OPEN LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF THE POLISH FILMMAKERS ASSOCIATION TO THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND NATIONAL HERITAGE, MRS. MARTA CIENKOWSKA

Dear Madam Minister,

In response to the statement by Kamila Dorbach, Director of the Polish Film Institute, that her work – like the work of every official – should be verified and evaluated, we are accepting this invitation.

Chaos and paralysis

Kamila Dorbach's two years in office, first as acting director and then director of the Polish Film Institute, have been a time of increasing procedural chaos, a lack of transparency, and decisions that are difficult to understand. Instead of stability and a sense that the rules are clear and the same for everyone, we are increasingly unsure who the Institute serves.

Members of the film community are increasingly encountering Kamila Dorbach, not as partners, but as lectures, accusations, and unnecessary aggressive communication. During a recent meeting at the Gdynia Film Festival, the manner of conducting public conversation, and especially the language used, clearly contradicted the standards expected of cultural institution management.

Director Dorbach publicly accuses producers of submitting too many applications, demanding that the Institute meet deadlines, insisting on signing agreements for awarded funding, and urging timely payment of subsequent grant installments. As a result, delays on the part of the Polish Film Institute directly impact the ability to begin production, the financial liquidity of companies, and the security of ongoing projects. Some independent producers now face the real threat of bankruptcy. 

Only 4% of the budget allocated to supporting feature film production was paid to producers in 2025. This policy by the Institute is leading to the collapse of the entire creative industries sector and, consequently, to the weakening of the Polish economy.

Lack of vision and long-term strategy

Last November, Director Kamila Dorbach proudly announced the launch of the new "Distribution" Operational Program. Meanwhile, at the Gdynia Film Festival, she announced its suspension. Less than a year later! She also announced the elimination of the two-year-old priority dedicated to feature debuts, which she had previously called a flagship priority of the Polish Film Institute (PISF), publicly declaring that as long as she remained director of the Institute, this priority would be maintained. More such unconventional decisions were announced, including the suspension of the previously introduced support for post-production in international minority co-productions. There's no logic to this.

We have the right to ask: what is Director Kamila Dorbach's strategy for the development of Polish cinema? How does she intend to compete with other cinemas in our region? How does she intend to convince partners and private investors that the Polish Film Institute, with its multi-million budget, operates effectively, transparently, and with respect for public funds?

The destruction of the system.

Let's summarize the facts. Based not only on the numerous experiences of applicants and beneficiaries of PISF programs, but also on the findings contained in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage's post-audit statement, we can speak of:

failure by the Institute to meet the deadlines specified in legal provisions;

lack of internal regulations facilitating the circulation of documentation between organizational units at the Institute;

arbitrariness in the interpretation of regulations and delays in signing contracts;

delays in the payment of instalments of granted subsidies, reaching many months or even years;

systematic increase in bureaucratic burdens on applicants and beneficiaries;

organizational chaos, further exacerbated by the situation related to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw bringing charges against the current Deputy Director of the Polish Film Institute, who has been on sick leave for several weeks;

lack of proper supervision over the foreign promotion of Polish cinematography after the dismissal of the head of the International Cooperation Department of the Polish Film Institute, employed only a few months earlier.

Dear Madam Minister!

Due to the deepening paralysis and dysfunction of the Polish Film Institute, and Kamila Dorbach's lack of dialogue with the film community, we appeal for immediate, appropriate remedial action. This also means making key personnel decisions that will lead to the rapid restructuring of the Polish Film Institute – the most important public institution for Polish filmmaking, overseen by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

We, as a community of creators and producers, declare our full readiness to join the process of repair and restoration of normalcy at the Polish Film Institute.

On behalf of the Board of the Polish Filmmakers Association,

Grzegorz Łoszewski – President,

CC:

Mr. Maciej Wróbel – Secretary of State at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage,

Mr. Piotr Adamowicz – Chairman of the Culture and Media Committee of the Sejm,

Mr. Jerzy Fedorowicz – Chairman of the Culture and Media Committee of the Senate.