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UNICA 2009
in Gdansk
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Getting there | National programme times | Where to stay | Prices

UNICA 2009

in Gdansk, Poland from Friday 4th - Sunday 13th September

The gothic city hall in Gdansk.
photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski

If ever a city had a turbulent history, it is Gdansk, formerly known as Danzig.

Today it is a prosperous trading port on the Baltic Sea - part of tri-city three linked towns on Poland's coastline. Largely restored to older glories in the 1950s and 1960s it is now an important tourist destination. And in 2009 it will be the host for the UNICA Festival.

Poland organised much-enjoyed UNICAs in 1997 and 2003 so they are well-versed in preparing and arranging all that is necessary. The film movement is strong there. The previous festivals were in Warsaw, so there is a fresh element for 2009.

Witold Kon, director of the festival, says: "Gdansk is a magical, incredibly fascinating city with a rich history and hundreds of ancient monuments. It is the true pearl of the Polish coast."

Details of the excursions and much more will become available in the months leading up to the event so check back here for the latest information.

The medieval cathedral in Gdansk.
photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski

Film Programmes

Each member country's national federation chooses a programme of films to represent them. There must be a five minute gap between each film and the total time slot awarded to each country depends on results in preceding years. For 2009 the order of national programmes and times are:
01 Poland 75 11 Andorra 75 21 Tunisia 65
02 Italy 70 12 Georgia 60 22 Slovakia 60
03 Austria 60 13 United Kingdom 70 23 Czech Republic 60
04 Estonia 60 14 Argentine 70 24 Spain 75
05 Germany 65 15 Iran 70 25 Finland 60
06 Korea 75 16 Macedonia 60 26 Belgium 65
07 Liechstenstein 60 17 Slovenia 60 27 Latvia 60
08 Netherlands 75 18 Switzerland 70 28 Luxemburg 65
09 Russia 65 19 Sweden 65 29 France 70
10 Bulgaria 60 20 Hungary 65 30 Croatia 65

Getting There from Britain

The old city of Gdansk.
photo by Mary Green

Flights into the city's Lech Walesa Airport leave from Birmingham, Bristol, Doncaster, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Luton and Stansted. For details click here.

By rail the journey from London to Gdansk takes between 22 and 31 hours, typically changing in Brussels, Berlin, Pasewalk and Szczecin Glowny.

By car - about 17 hours of driving plus cross-channel ferry - but local websites suggest the last part of the journey may be difficult. New roads are being built but are not yet ready. Poland has the highest accident rate in Europe, so only travel by car if you know what you are doing!

By bus - Eurolines can take you direct from London to Gdansk in a journey of 26 hours for about £113 (mid 2008 prices).

By boat - Fly to Stockholm and then take a boat. Ferries from Sweden depart from Nynäshamn (south of Stockholm but on commuter rail routes)  fare around 70 Euros. Or Karlskrona (even further south and a slightly trickier journey from Stockholm) fare about 50 Euros.

Where to Stay

There is no shortage of options in the three towns which cluster together round the port of Gdansk. The Polish Federation has a deal with Novotel in the centre and Mercure Hevelius - both modern hotels at the heart of Gdansk. Double rooms 134 Euros (£106) and single rooms 125 Euros (£99). You can book  by downloading the form as a pdf file from here and sending it to the Polish Federation of Independent Film Makers.

The old town buildings in Gdansk.
photo by "macieq"

UNICA Prices

Technically there is no charge for attending the screenings. The fees cover special events. A Full Congress Card including all events costs 200 Euros (£158) up to the end of May. From 1st June 220 Euros (£174)

If you prefer to pick-and-choose:
Opening dinner - usually involving entertainment peformances 70 Euros £55
Full day excursion - to local places of interest including transport and meals 80 Euros £63
Half day excursion - to local places of interest including a meal 40 Euros £32
Gala evening - entertainments, awards ceremonies and farewells 70 Euros £55

More Information

The Polish Federation is setting up a special website which is not quite ready yet. You can find out about Gdansk - in English - from the town's official site at www.en.gdansk.gda.pl.


Flying to Gdansk

These details are only a rough guide. We checked timetables and fares in the Autumn of 2008. Note that flight days, times and fares can change at short notice. We show the fare for one adult return including all taxes. On budget airlines you will pay an extra handling fee of around £5 for paying by credit card.

Several major airlines provide services which can connect most airports in Britain with Gdansk, usually changing at Heathrow and Warsaw. The only one worth considering on cost grounds is Lot the Polish airline ... though it has a reputation for arriving late so watch the transfer times between flights.
from Heathrow: returning from Gdansk:
dep

6.50

arr

14.45 dep

5.40

arr

9.35

dep 10.35

arr

16.50 dep

10.00

arr

16.40

dep 17.50

arr

23.30 dep

17.15

arr

21.50

Return fare from Heathrow about £175 - obviously extra for connections to and from other British airports.

The budget airlines offer not only much lower fares but direct flights. Their fares can change a lot depending when you book. When we checked most were operating a "£0" or "£0.99" fare scheme and what you pay mainly reflects taxes.

Birmingham Airport

Ryanair fly out and back on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
leaving returning
dep

17.25

arr

20.45 dep

21.10

arr

22.40

Fare £30

Bristol Airport

Ryanair service starts October 2008. It looks like Wednesdays and Sundays
leaving returning
dep

6.00

arr

9.20 dep

9.45

arr

11.15

Fare £50

Doncaster-Sheffield Airport

Wizz Air fly out and back on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
leaving returning
dep

21.45

arr

00.50 dep

19.55

arr

21.15

Fare £38

Edinburgh Airport

Centralwings fly out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and
return from Gdansk on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
leaving returning
dep

9.40

arr

13.20 dep

13.35

arr

15.30

Fare £90

Glasgow-Prestwick Airport

Wizz Air fly out and back on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
leaving returning
dep

7.55

arr

11.15 dep

6.00

arr

7.30

Fare £35

Liverpool Airport

Wizz Air fly out and back on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
leaving returning
dep

8.05

arr

11.15 dep

6.00

arr

7.35

Fare £50

London-Luton Airport

Wizz Air fly out every day
leaving returning
dep

8.00

arr

11.10 dep

6.10

arr

7.30

dep 20.50 arr 23.15 dep 18.45 arr 20.05

Fare £37

London Stansted Airport

Ryanair fly every day
leaving returning
dep

6.10

arr

9.25 dep

9.50

arr

11.10

but also on Fridays,Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays
dep 17.55 arr 21.10 dep 21.35 arr 22.35

Fare £45



Page updated on 06 November 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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