Polish film and television producers have established a new consultative body which will lobby the government for better legal and commercial conditions for the Polish audio-visual industry. The newly formed Association of Producers made up of producers working in both film and television will act as Chamber of Commerce for the industry.

According to Polish law the new association will have to be consulted on any new legislation concerning film or television.

Dariusz Jablonski, general director of Apple Film, and one of the founders of the new association said: "The audio-visual industry employs more than 9,000 people in Poland and had a turnover of $380m last year. This is big business and it is time that we asserted ourselves."

Producer Jan Kidwa-Blonski, president of Gambit Films agreed, "It is now ten years after the end of state support for the film industry and we still do not have a good film law. The government should either provide adequate subsidies or create a system of tax incentives. But we have neither."

While big budget Polish films have dominated the Polish box office the last two or three years Jablonski does not believe that this means the industry can exist without government subsidies. "We must have government support for young directors. We have a great tradition of filmmaking in Poland, but over the last ten years we have been making fewer and fewer films. Two or three blockbusters a year is not going to change the whole production landscape."

Jablonski said that support for art films was declining with the state giving 10 to 20 percent less each year leaving Polish television as the only real source of funding for young directors or non-commerical projects.