Jerzy Antczak is an eminent film, theater, and television director, as well as a screenwriter, producer, and actor. Born in 1929 in Volodymyr (formerly Poland, now in Ukraine), he graduated from the State Higher School of Theatre in Łódź, Poland. From 1963 to 1975, he served as Chief Director and Director of the Television Theatre, playing a pivotal role in shaping its Golden Age. He directed over 130 productions, including The Glass Menagerie, Kordian, The Lark, The Proposal, and the first color production – On the Harmfulness of Tobacco.

He is the director of films such as The Shot, Countess Cosel, The Lady of the Camellias, and Chopin: Desire for Love – but above all, Nights and Days, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1976.

Antczak has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Golden, Platinum, and Diamond Lions; the Prix Italia; the Grand Prix in Sofia; and the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.

Since 1979, he has resided in Los Angeles, where he served for many years as a professor at UCLA. He is the author of the autobiographies The Nights and Days of My Life and How I Loved Them.