JERZY TOEPLITZ
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JERZY TOEPLITZ
Jerzy Toeplitz was the foundation Director of AFTRS from 1973 to 1979.
In 1970 he had come to Australia as consultant to the Interim Council for the National Film & Television Training School and in 1972-3 was visiting professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
He was born in Charkov, Russia and educated in Warsaw, Poland where he gained a Masters in Law & a Doctorate of Philosophy. In his early twenties he joined an avant garde group of students who were committed to artistic filmmaking. After a five year period of filmmaking in London, where he was involved with everything from scripting to selling, he returned to Poland in 1937 to work as a journalist and for the Council of Polish Cinematography.
In 1948 he was co-founder of the Polish Film School, where he remained Head for nearly 20 years. Graduates from this school include Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski and Jerzy Skolimowski.
In 1952 he published the first volume of his history of cinema: Historia sztuki filmowej. At the time of his death in 1995 he had published six volumes and was working on volumes seven and eight.
Professor Toeplitz was President of the International Federation of Film Archives, 1948-72, Vice-President of the International Film & Television Council, 1966-72, and he served on the juries of numerous international film festivals.
He was also Head of the Cinema Department of the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Science and visiting professor at the University of California Theatre Department, Los Angeles.
When Jerzy left Australia he was honoured with the Award of Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and was also the recipient from the Australian film industry of the AFI Raymond Longford Award.
In 1993 he was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival with the Rossellini Award for services to cinema, citing his leadership of the Polish and Australian film schools.
In 1988 he returned to Australia to attend the opening of the new building of AFTRS at North Ryde, Sydney, and the naming of the library in his honour. He said at the time that the film school had fulfilled its role "because it has given impetus to new filmmakers and played a crucial role in the cultural life of the country. If we ever eliminate the school, we would lose a great deal that ensures a national cultural identity for Australia."
