Fish Films

What Fish Films does

Les Films du Poisson is an independent French film and television production company founded in 1994 by producers Yaël Fogiel and Laetitia Gonzalez, with Estelle Fialon and Inès Daïen Dasi subsequently joining as producing partners. Headquartered at 54 rue René Boulanger in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, the company specializes in auteur-driven cinema across four product lines: feature films (including César and Cannes-recognized titles), documentaries (notably the Oscar-nominated The Gatekeepers), prestige television series (the ARTE phenomenon En Thérapie and the upcoming ETTY), and short films. Its catalog exceeds 100 works, with sustained presence at the principal international film festivals — Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, Telluride, and Locarno.

The business model is project-based and asset-light. The company originates and develops projects, attaches talent, structures coproduction financing, and licenses finished works to a defined set of channel partners. Revenue is generated through theatrical distribution rights sold to French distributors (Pyramide, Bac Films, Le Pacte, Jour2Fête, Les Films du Losange), international sales through agents (mk2 Films, Studio TF1, Wild Bunch), and broadcast/streaming license fees — most importantly from ARTE France for series content. Financing is typically triangulated across public subsidies (CNC-equivalent funding, Media Creative Europe, Berlin-Brandenburg Medienboard, Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah), broadcaster pre-sales, and regional funds (Région Grand Est, Canal+/Ciné+ pre-purchases). The company has no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or subsidiaries, and is privately held by its four producing partners.

Name

Fish Films

Legal name

Les Films du Poisson

Website

https://filmsdupoisson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Les Films du Poisson is an independent Paris-based film and television production company founded in 1994, producing auteur-driven features, documentaries, and prestige series (including the ARTE hit En Thérapie and the upcoming ETTY) licensed to European broadcasters and international distributors, with a catalog exceeding 100 works.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Journalism Documentaries (MPADADAD), Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)

Keywords

• Independent film production
• Feature film production
• Documentary production
• Television series production
• Short film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Feature Film Production: Production of theatrical feature films distributed internationally through partnerships with French and international distributors. Revenue generated through distribution deals, theatrical release revenues, and international sales.
2. Television Series Production: Prestige television series coproduced with ARTE France and international partners. En Thérapie achieved phenomenon audience status on ARTE. Revenue from broadcast rights and international distribution.
3. Documentary Production: Documentary films often focused on historical subjects, biographical stories, and social themes. Works include The Gatekeepers (Oscar-nominated), Je n'avais que le néant, and various documentary features distributed theatrically and on television.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Les Films du Poisson is an independent French film production company that produces auteur-driven feature films, documentaries, television series, and short films. Founded in 1994, the company accompanies filmmakers through production, financing, and international distribution, with a catalog exceeding 100 works premiered at major festivals and sold through established distributors and broadcasters.

Product overview

Fish Films (Les Films du Poisson) is an independent French film production company founded in 1994 by Yaël Fogiel and Laetitia Gonzalez, specializing in auteur-driven cinema. The company's portfolio comprises four main product lines: Feature Films (longs métrages) including award-winning titles like Voyages, Depuis qu'Otar est parti, and Tournée; Documentaries covering historical and biographical subjects with Oscar-nominated The Gatekeepers; TV Series including the successful En Thérapie adaptation and upcoming ETTY; and Short Films with César-winning Madame Jacques sur la croisette. The catalog exceeds 100 works distributed internationally and selected at major festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, and Sundance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Longs Métrages (Feature Films) Feature-length fiction films produced for theatrical release, including award-winning titles such as Voyages (C\u00e9sar winner), Depuis qu'Otar est parti (Cannes Grand Prix), Tourn\u00e9e (Cannes Directing Award), Les M\u00e9duses (Cam\u00e9ra d'Or), and La Douleur (Oscar submission). Targeted at theatrical distributors, broadcasters, and festival audiences.
• Documentaires (Documentaries) Documentary films covering historical, cultural, and biographical subjects, including The Gatekeepers (Oscar-nominated), Casting, Je n'avais que le n\u00e9ant - Shoah par Lanzmann, and over 50 other documentary titles. Sold to broadcasters and theatrical distributors.
• S\u00e9ries (TV Series) Television series produced for European broadcasters and streaming platforms, including L'Agent immobilier (Best Script Award), Music On The Road, Violences conjugales (award-winning short series), and the multi-season En Th\u00e9rapie drama distributed on ARTE.
• Courts M\u00e9trages (Short Films) Collection of short films produced since 1994, including Madame Jacques sur la croisette (C\u00e9sar winner 1997), Les Lucioles (Grand Prix Digne-les-Bains), and over 35 other titles. Targeted at festival circuits and short film distributors.
• En Th\u00e9rapie

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• ARTE FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor coproduction partner for television series and documentaries. Key partner for En Thérapie (phenomenon series) and ETTY series. ARTE France provides broadcast rights and coproduction funding.
• Komplizen SeriencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman coproduction partner for ETTY series alongside Les Films du Poisson.
• Topkapi SeriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch coproduction partner for ETTY series alongside Les Films du Poisson.
• mk2 FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorldwide distributor for Claude Lanzmann's Shoah and Je n'avais que le néant. Also international sales partner for La Cache.
• Les Films AlephcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partner for Je n'avais que le néant - Shoah par Lanzmann alongside Les Films du Poisson.
• HélicotroncminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian coproduction partner for La Danse des Renards (Wild Foxes).
• Federation EntertainmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution partner for En Thérapie series.
• SWRmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman broadcaster coproduction partner for ETTY series.
• RBB (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman broadcaster coproduction partner for ETTY series.
• NTRmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch public broadcaster coproduction partner for ETTY series.
• Studio TF1majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales agent for ETTY series and partner in association with the production.
• Quiddity ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partner for ETTY series.
• Sipur StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli production partner in association with ETTY series.
• Dulac DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor for ETTY series.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gaumont: France's oldest and largest film company, operating across production, distribution, and exhibition. Broader and more commercially diversified than Fish Films but competing for the same auteur talent and festival slots.
• Studio Canal: Major European film and television studio owned by Canal+ Group, producing and distributing content across genres. A larger incumbent competing for auteur directors and broadcaster pre-sales in the same French and European ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Pyramide Distribution: Independent French theatrical distribution and international sales company with strong arthouse catalog. Directly comparable in scale and prestige positioning; serves as Fish Films' French theatrical distributor on multiple titles.
• Why Not Productions: Independent French production company with comparable size, auteur-driven ethos, and international festival track record (Palm d'Or for Dheepan). Closely parallels Fish Films in scope and positioning.
• Wild Bunch: Paris-based independent sales, distribution, and production company with strong auteur and festival profile. Comparable as a French indie film entity combining production with international sales — one of Fish Films' own sales partners.
• Haut et Court: Paris-based independent film production, distribution, and sales company specializing in auteur cinema. Comparable size, model, and festival positioning to Les Films du Poisson.
• mk2 Films: Paris-based independent film company operating across production, distribution, and international sales — directly comparable to Les Films du Poisson as a French auteur-driven producer with festival pedigree, and a current distribution partner on Lanzmann works.
• Bac Films: Independent French sales, distribution, and production company with festival pedigree. Comparable as a mid-sized French film entity and existing distribution partner of Fish Films.
• Agat Films & Cie: French independent production company with a strong documentary and documentary-driven feature slate. Comparable in author-driven positioning and broadcaster relationships (notably ARTE).
• Le Pacte: French independent film sales and distribution company focused on auteur cinema. Comparable as a mid-sized French film entity and an existing distribution partner of Fish Films.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/FilmsduPoisson
• Facebookfacebook.com/filmsdupoisson
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/films-du-poisson
• Instagraminstagram.com/filmsdupoisson

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Fish Films