PRODUCTION INCENTIVES:
With foreign film services still lagging as local producers put their emphasis on local production, Poland has yet to introduce film incentives. Instead, producers have relied primarily on funding from both public and private TV. The result has been films more suited to tube viewing than theatrical distribution, with few Polish-made films crossing Poland’s borders. The situation looks likely to change with the introduction of the Polish Film Institute and a Polish audiovisual fund, established in January, with PLN 100 million ($33 million) annually supporting film production and related industry activities. As in neighboring Czech Republic, the fund gives Polish producers the possibility to partner with foreign production companies.
KEY CONTACTS:
- AppleFilm: Web: applefilm. pl; Email: jablon@applefilm.pl; Contact: Dariusz Jablonski
- Warsaw Documentary and Feature Film Studio: Web: wfdif.com.pl; Email: wfdig@ wfdif.com.pl; Contact: Agnieszka Bedkowska
IN FOCUS:
Film producer Dariusz Jablonski of AppleFilm got an early start on tapping into the new fund. One of the few Polish producers to venture into international co-production, he was well placed to get funds for three upcoming projects involving foreign partners. The one most likely to attract foreign attention is “Beuys,” a German/U.S./Polish feature film about the ground-breaking German artist Joseph Beuys. Director Lech Majewski brings his scribe credentials from “Basquiat.” Jablonski anticipates that the new fund will provide $1 million of the $3 million budget. Also onboard are Germany’s Pandora and U.S. company Vox 3, with Celluloid Dreams interested in distributing. Filmmakers are searching for a name U.S. actor to star.
