Józef Arkusz (1929 - 1996) was a Polish film director and producer. He created General Topic Films (Filmy Oswiatowe), and is credited as being one of the few early Polish documentary film makers. Topics included technical and biological specialities, and focused on new biological advances of the modern age.
Józef Arkusz was born in Peratyn, Poland (modern day Ukraine) near Tarnopol. He moved to Lwów, and as a teenager fought in World War II as member of the underground movement Armia Krajowa. Following the war he moved West to the industrial city of Łódż, in central Poland.
He studied at the University of Poznań, and recieved a Doctorate in Biology. He then furthered his education by studying at the Łódż Film School, now renowned for its most famous graduate Roman Polanski. He worked on several minor films and projects until the 1970s when he began to be noticed by the international community. At this point his career began to take off, and he made some of his most famous films.
His award-winning movies include:
1980: Energia Chemiczna (Chemical Energy)
- Second Place winner at the Didactic Film Festival
1982: Troche Cybernatyki (A Bit of Cybernetics)
- First Place winner at the Educational Film Festival in Tehran.
1983: Bioelektronika (Bioelectronics)
- First Place winner at the Educational Film Festival in Lodz.
- First Place winner at the Documentary Society Film Festival.