DOCUMENTARY AND FEATURE FILM STUDIO

(Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych, WFDiF)

   Founded in 1949 as Documentary Film Studio (Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych, WFD), this Warsaw-based studio was originally responsible only for the production of documentary films and the Polish Newsreel (Polska Kronika Filmowa, PKF). Since 1961 the studio also began to coproduce feature films at its new facilities at Chełmska Street in Warsaw. The studio's production of feature films increased from four in the 1960s to twenty in the 1970s.In the 1980s, to reflect its new production profile, the studio changed its name to Documentary and Feature Film Studio. Since 1995 the studio has also been developing its film projects independently. During its long history, the studio produced several award-winning documentaries by, among others, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Tadeusz Makarczyński, Jan Łomnicki, and Krystyna Gryczełowska. In addition, a number of acclaimed Polish films have been produced there, directed by Andrzej Wajda (Man of Marble, 1977, and Man of Iron, 1981), Krzysztof Kieślowski (Decalogue, 1988), and Krzysztof Zanussi (Illumination, 1973, and Camouflage, 1977). The studio's Film Archive Department has an excellent collection of films produced by WFDiF, including every edition of the Polish Newsreel, as well as several documentary films produced before 1939.

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof