The Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF) 2025 took place from 1st to 5th February in Jodhpur.

On the 5th of February, the festival hosted a special film screening of directed by Małgorzata Skiba “Chitraanjali: Stefan Norblin in India”. It tells the story of Polish artist, Stefan Norblin (1892-1952), who stayed in India during WWII and spent six years working for the royal families of Morvi, Ramgarh, and Jodhpur. The film’s screening was met with very enthusiastic response from the audience.

The screening was followed by a talk between Małgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, Director of the Polish Institute, and Murtaza Ali Khan, Film Critic and Journalist. Sunil Laghate, Centre Director, MACC (Mehrangarh Art Conservation Centre) joined the discussion.

The director of the Polish Institute said:

“We are honored to participate in this prestigious festival and to present Chitraanjali, a film that sheds light on the remarkable journey of Polish artist Stefan Norblin in India. His work, deeply embedded in the artistic heritage of Jodhpur, Morvi, and Ramgarh, is a testament to the enduring cultural ties between Poland and India. This screening is not just a tribute to Norblin’s legacy but also a celebration of the shared artistic and historical connections between our two nations.”

During the closing ceremony of the festival, Polish filmmaker Rafael Stemplewski received the RIFF 2025 Award for “Excellence for Contribution to International Cinema” from HH Gaj Singhji of Marwar-Jodhpur. Additionally, Małgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, Director of the Polish Institute, was recognized for her unwavering efforts to strengthen cultural ties between India and Poland.

For more information on the festival, please visit: https://www.riffjaipur.org/festival2025.htm

Biography of the Polish award recipient:

Rafael Stemplewski, born in the Orwellian year of 1984 in Tarnowskie Góry, Poland, grew up in Germany and pursued law studies at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, later obtaining an MBA from the University of Applied Sciences Koblenz as well. He founded Oculus Oceani Film Studio in Berlin to focus on author-driven films. 

His debut feature, ‘Dendrologium’, a fantasy tale co-produced and co-directed together with Amin Azam and supported by the Polish Film Institute (PISF), premiered at the São Paulo International Film Festival Mostra, where it earned a nomination for the International Audience Award and was screened at numerous other festivals around the globe. After completing his debut film, he stayed several years in South Asia, where he conducted research and development for his next project. This decade-long development journey laid the foundation for his ‘Black Tulip Trilogy’. Stemplewski is a member of the Polish Filmmakers Association and the Directors Guild of Poland.

As film director and scriptwriter Stemplewski shifted to Mumbai in December 2024 and focuses on expanding his professional network within the Indian film industry. His vision is to bring his passion project, the Black Tulip Trilogy, to life and continue his journey as a professional filmmaker.  He is shooting a short film prequel of his planned feature film “J” on the outskirts of Mumbai in March 2025. He is looking forward to exploring connections with the Rajasthani film industry. He intends to shoot his feature film in the ‘Land of Kings’, as its features includes forts, ruins and fortresses as well as rocky and desert countryside, in which the world of “J” takes place. 

Filmography:

DENDROLOGIUM / 2011 / GER / 52 min. Director/Writer/Producer

DENDROLOGIUM / 2013 / POL, GER / 113 min. as Director/Writer/Producer

YAANO YA NA MAANO 2024 / IND / 66 min. in postproduction / as Assistant Director

HOUSEFULL 5 / 2025 in production / IND / as Actor