Shellac
Shellac SARL is an independent French film distribution company founded in 2003, producing, internationally selling, theatrically distributing, and publishing auteur cinema, while programming three cinemas in Marseille and Paris for art-house audiences and festival programmers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersMarseille, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Shellac does
Shellac SARL is a privately held French independent film distribution company founded in 2003 and headquartered at the Friche La Belle de Mai cultural complex in Marseille, with a programming operation at the Saint-André des Arts cinema in Paris. The company operates a vertically integrated auteur cinema business spanning production, international sales, theatrical distribution, and home-video publishing, and programs three cinemas: Gyptis and Baleine in Marseille and Saint-André des Arts in Paris. Its catalog spans over 20 years of independent and auteur cinema, with documented launch roles for filmmakers such as Miguel Gomes, Pietro Marcello, Justine Triet, Alain Guiraudie, Antonin Peretjatko, and Virgil Vernier, alongside continued work with established auteurs including Philippe Grandrieux, Chantal Akerman, Claire Simon, and Paul Vecchiali.
Revenue is generated across four streams: (i) direct-to-consumer DVD and Blu-ray sales via the shellacfilms.com e-commerce boutique, with individual discs priced from €6.90 to €16.90 and box sets from €12.90 to €69.90; (ii) international sales and licensing to foreign distributors, festivals, and buyers; (iii) theatrical distribution through the company's own programmed cinemas and French theater partnerships, including a co-distribution relationship with TANDEM; and (iv) film production royalties from co-productions with Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Spain. Recent flagship titles include Grand Tour (Miguel Gomes, Cannes 2024 Prix de la mise en scène, TIFF and NYFF 2024 selections), Dos Madres (Víctor Iriarte, 2025), Truly Naked (Muriel d'Ansembourg, Berlinale 2026), and La Providence et la Guitare (João Nicolau, Rotterdam 2026 Opening Film).
The company is a member of the Syndicat des Distributeurs Indépendants (SDI) and the Syndicat des Producteurs Indépendants (SPI), indicating integration into French independent film industry associations. Leadership consists of CEO Thomas Ordonneau, who oversees international sales. Underlying technology infrastructure is conventional web-stack: WordPress/WooCommerce e-commerce, Cloudflare, Mailchimp, YouTube embedding, and Sourcebuster analytics. No AI, proprietary model, or patent assets are disclosed, and financial figures (revenue, funding, headcount) are not publicly available; the company is registered as Shellac SARL under RCS Marseille 444 228 084.
Shellac firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shellac
- Legal name
- Shellac SARL
- Website
- https://shellacfilms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Shellac SARL is an independent French film distribution company founded in 2003, producing, internationally selling, theatrically distributing, and publishing auteur cinema, while programming three cinemas in Marseille and Paris for art-house audiences and festival programmers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Shellac is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marseille
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Shellac business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Video publishing (DVD/Blu-ray sales): Sale of DVDs and Blu-rays of independent and auteur films through their e-commerce boutique. Products include individual films, box sets, and special collections. Prices range from €4.90 to €69.90.
- International sales: International distribution and sales of films in their catalog to foreign markets, festivals, and distributors.
- Theatrical distribution: Theater distribution through their programmed cinemas and exhibition of films in French cinemas.
- Film production: Production of independent films, particularly supporting new talents and auteur cinema.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual DVDs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | DVD + Blu-ray combos |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Blu-ray single discs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Box sets (Coffrets) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Discounted/sale items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Shellac product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shellac is an independent French film distribution company that produces independent and auteur films, manages international sales and licensing to foreign distributors and festivals, distributes theatrically through programmed cinemas and partnerships, and publishes films on DVD and Blu-ray through its e-commerce boutique. The company operates a complete ecosystem spanning production, distribution, exhibition, and home video publishing, with a curated catalog spanning 20+ years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Film Production
- International Film Sales
- Theatrical Distribution
- Video Publishing (DVD/Blu-ray Boutique) Sale of DVDs, Blu-rays, box sets, and special collections of independent and auteur films through the e-commerce boutique at shellacfilms.com/boutique. Unit prices range from €4.90 to €69.90.
- La Providence et la Guitare
- Truly Naked Film by Muriel d'Ansembourg. Netherlands/Belgium/France co-production, 102 minutes. Selected for Berlinale 2026 Perspectives section. Theatrical release April 15, 2026.
- Grand Tour Film by Miguel Gomes. Portugal/Italy/France co-production, 128 minutes. Won Prix de la mise en scène at Festival de Cannes 2024; official selection at New York Film Festival 2024 and TIFF 2024. DVD + Blu-Ray release November 27, 2024.
- Dos Madres Film by Víctor Iriarte. Spanish original version with French subtitles. DVD + Blu-Ray release January 7, 2025.
Companies that use Shellac
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Shellac technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Shellac partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TANDEMcoreCo-distribution partnership for theatrical release of selected films. Notably for Grand Tour by Miguel Gomes.
- Syndicat des Distributeurs Indépendants (SDI)minorProfessional association membership for independent film distributors in France.
- Syndicat des Producteurs Indépendants (SPI)minorProfessional association membership for independent film producers in France.
- Festival international du film de RotterdamcoreLa Providence et la Guitare by João Nicolau selected as opening film for the 2026 edition. Major festival partnership for premieres and sales.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Shellac competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pyramide Distribution: Long-standing French independent distributor combining theatrical distribution, international sales, and video publishing of arthouse cinema. Direct peer across Shellac's production, sales, and home-video activities.
- Wild Bunch: Major French independent sales and distribution company handling auteur and festival films internationally. Comparable to Shellac in international sales activity, festival strategy, and auteur catalog focus, though at larger scale.
- Carlotta Films: French distributor focused on repertory cinema, classics, and auteur physical media (DVD/Blu-ray box sets) as well as theatrical re-releases. Closely comparable to Shellac's collector-grade box-set business and curated physical-media catalog.
- The Criterion Collection: US-based premium distributor of classic and contemporary auteur cinema via curated DVD/Blu-ray editions, streaming, and theatrical re-releases. Comparable to Shellac for its collector-grade box-set business, curatorial identity, and auteur catalog stewardship.
- Jour2fête: Paris-based independent distributor of arthouse and festival-driven cinema with theatrical, sales, and home-video operations. Direct peer to Shellac in the French independent distribution ecosystem.
- Memento Films: French independent distributor specializing in auteur cinema across theatrical, international sales, and home video. Comparable to Shellac in editorial positioning and multi-channel distribution of arthouse titles.
- Sophie Dulac Productions: French production and distribution company dedicated to auteur and arthouse cinema, often festival-positioned. Comparable to Shellac in combining independent production with theatrical distribution of singular auteur voices.
- mk2: French independent film distribution, production, and cinema-exhibition company. Directly comparable to Shellac because it operates a network of programmed art-house cinemas across Paris, runs international sales, and distributes auteur cinema in theaters and on home video.
- Ad Vitam Distribution: Paris-based independent French distributor of arthouse and auteur cinema covering theatrical, international sales, and home video. Closely comparable to Shellac in editorial line, scale, and reliance on festival-driven slates.
Regional players
- Diaphana Distribution: Italian independent distributor of arthouse and auteur cinema with theatrical and home-video operations, frequently present in French-speaking circuits. Comparable to Shellac in catalog focus though primarily serving the Italian territory.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Shellac social profiles
Digital presenceShellac financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shellac leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Shellac funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shellac M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shellac
What does Shellac do?
Shellac is an independent French film distribution company that produces independent and auteur films, manages international sales and licensing to foreign distributors and festivals, distributes theatrically through programmed cinemas and partnerships, and publishes films on DVD and Blu-ray through its e-commerce boutique. The company operates a complete ecosystem spanning production, distribution, exhibition, and home video publishing, with a curated catalog spanning 20+ years.
Is Shellac a public or private company?
Shellac is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Shellac founded?
Shellac was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Shellac based?
Shellac is headquartered in Marseille, France, in the Europe region.
How does Shellac make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Video publishing (DVD/Blu-ray sales) is the primary driver. The others are international sales, theatrical distribution and film production.
Who are Shellac's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pyramide Distribution, Wild Bunch, Carlotta Films, The Criterion Collection, Jour2fête, Memento Films, Sophie Dulac Productions, mk2 and Ad Vitam Distribution. Diaphana Distribution is listed as a regional player.
Does Shellac have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shellac.