About | Studio Filmów Rysunkowych

Animated
Films

Studio

What we do

PRODUCTIONS

Animations for children and adult audiences

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PROJECTS

OKO Story and Animation Center

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RECONSTRUCTION

Digitization Center

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Our
Heroes

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Reksio

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Spy from the Rainy Realms

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Pampalini the Animal Hunter

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Leon the Fox and the Beaver

Kuba and Śruba

Bolek and Lolek

Tola

A Kangaroo Named Hip-Hop

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Mak the Snail and Onka the Ladybug

Our History

1947

Our adventure begins over the hills and far away – that is in the Polish city of Katowice, where the Experiment Animated Film Studio was established. The next year, we moved to Wisła, but would go on to find our final home elsewhere – in Bielsko-Biała, where we reside with our stories and films to this very day!

1948

The studio’s first movie, Czy to był sen? [Was That a Dream?], is released. Don’t let the title fool you – the beginnings of our adventure were very much real. Up until 1950, we managed to produce four more movies!

1951

A wolf named Barnaba and a bobcat by the name of Bazyli run a shop together, serving their forest-dwelling clientele. They’re far from your dream shopkeepers – they fleece and rip off everyone. To defend themselves, the forest animals finally set up a co-op. That’s the summary for Władysław Nehrebecki’s Opowiedział dzięcioł sowie [The Woodpecker Said to the Owl], based on Jan Brzechwa’s poem by the same name. That same year, Wilki i niedźwiadki [Wolves and Bear Cubs], directed by Wacław Wajser, was released in cinemas nationwide. 1951 marks the actual start of the film department within the studio.

1952

A decree from the Ministry of Culture and Art changed the legal status of the Studio – rendering it a state filmmaking institution and giving it a name: the Animated Film Section of the Feature Film Studio in Łódź.

1953

Lechosław Marszałek begins his filmmaking career with a bang. His Koziołeczek [Little Goat] soon finds itself with a laurel wreath on its head after winning the main prize in Karlovy Vary and a distinction in Venice. This was the first time a Polish animation brought in a win at an international industry event.

1956

On January 1 that year, the Studio was converted into a state enterprise, with its own director, administration, and program section, and rechristened the Animated Film Studio – a name it carries to this day.

1958

The Studio’s offices, housed in the late-nineteenth-century villa once owned by German soapmaker Julius Roth, soon proved much too small. A decision was made to pull down the roof and build out the premises. This gave the studio a second floor and a series of rooms on the third floor, including a screening hall.

1963

That year saw the first time the biggest stars in Polish animation – Bolek and Lolek – graced the silver screen. Beloved by audiences younger and older, the duo would go on a series of incredible adventures in the Studio’s films over the next twenty-three years.

1967

That’s when Reksio, a canine celebrity that needs little introduction, hopped into the limelight. Twenty-three seems to be the magic number for us – this is how long we worked on the movies featuring the adventures of this remarkable doggie!

60's

Our in-house roster of characters fills out. We introduce Polish audiences to the Blue Knight as well as the cook Bartłomiej Bartolini, of the Green Parsley coat-of-arms, alongside his trusty companions – the Wawel Dragon and Professor Gąbka.

70's

With a slew of new productions, our youngest audiences had a lot of options – they could pick and choose from Miś Kudłatek [Fuzzy Bear], Pampalini łowca zwierząt [Pampalini the Animal Hunter], and Kangurek Hip-Hop [A Kangaroo Named Hip-Hop]. Kids were waiting in anticipation for Przygody Myszki [Adventures of the Mouse] and Przygody Baltazara Gąbki [Adventures of Baltazar Gąbka] in front of their TVs.

1973

That year saw a new character – Tola – introduced into the Bolek and Lolek universe. Speaking with the Kurier Polski newspaper, Władysław Nehrebecki described the new arrival: “It is basically us fulfilling the wish of the female portion of our audience.”

1977

Remember this date – as it marks the release of the first Polish animated feature film. The premiere of Wielka podróż Bolka i Lolka [Bolek and Lolek’s Grand Adventure], directed by Władysław Nehrebecki and Stanisław Dülz, was a MAJOR event.

80's

A new decade means new animated series! We released Lis and Leon [A Fox and Leon], Marceli Szpak dziwi się światu [Marceli Szpak Ponders the World], and Podróże kapitana Klipera [Captain Kliper’s Travels]. The new characters make quick friends with Reksio and his crew.

1983

Lechosław Marszałek’s Przygody Błękitnego Rycerzyka [Adventures of the Blue Knight] is released in cinemas nationwide. Big courage requires a big screen!

1985

In the spring of that year, William Hanna, an American animator, director, producer, and co-founder of the legendary Hanna-Barbera studio, paid a visit to Bielsko-Biała. Collaborating with this renowned U.S. production studio, we created animations and designs for seven episodes of The Flintstone Kids.

1986

Zdzisław Kudła and Franciszek Pyter adapted the novel Porwanie w Tiutiurlistanie [An Abduction in Tiutiurlistan] for the screen. Their feature-length animation brought the book’s characters, beloved by young readers, to the big screen.

1986

Bolek and Lolek finally retire, finishing their spectacular career with one last film – Bolek i Lolek na Dzikim Zachodzie [Bolek and Lolek in the Wild West], directed by Stanisław Dülz.

the 1990s

We’re still teeming with ideas, producing new animated series, including: Cywilizacja [Civilization], Podróże do bajek [A Journey into Fairytale], Bajki pana Bałagana [Tales of Mr. Bałagan], Karrypel kontra Groszki [Karrypel vs. the Peas], Szkoła Mędrców [School of Wise Men], and Między nami bocianami [Between Us Storks].

1999

Zdzisław Kudła decides that the Studio will have its own cinema. With a cozy, intimate atmosphere, a well-crafted repertoire, and an ambitious program, the venue soon had a number of fierce and loyal fans.

2009

You smell the Toruń gingerbreads? Small wonder, after all this was the year of the release of Gwiazda Kopernika [The Star of Copernicus], a feature-length animated film directed by Zdzisław Kudła and Andrzej Orzechowski.

2015

Poland’s Minister of Culture and Heritage officially recognized our contribution, spanning several decades, to Poland’s cultural landscape. That year, the Animated Film Studio was named a state cultural institution – what an honor!

2016

Our new series Kuba i Śruba [Kuba and Śruba] was released. Written by Andrzej Orzechowski and Bronisław Zeman, who also directed the first season’s thirteen episodes alongside Marek Burda, the series tells the story of two brothers. Also that year, the Studio inked a contract with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the construction of the Interactive Story and Animation Center.

2022

In January, the Studio became a construction site again, as work officially began on the Interactive Story and Animation Center.

Great creators

Marek Burda

(b. 1958)

A graduate of the State Arts High School in Bielsko Biała, he began his career at the AFS in 1980 as an animator. Later on, he moved into the director’s…

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Józef Byrdy

(b. 1933, d. 2016)

Animator and director. At the AFS, he was involved with producing primarily children’s films. He also directed cutout animations and received a prestigious award in…

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Marian Cholerek

(b. 1946)

A graduate of the State Arts High School in Bielsko-Biała, he began his career at the AFS in 1969 as an inbetweener. Later on, he became an animator. A man of many talents, he not only created visuals for movies, he also penned scripts. Cholerek…

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Andrzej Czeczot

(b. 1933, d. 2012)

Screenwriter, visual designer, and director. His portfolio includes mostly animated films for mature audiences. His Makatki [Tapestries] brought him awards and prizes at festivals in Krakow and…

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Józef Ćwiertnia

(b. 1936, d. 2022)

Animator, screenwriter, artist and director. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, majoring in sculpture. One of the best producers of films about Reksio's adventures. Multiple winner of Poznań film…

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Stanislaw Dülz

(b. 1927, d. 2006)

Animator and director, one of the finest directors of Bolek and Lolek movies. He received numerous awards at film festivals in Tehran, Poznań, Calcutta, Szczecin, and…

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Andrzej Flettner

(b. 1951)

He joined the AFS in 1970, and spent nearly two decades as an animator. In 1989, he moved into the director’s chair. One of his animations received an award at a festival in Kaunas.…

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Jan Hoder

(b. 1939, d. 1984)

He started out at the AFS as an animator and later became a director. In 1976, he received an award from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his contributions to promoting Polish culture…

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Mirosław Kijowicz

(b. 1929, d. 2001)

Director, screenwriter, and set designer. His portfolio includes mostly original films, addressed to mature audiences. Kijowicz created his first AFS film in 1960. His work received numerous awards at film festivals in Krakow, Vienna, Edinburgh,…

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Romuald Kłys

(b. 1937, d. 1997)

He began his career as an animator and went on to become a director – mostly involved with films addressed to the youngest audiences. His work brought him recognition and awards at festivals in Poznań and…

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Eugeniusz Kotowski

(b. 1922, d. 1992)

He was an animated film producer hailing from Radziechów, a small town outside Lviv. He began his career as an animator and then went on to become a…

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Zdzisław Kudła

(b. 1937)

He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, with a major in painting. Kudła began his career at the AFS in 1963 as a decorator. Five years later, he made his debut as a director. He’s received numerous prizes at festivals in Poland…

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Alfred Ledwig

(b. 1929, d. 2006)

A cofounder of the AFS, he’s worked at the Studio as screenwriter, visual artist, and director. He was one of designers behind the fan favorite characters of Bolek and…

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Ryszard Lepióra

(b. 1947)

Director, screenwriter, and visual designer working in animated film. He graduated from the Polish studies program at the University of Wrocław. His film Koryto [Trough] brought him an award at a film festival in…

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Leszek Lorek

(b. 1922, d. 1978)

Screenwriter, visual artist, and director, he was one of the Studio’s co-founders and one of the artists behind Bolek and Lolek. He received awards at film festivals in Mar del Plata and…

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Aleksandra Magnuszewska-Oczko

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Lechosław Marszałek

(b. 1922, d. 1991)

Director, animator, screenwriter, and graphic artist, responsible for the visual and narrative form behind Reksio. He received multiple awards at film festivals in Poland (Krakow, Poznań, and Łódź) and abroad (Karlovy Vary, Venice,…

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Władysław Nehrebecki

(b. 1923, d. 1978)

Director, screenwriter, and one of the co-founders of the AFS, Nehrebecki helmed the Studio from 1961 to 1963. He received numerous awards at festivals around the globe (including in Cork, Oberhausen, Vancouver, Mar del Plata, Mannheim, Krakow,…

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Aleksander Oczko

(b. 1951)

Studied at the State Higher School of Art in Gdańsk and the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Oczko authored the visuals for multiple originals films and series. He also worked in graphic design, publishing, and book illustration. Oczko has been…

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Andrzej Orzechowski

(b. 1955)

Screenwriter and director, he graduated from a Polish studies program at the Jagiellonian University. Orzechowski helmed the Studio from 2010 to 2020. He’s also received awards for his works at events in Tomar, Moscow, Tehran, Łódź,…

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Jan Petryszyn

(b. 1942)

Screenwriter, visual artist, and director, he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. His work brought him awards at events in Łódź and…

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Zdzisław Poznański

(b. 1925, d. 1996)

Camera operator and later a director, involved primarily with documentary and training films. He was recognized for his work at events in Kielce, Katowice, and Warsaw. He also received a Felix…

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Franciszek Pyter

(b. 1939)

A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, where he majored in graphic arts. He joined the studio in 1969, first working as an inbetweener and later as an animator and decorator. He also designed the visuals for a number of movies…

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Wacław Wajser

(b 1923, d. 1984)

One of the co-founders of the Animated Film Studio, Wajser produced the first film for children audiences in the Studio’s portfolio. He received numerous awards at festivals around the globe (in Warsaw, Venice, Cork, Krakow, La Figuera,…

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Edward Wątor

(b. 1929, d. 1992)

A director, he graduated from the FAMU in Prague. His work brought him awards at events in Poznań and…

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Bronisław Zeman

(b. 1939)

Director, screenwriter, and visual designer, he graduated from the State Arts High School in Bielsko-Biała and later the Łódź Film School. He joined the AFS as an animator in 1958, and moved into the director’s chair in 1967. His…

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Wiesław Zięba

(b 1947, d. 2022)

Animator, graphic artist, and director. In 1982, he began producing films in…

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Jerzy Zitzman

(b 1918, d. 1999)

Graphic artist and long-serving director of the Banialuka State Puppet Theater in Bielsko Biała.

An Animated Film Studio collaborator, his portfolio includes primarily original films intended for mature audiences. He received awards…

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Behind the scenes

How does an animation get made?

Explore the answers to this question and look behind the scenes of our animated worlds. visit our Interactive Story and Animation Center and create your very own film!

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Directors of SFR

Zdzisław Lachur

(b. 1920, d. 2007)

headed the Studio from 1947 to 1952

Lachur was an artist, as well one of the founders of the Animated Film Studio and its first director. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, his works were exhibited…

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Stanisław Kasprzykowski

(b. 1920, d. 1961)

headed the Studio from 1956 to 1961

Screenwriter, best known for Generał i mucha [The General and the…

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Władysław Nehrebecki

(b. 1923, d. 1978)

headed the Studio from 1961 to 1963

Film and theater director, screenwriter, comic book author, animated film artist, one of the creators of the Bolek and Lolek series, and a cofounder of the Animated Film…

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Jerzy Schönborn

(b. 1932, d. 2007)

headed the Studio from 1963 to 1974

Film critic and columnist. For years, he served in high-ranking positions on the Cinematography Committee and the editorial board of the Feature and Documentary Film…

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Stanisław Szczepanik

(b. 1930, d. 2017)

headed the Studio in 1975, and then from 1981 to 1993

An economist by education, he spent years at the helm of the Animated Film Studio. During his tenure, the Studio produced one of its most acclaimed…

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Tadeusz Lubowski

(b. 1949)

headed the Studio from 1975 to 1980

A mathematics teacher and former principal of the Technical High School for Workers in Bielsko-Biała, Lubowski was very intent on expanding the Studio. He wanted to build two more…

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Zdzisław Kudła

(b. 1937)

headed the Studio from 1993 to 2010

Director, screenwriter, and set designer for animated film, Kudła graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, where he majored in painting. In 1963, he joined the Animated…

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Andrzej Orzechowski

(b. 1955)

headed the studio from 2010 to 2020

A Jagiellonian University graduate, he’s a screenwriter and director, who joined the Animated Film Studio in 1984. He co-authored the scripts for a number of films…

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Tomasz Małodobry

headed the Studio from December 18 to February 22,…

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Robert Banasiak

headed the Studio from February 23, 2021 to April 30,…

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Maciej Chmiel

headed the Studio from May 1, 2021 - present

Went down in the history of the Polish music world as the originator of the prestigious Fryderyk Music Awards. His talent knows no limits - not only did he serve as deputy director during the…

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