring of the Elders of Bethlehem” for discovering the truth and conveying it in their films, Pastoral Ministry of Creative Communities, Archdiocese of Poznań, Poznań, 2005-01-06
AWARD – Albin Brunowski MEDAL for special achievements in the field of world animated film awarded by the Jury and Organisers of the International Biennial of Animated Films BAB’01, Bratislava, Slovakia, 2001-10-23
MEDAL OF YOUNG ART awarded by the editorial staff of ‘Głos Wielkopolski’ to Aleksandra Korejwo in the field of animated film ‘for original and innovative style’, Poznań, Poland, 1995
PRESS AWARD – ‘MY OSCARS’ awarded by Prof. Marek Hendrykowski: ‘Aleksandra Korejwo from the Television Animation Film Studio in Poznań – for achievements in film animation’, Poznań, Poland, 1992-12-01

Collective awards:
COLLECTIVE AWARD – PFFA SPECIAL AWARD FOR 2023 – for 43 years full of extraordinary artistic achievements that continue uninterruptedly [here: films by Aleksandra Korejwo], Polish Film Festival in America, Chicago, USA, 2023-11-19
COLLECTIVE AWARD – DIPLOMA OF RECOGNITION for 40 years of animated wonders [here: films by Aleksandra Korejwo], 9th National Animation Festival, Grand Final O!PLA’2021 ON-LINE!, Poland, 2021-05-08
COLLECTIVE AWARD – GREAT PRIZE OF THE CITY OF POZNANIA for activity for the development of culture and film art [films by Aleksandra Korejwo], Mayor of the City of Poznań Ryszard Grobelny, 4th International Animation Film Festival, Poznań, Poland, 2011-07-15
COLLECTIVE AWARD – GRATULATION ADDRESS to the team of TV Studio of Animation Films Ltd. on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the institution, with thanks for the artistic, full of revealing form film images enjoying recognition at home and abroad, and wishes of all the best [films by Aleksandra Korejwo], Ryszard Grobelny, Mayor of the City of Poznań, Poland, 2010-12-09
COLLECTIVE AWARD – GRATULATION LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CITY OF POZNAN submitted on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the first film screening in Poznań: ‘The top-notch artistic achievements of the Television Animation Film Studio [films of Aleksandra Korejwo] bring well-deserved fame to the filmmakers and are a great promotion for the City of Poznań. Thanking you for all this, congratulations once again from the bottom of my heart.’, Poznań, 2006-12-27
COLLECTIVE AWARD – GOLDEN CROSS AWARD for the TV Studio of Animated Films in Poznañ [films by Aleksandra Korejwo] for the great contribution and development of Polish animated film, which has brought infinite success to the Polish art of filmmaking, awarded by the Organising Committee and Jury of the VI All-Polish Festival of Original Animated Films OFAFA’2000, Kraków, Poland, 2000-12-16
COLLECTIVE AWARD – HONOURARY DIPLOMA to TV Studio of Animated Films [films by Aleksandra Korejwo] for a set of films to classical music awarded by the Organisers and Jury of Biennial of Animated Films BAB’99, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1999-10-13
COLLECTIVE AWARD – PRESS AWARD – ‘MY OSCARS’ awarded by Prof. Marek Hendrykowski [films by Aleksandra Korejwo]: ‘I would like to honour this year the Television Animation Film Studio in Poznań [films by Aleksandra Korejwo] for its excellent set of animated music videos for classical music, made in the most varied, often innovative, techniques. TV SFA works without much publicity on a day-to-day basis (if we don’t count the awards for its productions in Shanghai, Cairo or Chicago). But it is the original video clips to the music of Mozart, Moniuszko, Albinoni that constitute, as not everyone knows, one of the export hits of our television.’ Poznan, Poland, 1993-12-01
COLLECTIVE AWARD – HONORARY DIPLOMA to the TV Animation Film Studio for the series popularising classical music [films by Aleksandra Korejwo], awarded by the Jury of the 12th National Festival of Films for Children and Young People, Poznań, Poland, 1992-02-07

LINK TO ALEKSANDRA KOREJWO’S INTERVIEW ON PLATFORM YOUTUBE 

PROMOTIONAL LETTER – THE ART OF ANIMATION BY ALEXANDRA KOREJWO

AUTHORS’ AND COMMERCIAL FILMS MADE IN ACME FILMWORKS, HOLLYWOOD, USA, 1995-2008

Excerpt from an interview by Aleksandra Korejwo for Animation World Magazine, October 1998 no. 38
‘Sometimes you can do a commercial and be completely independent. It happened when I was shooting the title sequence for the Walt Disney Company film The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, with a script by Ray Bradbury. The brilliant designer Bob Dawson, film director Stuart Gordon and Roy Disney gave me a lot of space. They believed I would do the animation to the best of my ability, and I did. I think it’s very important in commercials that the agency and the client trust the animator/director. When I come back from the world of commercial animation to my own animation, I am always richer, my own vision is clearer and most importantly, my eyes are more open to other people’s points of view. I have just started to create animation for both my own film and my next commercial. I think I can say that the structure of making commercials and the freedom of making independent films have become a kind of harmonious marriage in my artistic life. Finally, I would like to follow Ray Bradbury’s philosophy from his book Zen in the Art of Writing. He gives us three words with which we should approach our lives: work, rest and don’t think (‘which results in more creativity’)! Finally, his definition of work – love what you do.’

INTERVIEW BY ALEKSANDRA KOREJWO IN THE MAGAZINE “ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE”, 1998

INTERVIEW BY ALEKSANDRA KOREJWO IN THE MAGAZINE “ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK“, 1996

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