Support for a Film About Marie Curie

Five years have passed since the Polish-German Co-Development Fund was established as a joint initiative of the Polish Film Institute and Germany’s regional film funds (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH and Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung GmbH).

Support for Polish-German projects

The Polish-German Co-Development fund grants Polish and German co-producers financing for project development, and fosters cooperation on co-productions by these two countries. Financing in the form of loans of up to 30,000 EUR is available for development of full-length feature, animated, and creative documentary projects.

Tenth session of the Fund Council

The tenth session of the Fund Council was held on October 10, 2011 in Warsaw. The General Director of the Polish Film Institute Agnieszka Odorowicz said at this meeting that the fund is a key element in the cooperation of Polish and German film producers. “I think that both sides can continue to inspire one another and learn from one another in terms of film ideas and production planning,” said Odorowicz.

“Five years of supporting Polish-German screenplays created an opportunity for enhanced cooperation of producers from both countries. The result was financing for 16 projects, and three finished films. We now await new and inspiring projects,” said Kirsten Niehuus, director of the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg film fund.

Co-financing for a Project About Marie Curie

At its most recent session, the Fund Council granted 30,000 EUR for the development of the “Maria Skłodowska-Curie – Humanity Needs Dreamers” project, which will be produced by Pokromski Studio and P’Artisan Filmproduktion GmbH. This feature about Poland’s Nobel prize-winning scientist will be directed by French director Marie Noëlle.

Five Years with the Polish-German Co-Development Fund

The establishment of the Fund was announced in 2005 at the Connecting Cottbus festival within the East-West Co-production Market. The cooperation agreement was signed at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2006 between the Polish Film Institute and two German regional film funds: Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH and Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung GmbH.

Support for 16 Screenplays

The first session of the newly-established international Fund was held on September 13, 2006 in Gdynia. Since its launch, the fund has co-financed 16 projects in the total amount of 446,000 EUR. Supported films include Zimowy ojciec (Vintervater), Projekt Papież and Sanatorium pod klepsydrą by the Quay Brothers.

Call for Applications

The current call for applications for financing of project development within the Polish-German Co-Development Fund ends on January 27, 2012. Results will be announced on February 16, 2012.

Further details about the Polish-German Co-Development Fund available from Robert Baliński: robert.balinski@pisf.pl, tel.+48 22 42 10 386.

Translated by Karolina Kołtun