Twin brothers and filmmakers Mark Polonia and John Polonia (born September 30, 1968) founded Polonia Bros Entertainment and Cinegraphic Productions. Between them they have written, directed and produced over 40 feature films, often shot-on-video and mostly in the horror and science fiction genres, making them low-budget or even no-budget film cult icons. When John Polonia died suddenly at the age of 39 on February 25, 2008, Mark Polonia continued to make films.

Life and career

The youngest of five siblings, the brothers were interested in and making films from a very early age. Their first commercial release was Splatter Farm, released on VHS by Donna Michele Productions in 1987, a shot-on-video offering, written, acted, directed and filmed by the teenage brothers and a high school friend. In 1996 the brothers' alien invasion film Feeders was picked up by Blockbuster in the aftermath of the commercial success of Independence Day, and became Blockbuster's No. 1 independent-film rental for the year. Starring John Polonia and fellow-B-movie maker Jon McBride (Cannibal Campout, Woodchipper Massacre) in their first foray together, this film about an invasion of Earth by small rubbery flesh-eating monsters with no mouths marked the Polonias' first wide distribution and paved the way for future releases – perhaps 20 more of them before John's death in 2008. Jon McBride became a regular collaborator with the brothers. The themes approached in their collaborations include killer piranhas, killer Easter bunnies, haunted houses, trips to Mars, assorted demons, In 2007 they released a new and improved cut of Splatter Farm, on DVD through Camp Motion Pictures. The new version is missing a couple of the more outrageous scenes that made the original a 'cult classic'. Within the indie film community, the brothers were known for their kindness and generosity to aspiring film-makers. Polonia Brothers Entertainment and Cinegraphic Productions released Halloweenight, based on a screenplay by, and dedicated to the memory of, the late John Polonia, in October 2009. According to Film Threat ”Mark Polonia is best known (if he is at all) for his ridiculous, though insanely fun, output such as Shark Encounters Of The Third Kind and Deadly Playthings. These productions intentionally trade on their low-budget schtick with absurd premises that ask the viewer to laugh and have fun, as the movie is in on the joke."

Filmography

Films directed by Mark and John Polonia

Films by Mark Polonia only

As director

As writer and producer only

As producer only