Agnes Baginska: Making Films in Australia, Poland, and Iowa

David Lynch MA in Film student Agnes Baginska grew up in Poland and was introduced to the theatre at an early age by her grandmother. She participated in monologue competitions and directed her first play in high school.

David Lynch MA in Film student Agnes Baginska

Agnes graduated from Sydney Film School in Australia and then continued to take courses in directing and screenwriting at various institutions. While attending the University of California, Los Angeles, her feature-length screenplay Elliot was nominated for the Nate Wilson Joie de Vivre Award, an annual prize awarded to the best screenplays within the university.

Agnes worked for the University of Sydney’s production studio and on various movie sets in Australia and New Zealand, including the set of The Great Gatsby, where she apprenticed in the art department. Agnes has always wanted to be a writer and director, and her varied experience in the film industry has enhanced her understanding of the process of filmmaking.

A scene from Milkmaid

Last year, she wrote and directed Milkmaid, a short film that won first place in the David Lynch MA in Film scholarship contest at MIU. Agnes is a fan of David Lynch, and when she heard him speak about the Transcendental Meditation® program at the Cameraimage International Film Festival in Poland, she decided to try it.

“I am a Type A person, and I thought it would be hard for me to sit down and do nothing,” said Agnes. “I tried different meditation techniques, but they didn’t work. With TM, you really feel like you are diving and you enjoy it, and for 20 minutes you really feel cool.”

Agnes is now working on the sequel to Milkmaid, titled Last Tree Standing, that she will be filming in April for her thesis project at MIU. Agnes is also interested in promoting female filmmakers, as she feels they are underrepresented in the world of cinema, and she recently created a Facebook page called Female Filmmakers.