ORIGINE FILMS

What ORIGINE FILMS does

Origine Films is a privately held French short film production and distribution company headquartered in Lyon, operating under the brand name 'oriGine.' The company runs two complementary businesses: producing original short films for the international festival circuit and licensing a catalog of short films to festivals, video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, and theatrical programmers. Its production slate covers more than 50 films executed across approximately 10 countries, while the distribution catalog exceeds 500 titles spanning drama, comedy, documentary, animation, thriller, sci-fi, and experimental genres.

The core technology stack is conventional media-rights management rather than software: Origine Films generates revenue through licensing royalties on a per-title basis, with fees negotiated case-by-case via dedicated email channels for production submissions ([email protected]), international sales ([email protected]), and festival submissions ([email protected]). The company employs a sales-led go-to-market motion targeting festival selectors, international buyers, and VOD platforms. Marketing relies on industry networking, festival presence, and the company website catalog rather than paid digital channels, and no public API, SDK, or proprietary platform is offered.

The company has secured award recognition at Cannes, Venice, Locarno, BAFTA, Goya, Magritte, and César festivals, including an Oscar preselection for The Van in 2021 and a Best Short Film at Venice 2023 for A Short Trip. The team is compact (1–10 employees), with a named Producer (Olivier Berlemont), Production Assistant (Mélissa Ouellet), and International Sales (Ondine Charon). Geographic reach spans Europe (France, Belgium, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkey) and Asia (Korea, China, Israel, Kazakhstan, Vietnam); no funding rounds, ownership structure, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

ORIGINE FILMS

Website

https://originefilms.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Origine Films is a French short film production and distribution company that produces original short films for international festivals and licenses a 500+ title catalog to festivals, VOD platforms, and distributors worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Film Production and Distribution

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales) (MPADAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatrical Distribution (International) (MPADAJAB), Development & Packaging (IP Sourcing, Script, Attachments) (MPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Short film production
• Film distribution services
• International co-production
• Festival film sales
• Video on demand licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

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. Short Film Production: Producing original short films across multiple countries with festival ambitions. The company has produced over 50 films in 10 countries, with works selected at prestigious festivals including Cannes, Venice, and Locarno.
2. Short Film Distribution: Managing and distributing a catalogue of over 500 short film titles to festivals, theaters, and VOD platforms worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ORIGINE FILMS (oriGine) is a French short film production and distribution company. It produces original short films across approximately 10 countries (over 50 titles produced) and distributes a catalogue of more than 500 short film titles to international film festivals, VOD platforms, and theatrical programmers worldwide. The company combines an in-house production slate with a global sales/distribution operation, leveraging selections and awards at Cannes, Venice, Locarno, BAFTA, Goya, Magritte and César as core commercial credibility.

Product overview

Origine Films operates as a short film production and distribution company combining two core services: production of original short films across 10+ countries with over 50 titles produced, and global distribution of a catalog exceeding 500 short film titles. The company functions as both producer and distributor, with films regularly selected at major international festivals including Cannes, Venice, Locarno, BAFTA, Goya, Magritte, and César awards. The production arm develops original works while the distribution arm handles VOD and international sales, organized across genres including drama, comedy, documentary, animation, thriller, sci-fi, and experimental film.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short Film Production

Quantifiable outcome

• 37°4S received Special Mention at Cannes 2013; Sali selected at Cannes 2015; The Van preselected for Oscars 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wild Bunch: Wild Bunch is a major French international sales and distribution company. While primarily focused on features, it overlaps with Origine in international sales and acquisition of arthouse festival titles with French or European co-production ties.
• Studiocanal: Studiocanal is a leading European production, distribution, and sales company owned by Canal+. It competes with Origine for international sales and catalogue acquisition, particularly in European arthouse and festival-oriented content.
• Beta Film: Beta Film is a leading German-based international sales and co-production company. It competes with Origine on international sales of European-produced content and co-production financing, though typically at a larger scale and broader format mix.
• Pathé Films: Pathé is a historic French film studio and distributor. While focused on features, Pathé's distribution network and festival strategy overlap with Origine, particularly for French-produced arthouse content with international sales potential.
• MK2 Films: MK2 is a French production, distribution, and exhibition company with deep roots in arthouse cinema. It shares Origine's French base and international festival orientation, and competes for the same pool of prestige European directors and titles.

Direct peers

• ShortsTV: ShortsTV is a linear TV and streaming channel dedicated exclusively to short films. It is a direct competitor in acquiring and distributing short film catalogues to global audiences through both traditional and digital channels.
• Shorts International: Shorts International operates the ShortsTV channel and is one of the largest dedicated short film distributors globally. It competes directly with Origine Films for festival acquisitions, VOD rights, and broadcaster deals in the short film category.

Emerging players

• The Party Film Sales: The Party Film Sales is an international sales boutique representing arthouse and festival titles. It competes with Origine's international sales arm for the same buyer pool of festivals and platforms, particularly for short films and European co-productions.
• Distrify: Distrify is a digital distribution platform focused on short-form and indie film. It overlaps with Origine's VOD distribution approach and represents a more technology-driven alternative to Origine's traditional festival-first model.
• MUBI: MUBI is a global streaming platform curating arthouse, indie, and classic films including shorts. It is an emerging competitor in curated short film distribution and an important VOD buyer for companies like Origine Films.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/originefilms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/origine-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ORIGINE FILMS