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27-06-2014

Polish Companies Present a United Front

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    PRAGUE: Polish commercial TV station TVN, production company ATM Grupa, and distribution company Monolith Films joined forces for the first time at a market tribute to the Polish TV industry.

    The companies were under one roof at a NATPE Europe Polish stand during the 23-26 June 2014 market. The companies are the face of a new era in CEE TV production as Poland leads the way in original formats and TV production, and is making the first forays into international TV coproduction in the CEE region.

    Monolith, with a catalogue of 1,200 films, told FNE the company was attending only its second market after taking the decision to move into international distribution. The company is acquiring distribution rights for primarily CEE and CIS territories, while handling world rights for a select library of new Polish films. The company is also an active coproducer of Polish films, with 20 titles since it was founded in 1998.

    Although the three companies have different specializations, there is some overlap, as all three are involved in production, and both ATM Grupa and TVN are developing international TV productions.

    ATM Grupa told FNE that the company is in production with Firemen scheduled for public broadcaster TVP in spring 2015, in post-production with The Taste of Revenge for broadcast on commercial channel Polsat in fall 2014, and in pre-production with The Prosecutor for TVP. It’s big news was the announcement that Agnieszka Holland will direct the first 90 minute episode of its four-part international crime series, Death in Breslau. TVN is producing its own series for its three original production slots, and told FNE that it is in development with a new crimes series that it hopes to do as an international coproduction. The company is also doing strong business selling its original series.

    The united Polish stand was also remarkable for a territory that traditionally skipped NATPE Europe’s predecessor market, DISCOP Budapest, with Polish presence the second largest at the market, following the Czech Republic.