WARSAW: The Polish government is working on a bill that would decrease the monopoly of foreign companies in the private media sector and a separate project that will increase the revenues for public media from the citizens.
WARSAW: Polish filmmakers gathered 13,300 EUR / 58,000 PLN for charity during an event put up by the Polish Film Institute to support the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP). The highest bid of 1,900 EUR / 8,600 PLN went to a private dinner with Agnieszka Holland.
WARSAW: Polish government is working on a new bill that will introduce a Polish Audiovisual Fund with 23.8 m EUR /104.5 m PLN of annual budget to spend on production incentives. Each producer will have the chance to receive a maximum of 25% from the film's budget refunded.
WARSAW: Andrzej Wajda's last film Afterimage sold over 100,000 tickets since its opening on 13 January 2016. This is the first film distributed by Akson Distribution, a new venture of Akson Studio.
WARSAW: Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s debut feature The Lure will be released by Janus Films in US cinemas in February 2017. This horror-musical hybrid is the winner of the Special Jury Award at Sundance IFF.
WARSAW: It was a great year for Polish cinema, with an all-time record of 51 m total admissions, 12.8 m admissions to domestic films and 219 m EUR total gross.
WARSAW: Hatred by Wojciech Smarzowski and Last Family by Jan P. Matuszyński won the Golden Tapes awards for best domestic films screened in Polish cinemas in 2016. Paterson was chosen best foreign film distributed in Poland last year. Golden Tapes are awarded by the Polish section of FIPRESCI, a member of the Polish Filmmakers Association.
WARSAW: Five projects received 1.7 m EUR / 7.6 m PLN in the last session of the minority international coproductions fund created by the Polish Film Institute in 2016.
WARSAW: Patryk Vega’s action thriller Pitbull. Dangerous Women set a record with 2.1 m admissions during the first three weeks in cinemas, making it the most popular film in Polish cinemas in 2016. The Polish box office is very strong in 2016, with over 46 m admissions by the end of November 2016 and chances to reach 50 m admissions by the end of the year.
TALLINN: The Finish/Estonian/Swedish coproduction The Eternal Road directed by AJ Annila and based on a bestselling novel by Antti Tuuri is in postproduction. The film was showcased at the 20th Black Nights Film Festival Baltic Event Works in Progress.