What MADANTS does

MADANTS (legal entity Madants Sp. z o.o.) is a Warsaw-based independent film production company founded in 2015 by Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska and Beata Rzeźniczek, later joined by Bogna Szewczyk-Skupień as a third principal. The company specialises in producing auteur-driven feature films with international co-financing potential, working closely with a curated roster of acclaimed directors including Claire Denis, Agnieszka Holland, Joanna Khan, and other recognised voices in the European arthouse segment. Titles such as High Life, Lamb, Silent Twins, Charlatan, Housekeeping for Beginners, and Blanquita have premiered at major festivals including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, and Palm Springs, positioning the company within the international festival circuit.

The business operates on a project-based production model. Revenue per film comes from a combination of public film funding, international co-production contributions, pre-sales to sales agents, and one-time licence fees upon delivery. Co-producing with André Techiné as line producer on High Life, and the use of international sales and co-production partners, reflects a deliberate alignment with European public and private film financing infrastructure. The company has also established a domestic distribution channel, Madness Distribution, through which it selectively releases titles theatrically in Poland, capturing downstream margin that producers without a distribution arm typically cede to third parties.

MADANTS is a small, principal-led organisation with a stated headcount of approximately nine employees. Public financing partners include the Polish Film Institute and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, which provide recurring project-level grants. The company does not disclose revenue, funding round sizes, or external venture capital, and operates on the cash-flow timing typical of independent film production: large lumpy inflows tied to specific delivery milestones, offset by multi-year development burn across a slate of more than 20 announced projects.

Name

MADANTS

Legal name

Madants Sp. z o. o.

Website

https://madants.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MADANTS is a Warsaw-based independent film production company founded in 2015, producing auteur-driven features with international co-financing and operating a domestic Polish distribution arm called Madness Distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Film Production Services: Production of independent, auteur-driven films with international potential, often in creative collaboration with European and global partners. Revenue generated through film production, co-production deals, and international sales.
2. Film Distribution: Distribution of films in Poland through Madness Distribution division. Revenue from distribution rights and theatrical/streaming releases.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MADANTS is a Warsaw-based production company that produces independent, auteur-driven films with international potential, typically as co-productions with European and global partners. The company also operates Madness Distribution, a division that handles theatrical and streaming distribution of films in the Polish market.

Product overview

MADANTS is a Warsaw-based film production and distribution company founded in 2015. The company operates two main service lines: Production (Line-Up) and Distribution (operating as Madness Distribution). The Production division creates independent, auteur-driven films with international partners including acclaimed filmmakers like Claire Denis, Agnieszka Holland, and Agnieszka Smoczyńska. The Distribution division handles international sales and distribution of both own productions and third-party films. Notable productions include Housekeeping for Beginners, Joika, Charlatan, Silent Twins, High Life, and Lamb, while distribution titles include To co zabijasz, Bez przebaczenia, Fréwaka, and Dziewczyna z Kolonii.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Madness Distribution (Film Distribution) International film distribution arm operating under the Madness Distribution brand, handling Polish theatrical and streaming distribution for MADANTS productions and third-party international co-productions. Targets Polish audiences, theatrical exhibitors, and streaming platforms.
• Housekeeping for Beginners Film co-produced by MADANTS, directed and written by Goran Stolevski, starring Anamaria Marinca, Alina Serban, and Samson Selim. A drama about Dita who raises her girlfriend's two daughters and fights to keep their unlikely family together. Premiered at Venice Film Festival.
• Joika Film co-produced by MADANTS, directed by James Napier Robertson, starring Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger. Based on the true story of American ballerina Joy Womack who was accepted into the Moscow Bolshoi Academy. Featured at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
• Charlatan Film co-produced by MADANTS, directed by Agnieszka Holland, starring Ivan Trojan and Josef Trojan. Inspired by the true story of herbalist Jan Mikolasek, who cared for the sick in Czechoslovakia through the Nazi and Communist eras. Selected for the Berlin International Film Festival.
• The Silent Twins Film co-produced by MADANTS, directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska, starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrence. The true story of twin sisters who only communicated with one another, creating their own world to escape reality. Selected for Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard).
• High Life Film co-produced by MADANTS, written by Claire Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau, starring Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche. A deep-space sci-fi story about Monte and his infant daughter Willow living aboard a spacecraft in isolation. Featured at TIFF and San Sebastian; distributed by A24.
• Lamb Film co-produced by MADANTS, directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson, starring Noomi Rapace. An Icelandic folktale about a childless couple who make an alarming discovery in their sheep barn. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
• To, co zabijasz (What You Kill) Film distributed in Poland by MADANTS via Madness Distribution, directed by Alireza Khatami, starring Ekin Koç and Erkan Kolçak Köstendil. A Canadian Oscar submission with Polish co-producers, framed as a tribute to David Lynch and Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
• Bez przebaczenia (Bring Them Down) Film distributed in Poland by MADANTS via Madness Distribution, directed by Chris Andrews, starring Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, and Colm Meaney. An Irish thriller about two farmers whose rivalry escalates, leaving both families permanently changed.
• Fréwaka Film distributed in Poland by MADANTS via Madness Distribution, directed by Aislinn Clarke, starring Clare Monnelly and Bríd Ní Neachtain. An Irish folk horror about a young caretaker sent to help a woman fearing mysterious entities.
• Dziewczyna z Kolonii (The Girl from the Colony) Film distributed in Poland by MADANTS via Madness Distribution, directed by Ido Fluk. Inspired by the true story of Vera Brandes, who organized a legendary jazz concert by Keith Jarrett.
• Wściekłość (Rage) Film distributed in Poland by MADANTS via Madness Distribution, directed by Burhan Qurbani, starring Kenda Hmeidan. A Berlin gang-war story about a young woman from an influential family fighting for power.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Polish Film InstitutecoreOthersPolish government film funding body that provides financial support for audio-visual productions. Madants films have received support through the Act on Financial Support for Audio-Visual Production.
• Ministry of Culture and National HeritagecoreOthersPolish government ministry that provides funding for film productions. Joika and other productions were funded by this ministry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Wild Bunch: Major European sales, distribution, and production company. Comparable as a counterparty on international sales for MADANTS titles but materially larger and more diversified across the film value chain.

Direct peers

• Lava Films: Polish boutique production company producing auteur-driven international co-productions. Highly comparable to MADANTS in scale, Polish base, festival positioning, and reliance on international auteur talent.
• Telemark (Studio Filmowe): Polish independent production company producing auteur and arthouse films with international co-productions. Comparable in scale and positioning within the Polish production ecosystem.
• Opus Film: One of Poland's longest-established independent production companies, producing award-winning Polish and international films (e.g., Ida, Cold War). Comparable as a Polish production counterpart, though larger and more diversified than MADANTS.
• New Europe Film Sales: Warsaw-based international sales agent representing Polish and Central European films. Comparable as a Poland-rooted partner in the international arthouse value chain and frequent counterparty for Polish productions.
• The Match Factory: German-based international sales and distribution company focused on auteur cinema. Comparable in handling festival-driven European films and competing for the same pool of prestige titles.
• TrustNordisk: Scandinavian international sales and distribution company handling European arthouse titles. Comparable in handling European festival-circuit films across multiple territories, a model MADANTS partially replicates via Madness Distribution in Poland.
• LevelK: Copenhagen-based international sales agent representing European arthouse and genre films. Comparable as a boutique sales partner for festival-driven titles in the same ecosystem as MADANTS.
• Apple Film Production: Polish independent production company behind Oscar-nominated Corpus Christi. Comparable in producing Polish auteur films with international festival and awards traction.

Regional players

• Kino Polska: Polish media group operating film distribution and TV channels focused on Polish and European arthouse cinema. Comparable as a Polish-market distributor for the same content category MADANTS targets via Madness Distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/madants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MADANTS