APPOINTMENT OF DOROTA EBERHARDT

CANAL+, global media and entertainment company, and STUDIOCANAL, its in-house studio and one of Europe’s leading film and series studios, announce the appointment of Dorota Eberhardt as CEO of their Polish affiliate Kino Świat, a leading film distributor in Poland. She will report to Alex Hamilton, STUDIOCANAL Chief International Officer, and will take up her duties later this year.

As part of her new role, Dorota Eberhardt’s mission will be to accelerate the development and distribution of high-quality Polish productions — films that resonate with local audiences and have the potential to reach international audiences. At the same time, she will ensure continuity of Kino Świat’s legacy as a trusted and successful distributor, building on the achievements of a strong and experienced team that has shaped the company’s reputation over the years.

Edyta Sadowska, CANAL+ Polska Chief Executive Officer, comments: “Appointing Dorota Eberhardt to this position is a key step in the continued development of Kino Świat. She brings with her extensive experience and a deep understanding of the Polish film industry. Kino Świat is a well-established company with a strong track record, but also great potential – especially now, as demand for local, authentic stories continues to grow. I believe Dorota will bring new energy and a fresh perspective that will enable the company not only to further strengthen its position in film distribution, but also to expand dynamically into film production.”

Alex Hamilton, STUDIOCANAL Chief International Officer, comments: “On behalf of STUDIOCANAL, I would like to welcome Dorota Eberhardt as the new CEO of Kino Świat. She has an excellent track record across the film and television landscape in Poland. We’ll be looking to make sure she has everything she needs to expand Polish content production, align distribution strategies with evolving viewer habits and empower the team of fantastic experts to maintain and strengthen Kino Swiat position’s in a market very important to STUDIOCANAL.”

Dorota Eberhardt comments: “I am proud and happy to join Kino Świat and more broadly STUDIOCANAL and the CANAL+ group. My future role, as Kino Świat CEO, is both a challenge and a privilege: to shape the future of Polish cinema by investing in stories that matter — culturally, artistically, and commercially — and to do so alongside a team whose passion and professionalism continue to define Kino Świat. Thank you to the teams for their trust!”

---

About Dorota Eberhardt
Dorota Eberhardt has served as Vice President of Programming, Streaming & New Channels Portfolio at Warner Bros. Discovery TVN, where she oversaw programming strategy, content production, and channel operations. Leading a team of over 50 people, she was instrumental in the international success of scripted series such as Eastern Gate and Decent Man, as well as documentaries like 33 Photos from the Ghetto and Skin Hunters, which premiered on HBO Max recently. Under her leadership, Player — a local streaming service — launched Poland’s first offer of 20 FAST channels. With a career spanning two decades, Dorota has built a deep understanding of both the Polish and international media landscapes. She previously held roles at CD Projekt and Forum Film Poland (Disney’s theatrical distributor) before she joined Warner Bros Discovery 10 years ago. Her background combines strategic leadership with hands-on experience in content development and cross-platform programming. She holds M.A. degrees in Economics and Film Production, along with additional training in business psychology and AI management. Dorota is passionate about storytelling, innovation, and mentoring the next generation of media professionals.

ABOUT KINO ŚWIAT
On October 30th, CANAL+ Poland announced it had completed the purchase of the remaining 14% of shares in Kino Świat, one of Poland’s leading film distributors, becoming its sole owner. CANAL+ Poland had been the majority shareholder in Kino Świat since November 2019, when it acquired 70% of the shares from the previous owners Tomasz Karczewski and Marcin Piasecki. In July 2021, CANAL+ Poland increased its majority stake in Kino Świat to 86%, and currently holds 100% of the shares. Kino Świat is a leading film distributor in Poland, operating in all fields of film operations, including cinema, video on demand (VOD), television and video releases (DVD/Blu-ray). In 2023, films released to cinemas by Kino Świat reached almost 6.9 million viewers, placing the distributor in 2nd place among all distribution entities in Poland (by number of viewers). In addition, five of its productions featured in the Polish Box Office Top 20. Beyond distribution, Kino Świat is also active in the field of production and co-production of Polish films.

ABOUT CANAL+
Founded as a French subscription-TV channel 40 years ago, CANAL+ is now a global media and entertainment company. The group has 26.9 million subscribers worldwide, over 400 million monthly active users on its video streaming platforms, and a total of more than 9,000 employees. It generates revenues in 195 countries and operates directly in 52 countries, with leading positions in Pay-TV in 20 of them. CANAL+ operates across the entire audio-visual value chain, including production, broadcast, distribution and aggregation. It is home to STUDIOCANAL, a leading film and television studio with worldwide production and distribution capabilities; Dailymotion, major international video platform powered by cutting-edge proprietary technology for video delivery, advertising, and monetization; Thema, a production and distribution company specialising in creating and distributing diverse content and channels; and telecommunication services, through GVA in Africa and CANAL+ Telecom in the French overseas jurisdictions and territories. It also operates the iconic performance venues L’Olympia and Théâtre de l’Œuvre in France and CanalOlympia in Africa. CANAL+ has also significant equity stakes across Africa, Europe and Asia, namely in MultiChoice (the Pay-TV leader in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa), Viaplay (the Pay-TV leader in Scandinavia) and Viu (a leading platform in Southern-Asia).
canalplusgroup.com/en

ABOUT STUDIOCANAL (a CANAL+ Company)
STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+’s in-house studio, is one of Europe’s leading film and series studios, with worldwide production and distribution capabilities. It operates directly in nine major European markets including Austria, Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, and offices in the United States and China. STUDIOCANAL finances, produces, and distributes 80 films per year. It owns one of the most prestigious catalogues in the world and the largest catalogue of European titles, boasting more than 9 400 titles from 60 countries. With a catalogue spanning 100 years of film history, STUDIOCANAL has invested close to 25 million euros into the 4K restoration of nearly 1 000 classic feature films over the past 7 years. STUDIOCANAL also produces over 15 series each year, including local creations and premium international co-productions, and distributes its scripted productions and CANAL+ Originals globally (2,000 hours of current and library content in distribution). Projects are produced in-house by STUDIOCANAL or through its worldwide network of production companies, including 2e Bureau, STUDIOCANAL Original, Flab, Kissman, Pernel and Upside in France; Birdie Pictures, Red Production Company, Urban Myth Films, Strong Film & Television, and Sunny March TV in the UK; Bambú Producciones and Te Espero en Marte in Spain; Lailaps Films and STUDIOCANAL Series in Germany; Opus TV in Poland; Sam Productions in Denmark; Dingie in Belgium; and The Picture Company in the United States.
canalplusgroup.com/en/group/content-production-distribution-and-other
Photo : Iza Grzybowska

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
Elvire Charbonnel
elvire.charbonnel@canal-plus.com