"Polish Films - International Audience. Warsaw Meetings with International Sales Agents" was jointly organized by the Polish Film Institute (www.pisf.pl), MEDIA Desk Poland (www.mediadeskpoland.eu), and the Wajda School (www.wajdaschool.pl) in order to connect Polish film producers with potential international sales agents and help them in developing their pitching skills.
Sales agents participating in the event included Beta Cinema (Germany, www.betacinema.com), LevelK (Denmark, www.levelk.dk), NonStop Sales (Sweden, www.nonstopsales.net), EastWest Filmdistribution (Austria, www.eastwest-distribution.com), Autlook Filmsales (Austria, www.autlookfilms.com), and Sola Media (Germany, www.sola-media.net).
"These types of meetings are still a novelty in Poland. It is very important that we give Polish producers an opportunity to discuss their projects with the sales agents and develop their knowledge about the pitching process, which is never easy. Several young producers understand how important it is to be present during international film events or industry markets and they are keen to learn how to present their project when it is still in the development phase.”
“It is an integral part of the filmmaking process nowadays and it needs to be implemented in the Polish market in order for our cinema to develop… Many sales agents have already expressed interest in several projects presented during individual sessions, but of course the negotiations will continue beyond our event," Joanna Wendorff- Østergaard, director of MEDIA Desk Poland told FNE.
The Polish producers were coached for the individual meetings with sales agents by British instructors. "These types of lectures are essential for young Polish producers, since we don't receive this type of knowledge at school. As a producer looking for funds to finish a project I was especially interested in pitching techniques presented by the experts, since acquiring a sales agent would be very beneficial for our film at this stage of production," Marta Lewandowska from Amondo Films (presenting Hell, www.amondofilms.com) told FNE.
"The meetings are not only beneficial for particular film producers, who managed to sell their films or struck important working relationships. They are a chance for Polish cinema as a whole to present both its quality and diversity. It is impossible to ignore the advantages of taking part in the pitching sessions and improve one's skills," Magdalena Dorobińska from Scorpio Studio (presenting The Vulture, www.scorpio-studio.com) told FNE.
