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 has taken up her duties on December 1st, 2025.

Dorota Eberhardt's appointment was announced on June 27, 2025 (announcement to be found here).

Kino Świat, a leading film distributor in Poland, is present in all sectors of the film industry, including cinema, video on demand (VOD), television, and video formats (DVD/Blu-ray), as well as producing and co-producing Polish films. In 2025, Kino Świat successfully released in Polish cinemas the following titles: Franz Kafka (Poland’s submission for the 2026 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film), Sex for Dummies (Seks dla opornych), Attack on Pope (Zamach na papieża), The Traveling Dog 2 (Pies, który jeździł koleją 2) and We Live in Time (Sztuka pięknego życia).

Tomasz Karczewski, founder of Kino Świat, has decided to resign from his position as a member of the company’s Management Board and will leave the company on December 2, 2025, after 25 years working for it. The company’s Management Board currently consists of Dorota Eberhardt, President of the Management Board, Marta Pałucka Vice President of the Management Board of Financial Affairs and Marcin Piasecki, Vice President of the Management Board.

Edyta Sadowska, CANAL+ Polska Chief Executive Officer, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Dorota Eberhardt as CEO to Kino Świat and to work with her on accelerating the development and distribution of high-quality Polish productions, particularly internationally. Dorota brings extensive experience, strategic vision and deep understanding of the global film landscape, which makes her the perfect fit to lead Kino Świat through its next stage of growth. We believe her leadership and industry knowledge will strengthen our position both locally and abroad, helping us reach new audiences and build long-term value”.

Alex Hamilton, STUDIOCANAL Chief International Officer, comments: “On behalf of the entire STUDIOCANAL team, I am happy to welcome Dorota Eberhardt as the new CEO of Kino Świat. With her extensive experience in the Polish audiovisual landscape, I am confident that she will empower our fantastic team to strengthen Kino Świat's position in a market that is crucial for STUDIOCANAL”.

Dorota Eberhardt, CEO of Kino Świat: “Tomasz Karczewski played a key role in creating and developing Kino Świat – a company that, for 25 years on the Polish market, has delivered both box-office hits and titles that have become part of the history of Polish cinema. On behalf of myself and the entire organization, I would like to express immense gratitude to Tomasz for his vision, consistent brand building, determination, and contribution to the development of Polish film distribution.”

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 TOMASZ KARCZEWSKI Tomasz Karczewski is a film producer and distributor. He was the long-time president of Kino Świat, one of the leading distribution companies on the Polish market. Since 2007 he has served on the company’s management board, and since 2024 he has held the position of Vice President of the Board. For many years he was the majority shareholder of Kino Świat, co-shaping the company’s development strategy and building its position as one of the largest film distributors in Poland. After CANAL+ Polska acquired 100% of the shares, he retained his role as a board member, ensuring continuity of management and local market know-how. He was behind the success of films such as Clergy, Cold War, Planet Single, and Corpus Christi. He actively engages in the development of the Polish film industry. From 2011 to 2014 he was a member of the Council of the Polish Film Institute, and he is also a member of the Polish Film Academy.

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.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Elvire Charbonnel elvire.charbonnel@canal-plus.com