The Polish firm's COO unpacked their editorial policy, their successful distribution campaign for The Zone of Interest and the latest market shifts, among other topics

In our September Distributor of the Month interview, we head to Poland to speak to Jakub Gutek, of Poland’s Gutek Film. Founded in 1994, the outfit has recently distributed European hits such as as The Zone of Interest [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Perfect Days [+see also:
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film profile], There is Still Tomorrow [+see also:
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film profile] and The Taste of Things [+see also:
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film profile], as well as buzzy US titles such as Past Lives, Dream Scenario, The Iron Claw and Love Lies Bleeding [+see also:
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film profile]. 

Cineuropa: How would you describe your business model and editorial policy? How has it changed over the years? 
Jakub Gutek: Gutek Film is one of the most recognisable arthouse film distribution companies and brands in Poland. We also run the iconic Muranów Cinema in Warsaw. The company was founded in 1994 by my father and, of course, our business model has changed quite a bit through the years. This year, we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary. The main part of the business is still cinema distribution including arthouse theatres and multiplexes, but TV and VoD releases are a growing share of our income. […] The market is changing all the time but our profile is always focused on quality - mostly European, Asian, American and local arthouse [films.] For example, our company has introduced to the Polish people the first works of Pedro Almodóvar, Lars von Trier, Darren Aronofsky, Jim Jarmusch, Wong Kar-Wai and Wim Wenders. It’s our main DNA. Sometimes bigger titles like Amélie [+see also:
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interview: Ruben Östlund
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile], Serial (Bad) Weddings [+see also:
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film profile] or Parasite have allowed us to find smaller films and discover some hidden gems. We’re always keen to promote new, fresh names and films we fall in love with in Poland. Of course, we’re trying our best to connect this with our business’ success. We need to be more and more competitive, and often we’ve got to be involved in the project at the earliest stages of production, which also implies taking bigger risks. [...] Muranów is the place where we present films for our distribution, and where we organise many special events. Over the last few years, the revenues from Muranów have increased and reached pre-pandemic levels.

How has the split of income changed between theatrical and other sources of revenue over the last few years?
As I said, TV and VoD revenues are a growing part of our business. We’re very focused on exploiting our content's full potential, working on several platforms - one of them being New Horizons VOD, which we co-own. Now, these sources make about 25-30% of our revenue, up from 15-20% in previous years.

What are the peculiarities of the Polish audience? Which audience segments do you work with the most, and which ones do you struggle to attract?
Gutek Film has its clearly defined profile and core arthouse audience, which has been with us for a very long time. Of course, our audience has been changing over these 30 years. We’re also trying to reach younger spectators, so our line-up – from time to time – includes titles such as Kneecap [+see also:
film review
film profile], a film which tells the story of an Irish hip-hop trio. We’re also changing our promotional strategy – especially the digital one – working on campaigns targeting younger generations. Our brand is present on all social media platforms. But the most important thing is to offer good content, which caters both to arthouse theatres and multiplexes, platforms and – first of all – the audience. We can see in our local box office that sometimes independent arthouse films are recording better results than US blockbusters or Polish rom-coms. It’s a kind of trend we noticed over the last few years, especially after Covid. But this industry can always surprise us so we never get bored, and we’ve got to learn something all the time. It’s also worth noting that – thanks to the big help of our sister organisation, New Horizons Association – we're educating young audiences, organising special screenings for schools and for a few festivals.

Could you please touch on some of your most successful campaigns?
The Zone of Interest, which we acquired from Polish producer Ewa Puszczyńska, could be a good example. We released this film just days before the Oscars ceremony with some special previews. As a Polish co-production scooping two Academy Awards, we delivered great promotional materials and made wonderful PR, gaining huge interest among our local audience. This is a title which was presented on many screens in multiplexes, but also in arthouse cinemas for a very long run. Many people thought they should have their say about such an important and debated film. Some other recent successful campaigns are the ones bound to There is Still Tomorrow and Perfect Days. It’s always about combining some good communication ideas from our team, taking into account release dates, good theatrical bookings, word of mouth and the distribution strategy as a whole. The most rewarding thing is to be successful with titles which are very often not so obvious or easy.

Are festivals still serving as a springboard ahead of theatrical releases? 
Yes, but it depends on the title. When there’s no awareness around the film, its director, the cast and so on, screenings on suitable international and local festivals can help to create word of mouth. Speaking of festival awards, those handed out by the most important ones such as Cannes, Berlin and Venice, still have value and impact for the audience and [can affect] results, but on the other hand, without a good distribution strategy [behind] there is no guarantee of success.