Canal Plus Production Studio

Presentation of the Canal Plus production studio. Photo by Piotr Szymański, Polish Film Institute

May 11, 2012 marked a presentation of the Canal Plus production studio, as a side event of the 37^th Gdynia Film Festival for representatives of the Polish film industry. The meeting was attended by Agnieszka Odorowicz, general director of the Polish Film Institute.

The profile of the Canal+ production studio was presented by representatives of the Canal+ television channel: Beata Mońka – head of Canal+ Cyfrowy, Beata Ryczkowska – programming director, as well as Agnieszka Egeman and Kuba Mikurda – creators of the “Aktualności filmowe” programme. The meeting was attended by Agnieszka Odorowicz – general director of the Polish Film Institute, Jacek Bromski – head of the Polish Filmmakers Association, Michał Chaciński – artistic director of the Gdynia Film Festival, and Jerzy Straszewski – head of the Polish Chamber of Electronic Communication.

Discourse with Filmmakers

“We’ve been investing in Polish cinema for the past 17 years. We try to not only create, but also to support filmmakers. […] Canal Plus intends to engage further into creative production, also bringing projects to the table, cooperating and communicating with filmmakers, and strengthening cooperation with our partners: the Gdynia Film Festival and the Polish Film Institute. These are strong players with whom we are eager to undertake a variety of projects,” said Beata Mońka.

Opportunity for Bold and Creative Projects

“Canal+ welcomes bold, creative, uncompromising projects […]. We decided to establish a production team aimed at evaluating all submitted projects, as well as at educating, inspiring, and increasing dynamics within the film industry. We want to raise the bar […] and we will take great measures to achieve it,” continued Mońka, head of Canal+ Cyfrowy.

Green Light for Auteur Cinema

“We want to support auteur film projects. […] We want filmmakers to come to with with bold projects. […] If we decide to participate in a project, as the production team we will want to help. We are ready to work as researchers, support filmmakers who have something to say about a given subject. […] Give them a chance to debate with whatever had been said on the subject before,” said Agnieszka Egeman.

Canal+: Quality Above All

“We can see the changes in Polish cinema. In 2011, Polish films brought almost twelve million admissions, a third of total admissions that year. […] We want to cooperate with the best filmmakers, production designers, costume designers on our films, to ensure the best possible film quality – from opening credits to production design to costumes,” said Kuba Mikurda.

Canal+ Film Projects

Beata Ryczkowska discussed the projects in which Canal+ has become involved. “We are now involved in the following film projects: Blind Watching by Andrzej Jakimowski, Nowhere by Małgorzata Szumowska, Dziewczyna z szafy by Bodo Kox, Siedem dni by Wojciech Smarzowski, Wałęsa by Andrzej Wajda, and Papusza by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze. […] We also worked on the fourteenth film to enter Main Competition [in Gdynia] – Pokłosie (Aftermath) by Władysław Pasikowski.”

Canal+ Becomes Partners with the Polish Film Institute

“I would like to thank Canal+ for their participation in the organization of this festival. As partners, we have big plans for the future. […] As far as film policy is concerned, you have become a blessing for filmmakers, because in a time when public television has very little or no money whatsoever for film production, it is incredibly difficult to raise funds for a film budget. We hope that Canal+ becomes involved in the most ambitious of auteur projects,” said Agnieszka Odorowicz, general director of the Polish Film Institute.

Paulina Bez

Translated by Karolina Kołtun