International Co-productions

The Application Process Guide

The producer can apply for no more than two projects during one application period (in the case of documentaries or animated films, no more than three)
An eligible application must contain every single piece of accompanying information that is requested (script, director’s explication, synopsis, budget, estimated production costs, script agreement, etc.)
Important: The applicant must show (through letter of intent, deal memorandum or co-production agreement) the sources of the rest of the funding (apart from the grant requested from the Institute)
The process of reviewing the project takes 90 days
A final decision is made by the General Director, taking into account the opinions of appointed experts
The decision is valid for six months. The decision can be extended up to a maximum of six more months
During this period, the producer must conclude an agreement with PFI (having completed the budget and signed the remaining production agreements)
In case the film makes a profit, reimbursement is required (but only in the first three years after the premiere)

Focus on international co-productions - two means of support

"Regular" co-production

The project in general must follow the criteria of the European Convention on Co-production
Like domestic projects, co-production projects are evaluated on their artistic potential and must compete against them (the same funding source)
The maximum subsidy for a full-length feature film is set at 4 million PLN (1.03 million euro) or no more than 50% of the total amount of funding is to be provided by the Polish co-producer
A minimum of 80% of the subsidy must be spent in Poland

Support for the film industry in Poland ("minority" co-production)

The goal is to attract foreign producers to make films in Poland and participate in international co-productions
Only Polish co-producers may apply
Requirements

"Minority" co-productions are understood as follows:

In the case of dual co-productions, the Polish contribution is below 20% of the total budget
In the case of multiple co-productions, the Polish contribution is below 10% of the total budget
In cases in which the Polish and foreign producers conclude a contract concerning the co-production
In cases in which there are no Polish representatives in the group comprising the director, screenwriter, and actor in a leading role, but there are Polish representatives in supporting positions such as editing, photography, music, etc.
In cases in which the executive producer is not Polish

Artistic criteria and production values are taken into consideration (shooting in Poland, hiring Polish talent, or using Polish postproduction facilities).

For a Polish co-producer with a European feature film, the maximum subsidy is 1.5 million PLN (390,000 euros), which can be more than 30% of the total budget, and no more than 50% of the Polish financing.

For a Polish co-producer with a non-European feature film, the maximum.subsidy is 1.2 million PLN (311,000 euros), which can be no more than 30% of the total budget, and no more than 50% of the Polish financing.

The decision-making process:

The decision-making process