Netflix has promoted Łukasz Kłuskiewicz to run TV and movies in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, Deadline reported yesterday from the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Kłuskiewicz is currently head of the CEE film and licensing team but will now oversee series and film production, licensing, and the non-fiction slate across CEE. The news was later confirmed by the streamer to Polish media as well.

Deadline notes that "the move represents the first time an executive has been in charge of all CEE content and Kłuskiewicz will now operate similarly to the likes of Anne Mensah in the UK or Italy’s Tinny Andreatta. Accodring to sources, Netflix’s CEE focus remains on Polish original movies and series while licensing local titles to the likes of the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary.

Netflix launched in Poland in 2016, expanded into other CEE countries three years later and opened a Warsaw hub in 2022. Since joining in 2018, Kłuskiewicz’s credits have included Forgotten Love, Justice, the 365 Days trilogy and How I Fell in Love with a Gangster. He is a 15-year industry vet who used to work for Polish pubcaster TVP and Nat Geo.

Other CEE (a.k.a. Polish, Ed.) originals include High Water and 1983. Later this year, the streamer will launch Heweliusz, its “largest local original production in terms of scale to date,” which is a limited series inspired by the sinking of the Polish passenger ferry on the Baltic Sea in 1993. Netflix has also adapted three Harlan Coben books into Polish series – most recently, Just One Look. The CEE region has also been making moves in the formats biz, with Polish versions of Rhythm + Flow and Love is Blind."

Later that day Netflix sent out information to Polish media, identifying Kłuskiewicz's position as Program Director for CEE, a newly created post. “Netflix will continue its strategy in the Central and Eastern European region, where it focuses primarily on producing original series, films and entertainment formats in Poland and on acquiring licenses for local content in the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and other countries in the region,” the company told Polish media, essentially confirming that its “CEE” strategy is a Polish one. Netflix has also recently expanded its team responsible for local titles in Central and Eastern Europe, with the addition of Marta Grela-Gorostiza (responsible for series, joined from TVN Warner Bros. Discovery ) and Daria Drzewiecka and Tomasz Blachnicki (films).

CEETV reminds that Netflix has been continuously calling its Polish original commissioning strategy a “CEE” one, while it has in fact produced only one original series outside of Poland - Subteran which was canceled after one season and was not promoted outside of Romania.

Also, earlier CEETV heard from two independent from each other local sources earlier this year that Netflix had no plans for new productions in Romania for the time being.