The Polish Film Foundation was established by the Polish Filmmakers Association (www.sfp.org.pl) and five production companies: Akson Studio (www.akson-studio.pl), Filmcontract (www.filmcontract.pl), Grupa Filmowa (www.grupafilmowa.com.pl), Opus Film Studio (www.opusfilm.com), and Studio A. Its purpose is to support domestic cinematography through distribution of Polish films.

Apart from distribution, the organization will promote Polish films with financing from various sources as well as organize reviews, festivals, workshops, and conferences devoted to cinema. It will also sponsor scholarships for authors and help support their debuts on the domestic market.

The Polish Film Institute (www.pisf.pl), Poland's main film funding body, is not a sponsor of the foundation but the new distributor will be able to apply for funding through one of the institute's programs.

The director general of the Polish Filmmakers Association, Krzysztof Gierat, was named president of the new distributor. The advisory body is a 15-person committee under the leadership of Filmmakers' Association President Jacek Bromski. It consists of representatives of the founders and film studios, as well as one representative of the Polish Film Institute.

Because of widespread interest in artistic cinema, the foundation plans close cooperation with the Studio Cinemas Network, whose purpose is to fulfill European Union guidelines by increasing the number of European films in cinemas. Some titles will be tagged for a wider distribution, including multiplexes.

In December, the foundation will introduce Wednesday, Thursday morning by Grzegorz Pacek. Planned for distribution in 2008 are Hope by Stanislaw Mucha, Louise's Garden by Maciej Wojtyszko and Lukasz Palkowski's Preserve.