About us

productions by  Eliza Kubarska and David Kaszlikowski

Adventure  photography and  filmmaking is our speciality. We focus on human stories with nature-inspired background. Camera work high on the mountain wall, expeditions, underwater photography, aerial filming (drones). If you’re looking for a fit and effective team – here we are!

Eliza Kubarska

[EN]

Eliza is an award winning film director, producer, editor and… mom. Graduate of Academy of Fine Arts (sculpture, video arts) and Wajda School of Film Directing in Warsaw (Poland). Scholar of the Polish Ministry of Culture and Art.  Documentary filmmaker focused on human stories with enviromental background.

Author of award winning feature documentaries such as:

  • “What happened on Pam Island” (aka “ Mountain Love Story”, distributed by First Hand Films, 63’, 2010/11 , Grand Prix winner of Teplice n. Mentuji Mountain Film Festival  and “Mario Bello” award at Trento Film Festival and more)
  • “Walking Under Water” (76’, 2014,  winner of  multiple awards including Hot Docs Jury Prize (Toronto, Canada), winner of Palm Springs Festival and Los Angeles Film Festival honorable mention (USA) and more);
  • “K2 Touching the Sky” (72’, 2015, HBO), premiered at Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland), screened at IDFA (Amsteram), Golden Gentian Trento Film Festival, Best Feature Film award in BANFF (Canada), Grand Prix winner of Kendal Mountain Festival (UK), Best Director award at  Bilbao Mendi Festival (Spain), Alpine Camera in Gold in Graz (Austria) and more.
  • “The wall of shadows” (Ściana cieni) (94′, 52′, 2020/21), multi-awarded…more  
  • shorts: “Mama, Tata i Ja” (“Mum, Dad and me”, 6’, 2003), video-installation “Klatka” (“The cage”, 9’, 2004) , “Mexico- another dimension” (2007).

Speaker. Her talks include incentive presentations (for corporate clients) and masterclasses for festivals and student audience.

Director and co-founder at  Vertical Vision Film Studio (since 2008).

Passionate rock climber, traveler and real life explorer.  One of the few women in the world  climbing new routes on big mountain walls.  She’s an co-author of difficult big wall/multipitch first ascents in Moroccco (Barracuda 600m, 7c+, Fanstasia, 740m,7c), Greenland (3 big routes up to 1500m, up to VIII-), Jordan/Wadi Rum (Kicia-The wadi Cat, 120m, 7c, Abu Ali 70m, 6b?), Mali (Kingdom of vultures, 450m, 7b), Mexico (Arte de malaria, 300m, 7b+), Malaysia (Polish Princess 270m, 7b ; SamSam, 300m)  She has participated in number of climbing expeditions to: Karakorum in Pakistan (Trango Nameless Tower), Mali, Vietnam (sport first ascents), Jordan, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, China.  Certified climbing instructor. (Sport routes up to 8a RP, 7c OS). Advanced diver (PADI).

[PL]

Reżyserka, producentka i montażystka filmowa i co najważniejsze mama.

Absolwentka Akademii Sztuk Pięknych (wydział rzeźby i video-art prof. Grzegorza Kowalskiego) oraz Mistrzowskiej Szkoły Reżyserii Filmowej A.Wajdy w Warszawie.  Stypendystka Ministerstwa Kultury i Sztuki.

Autorka międzynarodowo nagradzanych filmów dokumentalnych, m.in.:

  • “Co się wydarzyło na wyspie Pam” (aka “ Mountain Love Story”, dystrybucja First Hand Films, 63’, 2010/11), wybrane nagrody: Grand Prix Międzynarodowego Festiwalu Filmów Górskich Teplice n. Mentuji, “Mario Bello” award at Trento Film Festival i  innych.
  • “Badjao. Duchy z morza” (76’, 2014), wybrane nagrody: Hot Docs Jury Prize (Toronto, Canada), Palm Springs Film Festival – nagroda J.Schlessingera za najlepszy pełnometrażowy dokument,  Los Angeles Film Festival, specjalne wyróżnienie Jury (USA) i wiele innych.
  • “K2. Dotknąć nieba”  (72’, 2015, HBO), premiara na  Locarno Film Festival (Szwajcaria), selekcja i pokazy na IDFA (Amsteram), nagroda za najlepszy film pełnometrażowy BANFF Festiwal (Canada), Golden Gentian Trento Film Festival (Włochy), nagroda za najlepszą reżyserię Bilbao Mendi Film Festival (Hiszpania), Złota Alpejska Kamera na Międzynarodowym Festiwalu Filmów górskich w Graz (Austria), zwycięzca Grand Prix Kendal Mountain Festival (UK),  i wiele innych.
  • “Ściana cieni (94′, 52′, 2020/21), Film otrzymał kilkadziesiąt międzynarodowych nagród… …więcej tu  
  • Wybrane filmy krótkometrażowe: “Mama, Tata i Ja” (“Mum, Dad and me”, 6’, 2003), video-instalacja “Klatka” (“The cage”, 9’, 2004) , “Mexico- inny wymiar” (2007).

Prelegentka.  Autorka prezentacji dla firm i festiwali. Prowadzi także pokazy i warsztaty filmowe dla młodej publiczności.

Dyrektor i współzałożycielka Vertical Vision Film Studio (od 2008).

Poza filmem jej pasją od ponad 20 lat jest wspinaczka. Eksploratorka.  Jest jedną z niewielu kobiet na świecie, które wytyczają nowe drogi na górskich ścianach. Uczestniczka wielu wypraw górskich m.in na Trango Nameless Tower w Karakorum(Pakistan) czy do Australii, Laosu, Nepalu, Chin…  Autorka nowych dróg: w Mali (masyw Ręki Fatimy), na Grenlandii (3 nowe drogi na ścianach ponad 1000m wysokości), w Wietnamie, Jordanii, Malezji czy Meksyku. Licencjonowana instruktorka wspinaczki. (Sportowe przejścia 8a RP, 7c OS). Jedna z pierwszych polskich instruktorów wspinaczki, którzy ponad 15 lat temu wprowadzali koncept sekcji wspinaczkowych na sztucznych ścianach (tak, tak kiedyś “sekcji” nie było ;-))  Zaawansowany nurek (PADI).

David Kaszlikowski

[EN]

Photographer and cameraman.  Primarily adventure and climbing photography specialist, broaden his interest to aerial and underwater photography.

  • His images has been published on the front covers of the biggest mountain mags. such as: Rock+Ice, Alpinist (USA), Vertical, Grimper (FR), Desnivel (Spain) …
  • He’s been cooperating also with National Geographic, Nat Geo Traveler (Polish editions), Outside (China) etc. Over 10 years of cooperation with Polish climbing mag GORY – with numerous cover stories + essays.
  • Cameraman for media clients such as: ESPN, Discovery Channel, HBO.
  • Winner of prestigious photo-contests incl. :  Grand Prix of IMS (Tirol/Austria);  Memorial Maria Luisa (SP) ; Grand Press Photo (PL); Lens Culture – Earth Award(USA).
  • Speaker. His talks include incentive, for corporate clients, and educational presentations for festivals and student audience.
  • Author of numerous essays and articles on mountaineering and traveling.
  • Adventure and photo-tours leader.

  • Rock climber. Passionate explorer. Selected first ascents: Mali (450m line (7b) in Hand of Fatima massif),  Himalaya (virgin peak, 5650m asl  in remote part of Miyar Valley, first Polish expedition with M.Król), Greenland (3 new lines on 1000m plus high  walls, including 1 virgin peak, first Polish expediton), Jordan (2 first ascents up to 7c, in desert gorge around Wadi Rum), Alaska (1200m first ascent led mostly by M.Tomaszewski and K.Belczynski, nominated to Piolet D’Or),  Malaysia (first ascents on 300m wall, up to 7b+, first Polish exped.), Mexico (first ascent 300m, 7b+), Vietnam (first ascents up to 7c, first Polish climbing exploration, one of the first climbing teams ever), Morocco (2 new big wall lines (up to 7c+) including 700m high wall of Tagouimt Tsouiannt – arguably the second highest wall in Africa, first Polish climbing exped, Taghia, High Atlas). He also climbed in places like Madagascar, China, Dolomites, Alps etc.  Some of those explorations were executed by unusually small team, only with Eliza Kubarska.
  • After series of solo climbs on high buildings (mostly ropeless) media called Kaszlikowski – “Polish Spiderman”. (Climbs included: 140m tall Marriott Hotel in Warsaw, Swiętokrzyski bridge (200m), Polsat TV center (70m), Fimm Tower (100m, unfinished)).
  • Certified climbing instructor. (climbed routes up to 8b/b+ rp, 7c+os, M10+).

[PL]

Fotograf i operator kamery.  Specjalista od zdjęć wspinaczki i sportów ekstremalnych. Fotograf wypraw. Autor zdjęć z powietrza (operator drona) i podwodnych. Wykonuje także portrety wizerunkowe i studyjne sesje reklamowe.

  • Publikował na okładkach największych magazynów o tematyce górskiej i wspinaczkowej m.in: Rock+ ICE, Alpinist (USA), Vertical, Grimper (FR), Desnivel (Spain) …
  • Współpracował z polskimi edycjami magazynów National Geographic i Nat Geo Traveler, a także z  Outside (China), The Guardian… Przez ponad 10 lat stały współpracowanik górskiego magazynu sportowego GÓRY.
  • Operator dla kanałów TV:  ESPN, Discovery Channel, HBO.
  • Laureat międzynarodowych konkursów fotograficznych.  M.in.: Grand Prix Kiku International Mountain Summit (IMS-Tirol/Austria);  Memorial Maria Luisa (SP); Grand Press Photo (PL); Lens Culture – Earth Award(USA).
  • Prelegent. Prowadzi prezentacje dla klientów korporacyjnych, a także na festiwalach i dla młodzieży.
  • Lider wypraw przygodowych i fotograficznych.
  • Autor artykułów o tematyce podróżniczej i górskiej.

  • Wspinacz, alpinista- eksplorer.  Wybrane nowe drogi i wyprawy: Mali ( królestwo Sępa (7b max) 450m, masyw Ręki Fatimy),  Himalaje (dziewiczy szczyt nazwany Lotos, ok. 5650m npm, Dolina Miyar, pierwsza polska wyprawa w rejon z M.Królem), Grenlandia (3 nowe drogi na ścianach ponad 1000m wysokości, zdobyty dziewiczy szczyt, pierwsza polska wyprawa w rejon),  Jordania/Wadi Rum (2 nowe drogi), Alaska (1200m nowa droga prowadzona głównie przez M.Tomaszewskiego i K.Belczyńskiego, nominacja do Złotego Czekana,  Malezja –  4 nowe drogi na ścianach do 300m wall, o trudnościach do 7c, pierwsza polska wyprawa wspinaczkowa w rejon, Meksyk – nowa droga 300m, 7b+; Wietnam – nowe sportowe drogi do 7c, pierwsza polska eksploracja wspinaczkowa w Ha_Long;  Maroko/Taghia, Wysoki Atlas- 2 nowe trudne nowe drogi do 7c+, w tym na 2-giej najwyższej ścianie Afryki (Tagouimt Tsouiannt), pierwsza polska wspinaczkowa eksploracja w rejonie. Meksyk – nowa droga 300m, 7b+, Huasteca canyons, Nuevo Leon (pierwsza polska eksploracja w rejonie) + powtórznie do 8a, 300m, Basaseachic NP, Chihuahua. Inne wyprawy: Alpy, Madagaskar, Chiny, Dolomity,  etc.
  • 1999-2004, seria wspinaczek (często bez asekuracji) na wysokie budowle m.in.: 140-metrowy Hotel Marriott w Warszawie, Most Świętokrzyski (pylon 200m), siedziba TV Polsat (70m), Fimm Tower (100m, nieskończone).
  • Licencjonowany instruktor wspinaczki od 2004. (przejścia sportowe do 8b/b+ RP, 7c+OS, M10+).

 

our services

Photography

Commercial photoshots. Outdoor and studio session, often with massive lightning sets.

Editorial assignements. 
We've cooperated with multiple  international titles. We deliver photo-essays as well as full written stories.

Aerial images. Documentation from the drones.

Fine Art Prints. High quality, big format prints. On elegant photographic paper.  

Calendars. Assignements, stock licensing.

Photo editing. Preparation for printing.

film / video

Film production. From the first script, troughout development, to production and final work.

Developement and Research. We help organize filming, we do research for your project.

Film directing. Eliza cooperates on full spectrum of artistic projects and  assignements.

Filming. Camera work in unusual, difficult locations. Underwater, on the mountain walls, and from the the air - using drone systems.

Editing. From shorts to feature films, trailers, music videos. Postproduction.

General

Lectures, presentations. Entertaining multimedia shows for variety of clients.

Exhibitions.  Hi quality prints for photo- galleries and various exhibition venues. David Kaszlikowski biggest exhibition to date was "Pocztówki zza krawędzi" (Postcards beyond the edge). It had thousands of viewiers in Poland. Edition of "Postcards"  was presented also in Vancouver (Canada) at its Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF).

Climax magazine (Austria)
Private Air
National Geographic TRAVELER (ed.PL)
National Geographic TRAVELER (PL); Desnivel (Spain)
our covers: Vertical (multilanguage editions), R+I (USA), Gravity (Mexico)
Góry mag, Rock+Ice (USA)
Outside (CHINA)
Climb (UK), Zwierciadło (PL)
Escalar (Spain) - DK portfolio
National Geographic TRAVELER, portfolio
our covers
our covers
our covers
Vertical (5 language editions), against gravity (Mex)
Poznaj Świat (Pl), Góry (Pl)
our covers (PL and Italy)
Red Bulletin
Festival poster
the Guardian portfolio
for tent producer

selected clients

clients, publications

We’ve been lucky to cooperate with wide range of international brands and magazines.  Our images has been published on the covers of biggest mountain and travel magazines, as well as regular newspapers.   Some works have been published  in calendars, guidebooks, posters, DVD covers etc… Eliza Kubarska’s award-winning films have been screened internationally.

selected corporate clients

Sony Ericsson – film series assignment,  Hilti – calendar assignments,  Petzl France – catalog photos, Koło – studio sessions catalogs,  La Sportiva (USA) –  photo licensing, Marabut – assignments, photo licensing, Alvika – assignments, Nepa – catalog assignment, Tendon – photo licensing, lectures;  Kailas – sport event assignments, posters  Yeti – catalog photography; Volkswagen – presentation; PKO B.P. – presentation; Lafarge – video assignment; Hannah – photo licensing

SELECTED publications

National Geographic (Polish edition), Outside – photo-essay, Red Bulletin – feature, National Geographic Traveler – articles, photo-essays, promo images  Rock + Ice – cover, feature, photo-essays. Alpinist – cover, Vertical – covers, feature stories, gallery shots, UP – covers, feature story, Grimper – features, cover,  Alpin – gallery, Desnivel – covers, feature, Climbing – assignment, Montana – feature, gallery  Climb – feature story, Climax – feature story, gallery  Gory – covers, multiple features, essays; The Guardian – photo essay,  Daily Mail photo essays; Newsweek – stock licensing, Der Spiegel – stock licensing , The India Times  – photo-essay,  Weather.com – feature Wired.com – photo-essay, interview,  Twój Styl – assignements, stock licensing, Zwierciadło – stock licensing; Guidebooks e.g Sardinia, Yangshuo, Mexico, Books: “Plus belles montagnes du monde”, “Atem der Berge“,  Calendars for e.g. Desnivel, Hilti.

SELECTED Media cooperation

HBO Europe – cooproduction ; ARTE/ZDF – cooproduction ; ESPN –  cameraman; TVP1 – cooproduction ; Discovery Channel – cameraman ; TLC – series cooperation, aerial fotage; Servus TV  – cooproduction

selected awards

 Film

  • Trento Int.Film Festival (Italy) - Golden Gentian, best film on alpinism ("K2. Touching the sky"), 2016
  • Trento Int.Film Festival - Mario Bello award ("What happend on Pam island"), 2011
  • Banff Internantional Mountain film festival  (Can) - best feature film (K2...)
  • Hot Docs (Toronto, Can) - Special Jury Prize ("Walking Under Water")
  • International Film Festival Teplice n.Mentuij (Cz) - Grand Prix (Pam...), 2011
  • International Film Festival Teplice n.Mentuij - Grand  Prix (K2...), 2016.
  • Kendal Film Festival (UK) - Grand Prix  (K2...)
  • Graz International Film Festival (Austria) - Alpine Camera in Gold winner (K2...)
  • Wildlife International Film Festival (USA) - Visionary Award (Walking...)
  • Bilbao/Mendi Film Festival (Spain) - Best Director (K2...)
  • Human Doc (PL) - Grand Prix  (Walking...)
  • Los Angeles Film Festival (USA) - honorary mention (Walking...)
  • Sopot Film Festival - experiment category winner (Mama, Tata i ja)

 

Photography

  • IMS (international mountain summit) Photo Contest (Tirol) - GRAND PRIX
  • Grand Press Photo (Pl) - category Award
  • Memorial Maria Luisa (Spain) - category Winner
  • Memorial Maria Luisa - 3 special mentions
  • Oasis photo Contest  (Italy) - special mention
  • Lens Culture (USA) - Earth Award, category Winner
  • DJI international aerial photography contest - Winner
  • Vancouver International  Festival (VIMFF) - category Winner
  • International Mountain Photography Contest "Space of Life", Zakopane - 1st Award (sport category)
  • International Mountain Photography Contest "Space of Life"(Zakopane): special    Jury Prize

 REVIEWS AND OPINIONS

'Walking Under Water' is an exquisite and lyrical experience. The grand beauty and awe of cinema.
HOTDOCS JURY 

The winner, David Kaszlikowski prevailed over 2600 photographers from almost 90 countries to win our Grand Prix!  IMS Photo Contest... has become the largest mountain photo competition on earth.

INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN SUMMIT JURY

'K2. Touching the Sky' is a masterpiece of movie storytelling. Archive material and new imagery blend seamlessly together, bringing the lost loved ones back to us one more time.

DOC POINT. HELSINKI DOC FILM FESTIVAL

'What happened on Pam island' got more votes than the Banff World Tour films… 

ALLAN BROWN, DUNDEE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

[/slide]

Wielu o dalekich wyprawach marzy, ale tylko nieliczni naprawdę wyruszają w nieznane, przed siebie. Do takich osób należy dokumentalistka Eliza Kubarska, która pasję podróżniczą połączyła z filmową...

canal+review

'Walking Under Water' is "deeply moving account of human struggle in the natural and spirit worlds".

LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL JURY

'K2. touching the sky' led us down a provocative and honest path of questioning the price of mountain motivation, love, and ultimately the fine balance of life and death. ...compels the audience to keep looking within their own lives."

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL JURY

Polish photographer David Kaszlikowski took a series of stunning photographs of a glacier in the Karakoram region of Pakistan while on a film expedition.

THE GUARDIAN

(Walking Under Water) ...a story of poverty, dignity, suffering, but also of love for freedom and for a sublime and hostile nature... A sad, beautiful and poetic documentary. Neorealist!

 WWF Italia Prize Jury, Gran Paradiso Film Festival

Photos by David Kaszlikowski voted among "the most stunning drone pictures of 2014" by Dronestagram.

BBC NEWS

"What happened on Pam island"  filmed... to capture not just the feats of mountaineering, but also their own beautiful (and complicated) romance. This original climbing film reveals new motivation to conquer the unclimbed: a kiss at the top.

TELLURIDE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

W błyskotliwym dokumencie Elizy Kubarskiej kamera niczemu się nie dziwi, na bohaterów nie patrzy jak na egzotyczną ciekawostkę, a ich świat - zbudowany z wody, ciszy i głębokich wierzeń - odsłania przed widzem stopniowo.

PAWEŁ T.FELIS, WYBORCZA