SAVING MR. BANKS to Open Camerimage Film Festival

It was announced today that John Lee Hancock's much anticipated Saving Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell and Paul Giamatti, with cinematography from Academy Award nominated cinematographer John Schwartzman (Seabiscuit, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor), will open the 2013 Camerimage Film Festival with a gala screening (and Poland premiere) on Saturday, November 16th at Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, Poland - just three weeks before the film's US wide release. The announcement was made by Camerimage Festival Director Marek ?ydowicz.

Saving Mr. Banks tells the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney's iconic classic Mary Poppins made it to the big screen. Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," so he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Disney comes up against an uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get the Hollywood treatment. However, as the books slowly stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation. For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all of his magic in hopes to win Travers over. Armed with imaginative storyboards and catchy songs from the talented Sherman Brothers, Disney launches an aggressive pitch campaign for Travers, but the author doesn't budge. It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Disney discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.

Saving Mr. Banks is the latest film to be added to a stellar lineup of films screening at the 21st edition of Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography. To view the Festival's full competition lineup, please visit http://www.camerimage.pl/.

Camerimage's prestigious Golden Frog, Silver Frog and Bronze Frog awards will be bestowed upon main competition titles representing the greatest achievements in cinematography. The festival runs from November 16th - 23rd in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Among the honorees at this year's festival are Golden Globe nominee and Emmy winner John Turturro (Transformers, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Transformers: Dark of the Moon), who will be presented with the Festival's distinguished 'Special Award to Actor-Director.' Academy Award nominated cinematographerS?awomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Gattaca) will be the recipient of the Festival's prestigious 'Lifetime Achievement Award.' Two-time Oscar winning production designer and art director Rick Carter (Avatar, Forrest Gump, Jurassic Park) will be the recipient of the Festival's 'Production Designer with Unique Visual Sensitivity Award.' And celebrated filmmaker Joan Churchill (Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Shut Up & Sing, Kurt & Courtney) will be bestowed the Festival's 'Award for Outstanding Achievements in Documentary Filmmaking.'

About CAMERIMAGE

Now in its 21st Edition, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE is the most recognized festival dedicated to the art of cinematography and is the biggest international film festival in Poland. The unconventional format of the Festival, which awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values, is a unique alternative to traditional film festivals.

CAMERIMAGE proves to be a great forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking and provides a platform for young filmmakers to explore new artistic areas.

In addition to the main competition, the Festival offers a Polish Films Competition, Student Etudes Competition, Documentary Films Competition, Feature Debuts Competition, Music Videos Competition, Camerimage Market, Camerimage Forum, special screenings and premieres, various reviews, retrospectives, meetings and also accompanying events such as art exhibitions and music performances.

Various presentations of modern film equipment and of the latest production and postproduction technologies (both traditional and digital) are also an inherent aspect of the Festival and have been organized with cooperation from companies such as Arri, Panavision, Kodak, Hawk, K5600, J.L. Fisher, Sony, Panasonic, KinoFlo, Technicolor, Canon, Zeiss and Red.

CAMERIMAGE is an extraordinary event where art and technology meet, creating a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. Please visit http://www.camerimage.pl/ for more information.