Academy Award nominated filmmaker Hanna Polak began her studies in the
Cinematography division of The Cinematography School of Moscow in 2002. In
2004 Hanna completed work on her first independent short film on the life
of legendary filmmaker Albert Maysles entitled, Al. Al first opened at the
Documentary Film Festival in Krakow, Poland, where Albert Maysles received
his Life-Time Achievement Award.

In 2004 Hanna completed her documentary film, The Children of Leningradsky.
The Children of Leningradsky was nominated for an Oscar in the category of
Best Short Documentary subject in 2005.

The Children of Leningradsky received also in 2005 the International
Documentary Association Annual Documentary Achievement Award as a Best
Documentary.

In 2006 The Children of Leningradsky was nominated for Emmy Award in two
categories: for Best Documentary and for Outstanding Individual Achievement
in a Craft: Editing.

The Children of Leningradsky has been also nominated for the
American Library Association Notable Videos for Adults list and
received Duna TV award in 2006.

The movie also received Gracie Allen Award, given by the American Women in
Radio & Television.

Hanna's additional works include, My Warsaw - Look From The East for ARTE
TV and Channel 2 on Polish TV, where she worked as assistant to the
director.

Hanna has been involved in charitable activities in Russia since 1995. In
1997 Hanna founded and later collaborated with Active Child Aid to help the
underprivileged children of Russia. Hanna uses her photography to help the
Russian children. Her photographs have been printed in various magazines
and newspapers including, Ogonyok (Russia), The Moscow Times (Russia),
Avisa Norland (Norway), Olivia (Poland), Przekroj (Poland), Los Angeles
Times (USA), Nowy Dziennik (US?), Kurier Plus (USA), Newsweek (Poland),
Super Express (Poland) and others.

Her work as a freelance cinematographer has been featured on ABC TV,
France-2, Fuji TV (Japan), ITN (England), TVN (Poland) and various Russian
TV stations.

Her work is also featured on HBO and Canal +, Belgian Radio and TV and
other international TV channels.

In 2002 Hanna received the award for The Best Producer of Documentary and
Short Films at the Documentary Film Festival in Krakow. In 2005 she was
awarded the Crystal Mirror award by the Zwierciadlo magazine in Poland, the
award for the “people of dialogue, those who are uniting, not dividing”.
She was also awarded with a prestigious prize “Golden Heart Award” in
Russia, the Award given for the service to the higher ideals of mankind.

In 2005 Hanna was a jury member at the Documentary Film Festival in Krakow
and she has received the “Platinum Goat“ award at the festival “Ale Kino”
in Poznan, Poland.

Hanna was born in 1967 in Katowice, Poland. From 1987-88 she worked as a
stage performer in the Theatre of Entertainment, Chorzov. In 1988-91 Hanna
studied acting and theatre studies at the Acting School in Wroclav and
Warsaw.