still from the film set to Leonard Buczkowski's 1957 "Rainy July", photo: Studio Filmowe Kadr / Filmoteka Narodowa/www.fototeka.fn.org.pl
Showing signs of further development in the second half of 2012 and diversifying its production of film genres, Poland takes part in the Locarno Film Festival Industry Days
Aiming to facilitate networking among world film industry professionals attending Locarno, Film New Europe presents Poland in its country report series prepared for the Locarno Industry Days. Reviewing the film industry pros and cons, Katarzyna Grynienko recognises the role of the Polish Film Institute as the main source of public film funding while also pointing to the Television Agency of the Polish public broadcaster Telewizja Polska, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and a new, rapidly developing network of regional film funds covering almost the entire area of Poland.
Grynienko acknowledges that Poland is still waiting for the new bill establishing tax rebates for foreign filmmakers to pass and foresees an increase in Polish-French and Polish-Indian coproductions given the recently signed intergovernmental agreements on film production. Furthermore the article talks about the Polish TV market, its most popular shows and channels as well as the cinema industry and its box office charts with Agnieszka Holland’s Oscar candidate In Darkness as the leading title in Polish box offices while Wojciech Smarzowski's Rose and Olaf Lubaszenko's Sztos 2 are at the top of the local box office charts.
She mentions that 2012 is the year of major Polish productions devoted to historic themes, and that the industry on track to produce over 40 feature films in 2012. One of the major productions includes Andrzej Wajda’s cinematic tribute to the Lech Wałęsa’s personal evolution from electrician to trade union leader, President and national hero. She also talks about Renzo Martinelli’s Polish, Turkish, Italian production, the historical drama film about the Battle of Vienna of 1683. It is scheduled for release on October 12th, 2012 in 50 countries around the world and is the first production about the infamous battle.
Thumbnail credit: Still from Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1979 film Amateur, photo: Filmoteka Narodowa/www.fototeka.fn.org.pl
Sources: Locarno Film Festival, FNE
Author: Marta Jazowska