Polish-French Co-Production Deal
Ministers Bogdan Zdrojewski and Frédéric Mitterrand. Photo by Marta Kohler (courtesy of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage). Copyright 2012
On March 5, 2012 in Paris, Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski and French Minister of Culture and Communication Frédéric Mitterrand signed an agreement on international film co-production.
New Agreement on Cooperation in Filmmaking
The new document replaces an agreement on cooperation in filmmaking that had been in effect since 1970. The implementation of this new co-production agreement is aimed at encouraging and strengthening cooperation between France and Poland in the area of filmmaking.
“Until recently we had no such agreements; we relied on out-dated legislation that had been implemented years ago, legislation that gave us no means or legal liberty to undertake new projects in the area of film,” said Zdrojewski in an interview for the Polish Press Agency.
An Initiative of the General Director of the Polish Film Institute
As Julien Ezanno of the French Centre National du Cinema (CNC) told the Polish Press Agency, the development of new regulations in the field of co-production between France and Poland was the initiative of Agnieszka Odorowicz, the general director of the Polish Film Institute. Ezanno participated in working out the agreement on behalf of CNC.
New Opportunities for Co-Production
“In practice, this agreement enables new forms of cooperation, such as minority 10% partnership in film projects, which means that Polish producers will be able to participate in large French productions with budgets of 10-15 million EUR. The minimum participation levels were previously at 30%,” Ezanno told the Polish Press Agency. French producers will also be able to become financially involved in Polish productions as minority producers.
Source: www.mkidn.gov.pl, www.portalfilmowy.pl (Polish only).
Translated by Karolina Kołtun