09-07-2008

Polish production house invests in Hollywood

By Katarzyna Grynienko
    City Island, a film starring Andy Garcia, is the first American movie with significant input from a Polish producer.

    Krakow based Gremi Film Production (www.gremifilm.pl) said in an official press release that the Polish producer will provide 31.25 % of the total budget. Gremi Film Production entered the market in 2005 as co-producer of the Polish local blockbuster comedy Angel in Love directed by Artur Wieck. The company's films include Your name is Justyna made in co-production with Opus Film and Under the Surface with Barton Film.

    The other producers are New York based Lucky Monkey Pictures (www.lversel2.hypermart.net) and Andy Garcia himself. Lucky Monkey Pictures was established in the 2004 to developing original international pictures. The majority of its current projects are 2-6 million Euro films to be shot in the U.S., Argentina, and South Africa.

    City Island, a comedy-drama about family secrets and the haunting past of a prison guard played by Garcia, will start shooting on the July 21 in New York. The scriptwriter and the director is Raymond de Felitta, an independent filmmaker and producer. His movies Bronx Cheers, Two Family House, The Thing About My Folks, and 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris have won awards at film festivals in Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Deauville, Tribeca, Milan, and SouthxSouthwest.

    City Island is onme of several international titles for Gremi Film Production. The dynamic company founded by Grzegorz Hajdarowicz co-produced the Peter Greenaway's Nightwatching, along with another Polish company, Yeti Films. Currently Gremi Film Production is finishing a Polish-Spanish-Brazlian production Carmo directed by Murilo Pasta and has several films in development.