French pay-TV giant Canal Plus has earmarked almost $5m (20m Polish zloyts) to support Polish film production in 2000, making it Poland's second largest producer after local broadcaster TVP.

Canal Plus has invested more than 61m zloyts in 35 Polish films as part its on-going financial support programme, launched when it entered the Polish pay-TV market in 1995. Last year the company invested 21m Polish zloyts in nine Polish films.

Polish films co-produced by Canal Plus have racked up a total 12.5 million admissions in Polish cinemas including about 6 million for Andrzej Wajda's Pan Tadeusz, more than 2 million for Kiler and over 700,000 for Sara.

Canal Plus also produced the first Polish sitcom 13 Posterunek (13th Precinct) and its sequel 13 Posterunek 2.

Projects that Canal Plus is supporting in 2000 include:

Tam I Z Powrotem (There And Back Again)
Director: Wojciech Wojak

Corka Z Hamburga (The Hamburg Daughter)
Director: Jan Jakub Kolski

Cisza (The Silence)
Director: Macjiech Rosa

G'osniej Od Bomb (Louder Than Bombs)
Director: Piotr Wojcieszek

Markus
Director: Piotr Trzaskalski

Pieni'dze To Niefszystko (Money Isn't Everything)
Director: Juliusz Machulski

Films co-produced by Canal Plus released, or set to be released, in Polish cinemas in 2000 include:

Prawo Ojca (The Right Of The Father)
Director: Marek Kondrat

Ch'opaki Nie P'acz (Boys Don't Cry)
Director: Olaf Lubaszenko

Operacja Koza (Operation Goat)
Director: Konrad Sza'ajski

Nie Zmi'uj Sie (Don't Fall In Love)
Director: Waldemar Krzystek

Praktykant (The Trainee)
Director: Jacek Bromski

Egoisci (The Egoists)
Director: Mariusz Trelinski

Portret Podwojny (Twin Portrait)
Director: Mariusz Front

Ycie Jako Oemiertelna Choroba Przenoszona Drog P'ciow (Life As A Deadly Sexually Transmitted Disease)
Director: Krzysztof Zanussi