Poland

Poland offers a mix of tax incentives, professional crews and myriad location options to international producers eyeing a base in a country that has a storied filmmaking history, from Krzysztof Kieslowski to Pawel Pawlikowski.

The country offers a competitive 30% cash rebate, for which both co-productions and high-level post-production services are eligible, with the application window open for a short time on a first-come, first-served basis.

Warsaw-based production company Madants remains one of the most familiar label names on the international scene and is a co-producer for Kornel Mundruczo’s The Revolution According To Kamo, a historical drama exploring the youth of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin through the eyes of his childhood friend. Madants regularly facilitates international shoots in Poland, serving as a trusted local partner for high‑end European co-productions.

Upcoming projects include collaborations with French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Love, whose If Love Should Die picked up $585,000 (€500,000) in the latest funding round from European film support body Eurimages in March. The Ireland-France-Spain-Poland co-production is a biopic of 18th-century English writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft. 

Poland offers a wide variety of landscapes, from sandy beaches in the north to rocky mountains in the south, from bustling cities to wild and primeval nature. Forests cover about 30% of Polish territory, which left the producers of The Woods spoilt for choice when picking a backdrop for their drama.

Warsaw was rebuilt after the Second World War, making for an unusual mix of architecture in the downtown area. It includes the ‘new-old’ Royal Castle in Warsaw and a colourful old town, which contrasts with Soviet-era buildings such as the Palace of Culture and Science and the modern architecture of Zlote Tarasy shopping centre.

The Polish Film Institute has an extensive locations database that covers everything from university buildings to mine shafts in the southern city of Zabrze.

Polish crew are renowned and there are many production service companies with which to partner. Soundstage space is less plentiful than in its European neighbours. Facilities include Alwernia Studio, Studio Maka, Studio Filmowe Panika and the Audiovisual Technology Centre.

Polish highways are well maintained with a network of high-speed roads across the country. In some cases, it is quicker to take the train than drive. Poland can be reached by air from every major city in Europe in two to three hours. Warsaw has direct flight connections with all the major cities in Poland. Flights from other cities to Warsaw take around one hour.

Poland is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. Its currency is the zloty.

Contact : Agnieszka Szczerbiak, Polish Film Institute agnieszka.szczerbiak@pisf.pl