'Snake Awards' showcase Poland's worst movies

Scene from 3D 'epic' Battle of Warsaw 1920

Just days after the Polish National Film Awards were handed out, a group of academy members has launched a new competition showcasing the very worst that Polish Cinema has to offer.

The Snakes are inspired by the 'Raspberries', handed out every year to the worst US movies at the time of the Oscars ceremony.

Topping the rankings is Poland's first 3D epic, The Battle of Warsaw 1920 (1920 Bitwa Warszawska), which has picked up 11 nominations.

The swashbuckling movie, made by Jerzy Hoffman recounts a love story between a cavalry officer and a dancing girl, set against the backdrop of the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921).

The somewhat light-hearted categories include Worst 3D Film, in spite of the fact that Poland has only released one to date.

Nominees will also be fighting it out in such categories as Comedy Which Is Not Funny, Most Embarrassing Scene and Performance that is Below the Dignity of the Performer, the latter shaming respected actors who should have known better.

And in a country that prides itself on its tradition of sophisticated film posters, a special category has been included for the most awful poster.

Besides The Battle for Warsaw 1920, other frequently nominated films include lads comedy Team Building Trip (Wyjazd Integracyjny) with 10, gangster comedy Weekend (Weekend) with 9, and romantic comedy Oh Karol 2 (Och Karol 2) with 6.

The winners are set to be announced on 1 April, which conveniently happens to be April Fools Day. (nh/pg)

For the full lowdown on The Snakes, log on to the official Facebook page