Starski, who was born in Warsaw in 1943, has won many prestigious awards during his long career as a production designer and set decorator, including an Oscar for the design of Schindler's List by director Steven Spielberg, according to an announcement.
He is also a three-time winner of the Polish Eagle Film Award for Pan Tadeusz (dir. Andrzej Wajda), Aftermath (dir. Władysław Pasikowski) and The Pianist (dir. Roman Polanski).
For The Pianist, Starski was also given a César, the most prestigious prize in French cinema.
He has worked with many acclaimed directors, both Polish and foreign, including Agnieszka Holland, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Peter Webber and Stijn Coninx.
In recent years, Starski has designed sets for films such as The Cut (dir. Fatih Akin) and Hidden Game (dir. Łukasz Kośmicki), starring Bill Pullman.
He also designs sets for theatre and television productions. His most famous projects include those for television shows such as Uncle Vanya (dir. Aleksander Bardini) and The Crucible (dir. Zygmunt Hübner), as well as Conversations with an Executioner (dir. Andrzej Wajda) for Warsaw's Powszechny Theatre.
In 2006, Starski created the set design for the European Film Academy Awards ceremony. For years, he has been conducting international workshops and master classes on film set design.
He is also the author of a book entitled Scenography, which is "highly regarded by students and professionals alike," according to the festival organizers.
The artistic director of the Polish Film Festival, Joanna Łapińska, said last week that "the Platinum Lions will be handed to an artist endowed with incredible imagination and sensitivity."
She added that Starski "has a great 'feeling' in the domain of cinema, and his projects always take the filmed story to another level."
The 48th Polish Film Festival will take place in the coastal city of Gdynia from September 18 to 23.
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Source: PAP
