Photo copyright: Kasia Kasica, 2018
Paulina Majda was born in Lodz, Poland in 1979. She works at the intersection of fine arts, cinema, and the new immersive arts. She is a director of animations and immersive films, an art director and visual artist, a lecturer with almost 20 years of industry experience.
In 2005, she graduated (MA) from the faculty of Animation at the Film School in Lodz (PWSFTv i T). She also studied at the Danish Animation Workshop in Viborg (2010). In 2019, she earned the PhD in the field of Film Arts based on an animation fulldome movie ‘Hello Earth’ and PhD thesis entitled": “My Creative Path: From Assemblage to Domes – An Exploration of New Ways of Perceiving Cinema and Its Technical and Artistic Conditions Based on the Immersive Animation Film ‘Hello, Earth’.”
In 2018 - 2019, Paulina was animation lecturer in Arts University Plymouth (former Plymouth College of Art) in England. In 2020 - 2023 she worked at the Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz. Since 2019, she is a lecturer and assistant professor in Animation Department in Polish Film School in Lodz (PWSFTv i T). In 2022, under the scholarship of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, she’d finished her new audiovisual project combining traditional three - dimentional paintings with new immersive technologies VR and animation entitled ‘Fragments. Lost > Found > Transformed’. The major fragment of this project was shown at the individual exhibition ‘Polaczenia. Liaisons’ at the Mediateka MeMo in Lodz, Poland (2024).
Paulina has directed 8 animated films including 'Hello Earth' (2017), 'Dream to Fly' (2013), 'Two Steps Behind' (2010). She was also art director for Oscar winning puppet animation movie 'Peter and The Wolf' (2006) directed by Suzie Templeton. She has passion for traditional animation, but at the same time she explores different mediums and new technologies in all areas of her work. Both, independly and through long term collaborations (Copernicus Science Centre 2010 - 2018, Se-Ma-For Film Production 2006 - 2011) she directed prize-winning animations which have been warmly accepted by international audience and screen at the film festivals worldwide. Fulldome animation 'Dream to Fly' has been screened in more than100 digital planetariums all over the world in a daily repertoire. It’s been available in planetariums for more than 10 years now.
Her animations often combine different techniques and technologies from traditional cut-outs and stop-motion, through to 2D and 3D computer animations, and fulldome technology. She has great attention to detail including visual effect, music and sound. At the same time she knows the importance of the story, audience and good team co-operation, all of which are important values for her as a director.
Parallel to film, Paulina creates assemblages, sculptures and mini-installations.
www.filmpolski.pl/fp/index.php?osoba=1199467
www.fddb.org/fulldome-shows/dream-to-fly/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2991823/
https://vimeo.com/user19606401
Filmography / Art projects:
2024, “Polaczenia. Liaisons”, the collection of 30 assemblages, 6 animations and 1 VR experience based on original, authorial three-diamentional paintings (directing, art concept, animation, sound)
2020, “Opowiesci mojego domu”, the movie collection of fairy tales made by children, Pogranicze, Sejny (supervisor, editor)
2020, “My place in the Universe” (co - art director, animation, fulldome, dir. Eduard Thomas)
2017, "Hello Earth", (director/fulldome, co-writer, art director, editor)
2014, "Body", (director, adaptation, editor, production)
2014, "Three Kings", (designer, dir, Anna Blaszczyk)
2013, "Dream to Fly", (director/fulldome, co-writer, art director, editor, animator)
2011 - 2014, "Flapper and Friends", (set designer, tv series, dir. Krzysztof Brzozowski)
2010, "Two Steps Behind", (director/debut, writer, art director, animator)
2010, "Ties by corsets", (designer, dir. Basia Szewczyk)
2010, "Switez", (designer, dir. Kamil Polak)
2009, "International Drug Policy Animated Report 2009", (co-director with Anna Blaszczyk)
2007, "Good News, Bad New", (costume designer, props, dir. Kacper Shikeli)
2006, "Peter and The Wolf", (art director, still photographer, dir. Suzie Templeton)
2006, "Caracas", (animation, dir. Anna Blaszczyk)
2006, "The Bug Trainer", (still photographer)
2006, "Wawrzyniak 360", (animation, dir. Andrzej Baranski)
2005, "Deja vu", (director, writer, animator, design)
2003, "Invisible", (director, writer, animator, set designer)
2002, "Tango", (director, writer, animator, set designer)
2002, "Feels like sleeping", (costumes, dir. Maciej Majchrzak)
2003, "Night's Kiss", (costumes, dir. Marcin Latallo)
2003, "Aura", (costumes, props, dir. Anna Sujka)
2002, "Tamer", (director, set designer, animator)
2001, "Such a Landscape", (director, animator, set designer)
Theater:
2003, "Giselle", (costume designer, dir. Robert Strajner), Great Theater in Lodz, PL
2006, "Spider's web", (video animation, dir. Aleksandra Konieczna), Studyjny Theater in Lodz, PL
Main film festival screenings and nominations:
Annecy France, LIAF London, Cut Out Mexico, Animafest Zagreb, MIAF Melbourne, Palm Springs, Cannes Short Film Corner, MATITA Italy, Teheran Animation Film Festival, Animex UK, Centre of Pompidou "Polska Nova", Tricky Woman Austria, Animateka Slovenia, ZINEBI Bilbao, UNLIMITED Germany, Hiroshima Animation Festival, Nowe Horyzonty Wroclaw, Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy, IAFF Sofia, Telluride Film Festival Colorado, TOFUZI Batumi, Le Festival du Court Metrage de Nice, SICAF Seoul and others.
Scholarships and artistic residences:
2022 - Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, MKiDN, artistic scholarship
2016, Cerdeira Village Art and Craft Residency, Portugal, artistic residence
2015, Sam Rit Residency in Phimai, Thailand, artistic residence
2009 - Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage MKiDN 'Mloda Polska', artistic scholarship
2004 - Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, MKiDN, artistic student scholarship
Awards and distinctions:
2018
‘Hello Earth’, Best Animated Fulldome Film, First Minsk International Fulldome Festival, Minsk, BY
‘Hello Earth’, Gold Winner, 360, Degree Documentaries, Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, FR
‘Hello Earth’, Expo China Science and Technology (Best Special Effects Award), Beijing, CN
2017
‘Hello Earth’, Jena Fulldome Festival (Directors Award), DE
‘Hello Earth’, Fulldome Film Festival Brno (Best Fulldome Movie), CZ
2016
'Dream To Fly', Fiskie Fulldome International Film Festival (Audience Choice), Colorado, US
'Dream To Fly', Immersive Film Festival in Madrid (Best Fulldome Film), ES
2015
'Dream to Fly', 2nd Russian Fulldome Festival, Yaroslav (III Award), RU
'Dream to Fly', Central European Fulldome Festival, Brno (Best Movie), CZ
'Dream to Fly', Immersive Film Festival IFF'15 Espinho, Portugal (Best 3D Film), PT
2014
'Dream to Fly', Macao International Fulldome Festival (Audience Choice), CN
'Dream to Fly', Festival, Beijing, China (Best Visuals and Best Audience Choice), CN
2013
'Dream to Fly', Imiloa Fulldome Film Festival, Hawaii (Best Script and Story), US
'Dream to Fly', Fulldome Film Festival in Jena, Germany (Directors Award), DE
2012
'Two Steps Behind', Animocje Bydgoszcz (distinction), PL
2011
'Two Steps Behind', CUT OUT Mexico (I Award in non-narrative category), MX
'Two Steps Behind', OFAFA Krakow (distinction), PL
2004
'Tolerance' painting debut competition (laureate), Warsaw, PL
'Tango',KLAPS Film Festival in Turek, (distinction), PL
'Deja Vu', ALE KINO International Young Audience Film Festival, Poznan (distinction), PL
2002
'Tango', OFAFA Krakow (distinction), PL
Conferences, jury, expert:
2023, Fest Anca,16th Inter. Animation Festival, Student Forum (representative of PWSFTv i T), SK
2021, Festiwal Film AT (jury member), Warsaw, PL
2021, Fulldome Festival Brno FFB (jury member), Brno, CZ
2018, Jena Fulldome Festival (jury member), Jena, DE
2017, Astra Film Festival (presentation), Sibiu, RU
2016, Revolve IPS Conference (presentation), Warsaw, PL
2015, Polish Film Institute (expert), PL
2014, Fulldome Festival UK 2014 (jury member), Leicester, UK
2014, IMERSA Summit (presentation), Denver, US
2013, CAP Communicating Astronomy with a Public (presentation), Warsaw, PL
2013, Film Festival ANIMOCJE (jury member, presentation), Bydgoszcz, PL
2007, Animation Film Festival (presentation), Lille, FR
2007, Film Museum in Lodz (talk & animation workshops), PL
Publications:
2022, ‘At home under the Dome’, ACADEMIA - The magazine of the Polish Academy of Sciences | 2022 | No 2 (74) Space | 78-84 | DOI: 10.24425/academiaPAS.2022.143456
2022, ‘Mein Platz im Universum’, Eduard Thomas, graphics
2016, Revolve IPS Conference (conference proceedings), Warsaw, PL
Exhibitions:
2024 ‘Polaczenia. Liaisons’ , Mediateka Memo, Lodz, PL (solo, paintings, animations) https://memo.lodz.pl/galeria/wernisaz-wystawy-pauliny-majdy,199
2019 ‘Wystawa urodzinowa’, Galeria In Blanco, Centrum Kultury Lutnia, Lodz, PL (solo, paintings)
2008 60 Years of Polish Animation, Muzeum Kinematografii, Lodz, PL (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, accompanying exhibition)
2008 „Kino. Sztuka. Mise – en - scene”, Miejska Galeria Sztuki, Czestochowa, PL (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, accompanying exhibition)
2008 Centrum Scenografii Polskiej, „Peter and The Wolf. Oskar 2008”, Katowice, PL (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, accompanying exhibition)
2008 „Oskar Se-Ma-Fora”, Muzeum Ksiazki, Lodz, PL (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, accompanying exhibition)
2008 Gazeta Wyborcza, Lodz, PL (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, solo)
2008 ‘Piotrus i Wilk na zdjeciach’, Muzeum Kinematografii, Lodz, PL (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, solo)
2007 Filharmonia Lódzka, ‘Peter and the Wolf’ Polish Premier (photographs from ‘Peter and The Wolf’, accompanying exhibition)
2005 ‘Kostium w roli glownej’, Galeria „Malenka”, Lodz, PL (costume projects, solo)
2005 „Tolerancja. Tolerance”, group exhibition of laureates of the competition for the best painting debut, Warsaw, PL (painting, group)
2002 ‘Kompozyc - ja’, Galeria „Salon”, Lodz, PL (assemblages, solo)
2002 „Express Your World”, international exhibition for young artists, Lyon, FR (paintings, group)