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Robert Tutak
Professor
Film
Location: 219 West End Building
Phone: 718.951.5000 x2610
Fax: 718.951.4733
Email:
Writer-director Robert Tutak is a graduate of the Lodz Film School of Poland, recipient of the Fulbright Foundation Grant in Film, and the founder-director of the Manhattan Film Academy. Tutak's film credits include writing and directing three feature-length films: documentary on labor exploitation in Dubai, UAE, Dubai: A City of Dreams (U.S./UAE; distribution: 7th Art Releasing, U.S., Upside Television, France), independent feature Nobody's Perfect (U.S.; distribution: TLA Releasing), and made-for-TV Mecz (Poland; distribution: Channel 1 TVP, public television), as well as several short fiction films and documentaries. Tutak's work has been exhibited internationally in Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, among other countries, as well as in the United Sates, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Education:
Doctoral degree equivalent, Lodz Film School of Poland - 1991 (Directing for Film and Television)
M.A., Interdepartmental School of Contemporary Culture, University of Wroclaw (Poland) - 1977 (Culture Sciences / Cultural Anthropology)
Areas of Expertise:
Writing, directing, producing, editing.
Creative Work
ELLIS ISLAND: EXCLUDED AND DEPORTED, a feature documentary on the influence of eugenics on the inspection line at Ellis Island. Currently in post-production. Writer, director, producer. 2016
THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, independent feature film, shot entirely on location in rural Bangladesh; dir. Saud Jubaer. Executive Producer. 2016
Work-in-progress: Ellis Island: Excluded and Deported, a feature documentary on the influence of eugenics on the medical and mental inspection of aliens at the Ellis Island immigration station in early 20th century. Log line: The faces of immigrants to the U.S. changed over the years. The fear of the other--never did. 2015
Work-in-progress: Tadeusz Kosciuszko and the Victory at Saratoga, feature documentary for public television. Log Line: Thaddeus Kosciuszko: He was "as a pure a son" of American liberty as Thomas Jefferson ever knew -- a foreigner, stranger and outsider. The American Revolution: A history of corruption, privatism, and heroism. The Northern Campaign of 1777: A trail of the humiliating defeat at Ticonderoga that led Americans to the spectacular victory at Saratoga. The documentary focuses on the Polish volunteer Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who aided the American Revolution, and the key role he played in defeating the British at Saratoga in 1777. 2014
Writer, director and producer, Dubai: A City of Dreams, feature documentary on labor exploitation and human rights abuses in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Log line: Dubai is a city of dreams. Some dreams come true. Some don't. 64 mins; full version, 52 mins. Distribution: 7th Art Releasing, United States (North America); Upside Television, Paris (worldwide). 2010
Writer, director, and producer, Nobody's Perfect, independent feature film starring Leonardo Nam (The Perfect Score, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), 96 mins. Distribution: TLA Releasing. 2002
Co-writer, Parallax, un-produced feature screenplay. 1996
Producer, The Subway, short documentary. Production: PTVN, New York. Distribution: Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York; Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland. 1992
Producer, Actor, short documentary. Production: PTVN, New York. Distribution: Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York; Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland. 1991
Producer, Pacifists, short documentary. Production: PTVN, New York. Distribution: Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York; Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland. 1991
Producer, Posters, short documentary. Production: PTVN, New York. Distribution: Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York; Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland. 1991
Producer, Greenpoint Story, short documentary. Production: PTVN, New York. Distribution: Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York; Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland. 1990
Producer, Tomek, short documentary. Production: PTVN, New York. Distribution: Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York; Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland. 1990
Writer and director, Mecz (Match), made-for-TV movie of the week, 80 mins. Production: PTV 1, Polish public television, Warsaw, Poland. 1988
Writer and director, Cisza (Silence), short documentary, 35mm. Production and distribution: Educational Film Production House (WFO), Lódz, Poland. 1985
Writer and director, Swieto (Holiday), live-action short, 35mm. Production and distribution: Lodz Film School of Poland (PWSFTviT). 1985
Writer and director, Twarz (The Face), short documentary, 35mm. Production and distribution: Lodz Film School of Poland (PWSFTviT). 1983
Writer and director, Pragnienie (Thirst), live-action short, 35mm. Production and distribution: Lodz Film School of Poland (PWSFTviT). 1982
Writer and director, Pani Marysia (Ms. Mary), short documentary, 16mm. 1981
Writer and director, Rodzina (A Family), short documentary, 35mm. Production: Lodz Film School of Poland (PWSFTviT). 1981
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
Jury member, International Film Festival Krasnogorski, Moscow, April 2-7. (Awards and Honors) 2015
Other Professional Activities
Dubai: A City of Dreams, broadcast on cable television TVI, Portugal. 2014
Dubai: A City of Dreams, broadcast on Spiegel TV Wissen, Germany. 2014
Dubai: A City of Dreams, broadcast on cable television IRIB Iran. 2013
Dubai: A City of Dreams, broadcast on cable television RTL TVI Belgium. 2013
Dubai: A City of Dreams, screening at the 7th Annual United Nations Association Film Festival Traveling Festival, Carroll University, Waukesha, Wis.; United Nations Association Waukesha Chapter. 2012
Dubai: A City of Dreams, broadcast on PLANETE, Canal + television, Poland. 2012
Dubai: A City of Dreams, broadcast on cable television RSI LA 2 Radiotelevisione swizzera, Switzerland. 2012
Dubai: A City of Dreams, screening at Kumu Doumentaal, Eesti Kunstimuuseum (Art Museum of Estonia), Tallinn, Estonia. 2011
Dubai: A City of Dreams, screening at the 14th United Nations Association Film Festival, Stanford University, East Palo Alto, Calif. 2011
Dubai: A City of Dreams, screening at the Fifth Annual New Orleans Middle East Film Festival, New Orleans. 2011
Mecz (Match), broadcast on Polish Public Television, Channel 1 TVP, Warsaw, Poland, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999. 2011
Tadeusz Kosciuszko and the American Revolution trailer, in the permanent collection of the Kosciuszko House Museum in Kosava, Belarus (donation of the United States Embassy, Minsk, Belarus). 2011
Dubai: A City of Dreams trailer, GRITtv with Laura Flanders (Free Speech TV, Dish Network, DIRECTV). 2010
Dubai: A City of Dreams, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China. Theme: Documentaries Tell the Best Stories -- International Docs Journey into Campus: (1) South Sun Yat-sen University; (2) South China University of Technology; (3) Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center. 2010
Dubai: A City of Dreams, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China; Sapphire Arts Space & Galaxy Cinema. 2010
Dubai: A City of Dreams, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Docs for Sale. 2010
Twarz (The Face), Cultural Center, Cluj, Romania. 2008
Twarz (The Face), la Cinemateca Romană, Bucharest, Romania. 2008
Twarz (The Face), Cinetheque du Fresnoy (Studio national des arts contemporains), France, Films Courts, l'Ecole de Lodz, organized in collaboration with MoMA NYC. 2004
Twarz (The Face), International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, November. 2004
Nobody's Perfect, Anthology Film Archives. 2003
Nobody's Perfect, Marche du Film, Cannes Film Festival, France. 2003
Homework, Triangle Television, New Zealand. 2002
Nobody's Perfect, Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. 2002
Thirst and The Face, Retrospective of the Lodz Film School of Poland, Cleveland Cinematheque. 2001
Thirst and The Face, Retrospective of the Lodz Film School of Poland, Pacific Film Archives, Berkeley, Calif. 2001
Thirst and The Face, Retrospective of the Lodz Film School of Poland, Santa Fe Cinematheque. 2001
The Face, Retrospective of the Lodz Film School of Poland, UCLA Film and Television Archives, November. 1999
Thirst and The Face, Retrospective of the Lodz Film School of Poland, Museum of Modern Art, New York, January. 1999
Pragnienie, Channel 1 TVP (public television), Warsaw, Poland, 1983, 1985, 1989. 1992
The Subway and Pacifists, Channel 1 TVP (public television), Warsaw, Poland. 1992
The Subway, Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York. 1992
Actor and Posters, Channel 1 TVP (public television), Warsaw, Poland. 1991
Pacifists, Actor, Posters and Tomek, Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York. 1991
Thirst, Film/Video Arts, Inc., New York. 1991
Thirst, Film Arts Foundation, San Francisco. 1990
Tomek and Greenpoint Story, Channel 1 TVP (public television), Warsaw, Poland. 1990
Tomek and Greenpoint Story, Channel 31 WNYC-TV, New York. 1990
Match, Festival of Polish Feature Films, Gdansk, Poland. 1989
Thirst and Match, The Young Polish Cinema, Gdansk, Poland. 1989
Thirst, Cleveland International Film Festival. 1989
Thirst, European Film Festival, Poland and Stuttgart, Germany. 1989
Thirst, Film Arts Foundation Film Festival, San Francisco. 1989
Thirst, Polish Institute of Paris, France. 1989
Thirst, San Francisco Art Institute Film Festival. 1989
Thirst and The Face, Internationale Kurzfilmtage, Oberhausen, Germany. Following the festival, a yearlong tour of Germany as part of the "Polish Retrospective." 1988
The Face, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (German public television network), Mainz, Germany. 1986
Thirst and The Face, Koszalin Meetings, International Festival of Young Cinema, Koszalin, Poland. 1986
Thirst and The Face, Polnische Kurzfilme - Tour of Germany. Films were shown in art houses and on campuses in Berlin, Hanover, Frankfurt, Cologne, Bremen, Osnabruck, Freiburg and Bielefeld. Organized by junges forum Reclinghausen, West Germany. 1986
Thirst, Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinematographiques, Paris. 1985
Thirst, Third International Festival of Non-Commercial Art, Wroclaw, Poland. 1985
Thirst and The Face, International Film Festival, Munich. 1984
Thirst, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (German public television network), Mainz, Germany. 1984
Thirst, International Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland. 1983
Thirst, International Film Students Meeting, Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia, organized by Centre International de Liaisons des Ecoles du Cinema et Television (International Center of Liasons of Cinema and Television Schools). 1983
