Special Touch Studios

What Special Touch Studios does

Special Touch Studios is a Marseille-headquartered French film and animation production company incorporated as a SAS on February 11, 2015, and led by founder President Sébastien ONOMO. The company produces animated feature films, documentaries, docu-dramas, and live-action features with an editorial focus on stories from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, and urban cultures, often centering underrepresented voices and historical or socially relevant subject matter (FANON, FUNAN, OMEN/AUGURE, Lost Souls of Syria). Its catalog spans over 35 projects including the upcoming 2026 animated feature 'Allah is not obliged' and award-recognized titles such as FUNAN (2018 Annecy Cristal Award) and OMEN (2023 Cannes Un Certain Regard New Vision Award, 2024 Belgian Oscar representative).

The company's production architecture relies on a multi-territory affiliated studio ecosystem rather than a single large internal studio: Creative Touch Studios in Valenciennes (animation, Hauts-de-France), African Touch Studios in Douala and Abidjan, Karaibes Touch Studios in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), and Special Touch Music in Aix-en-Provence. Core technology is traditional 2D animation production, documentary filmmaking, and live-action feature production. The company employs approximately 11 listed internal staff covering producing, line producing, art direction, development, and finance functions.

Revenue is generated through a multi-stream project-financed model: (1) co-production financing from French and European public film bodies (CNC, Région Sud, Pictanovo, Eurimages, Creative Europe Media) and international funds (Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, UNESCO); (2) broadcaster pre-sales and licensing to Canal+, TV5MONDE, France Télévisions, ARTE, RTBF, Trace TV, Al Jazeera, Proximus, and others; (3) theatrical distribution through BAC Films, Eurozoom, KMBO, and Pathé Touch Afrique; and (4) international sales agents (MK2, Memento International, Celluloid Dreams, Pulsar Content). The customer base is exclusively enterprise — broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, and public funders — with no direct-to-consumer revenue model. Ownership is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors, external funding rounds, or parent company.

Name

Special Touch Studios

Legal name

Special Touch Studios SAS

Website

https://specialtouchstudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Special Touch Studios is a Marseille-based French film production company producing animated features, documentaries, and live-action films focused on African, Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern, and urban cultures, selling to international broadcasters, theatrical distributors, and public film funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film and Animation Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)

Keywords

• Film production
• Animation production
• Documentary production
• Content licensing
• International co-productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Theatrical Distribution: Theatrical releases through distributors like BAC Films, Eurozoom, Pathé Touch Afrique, KMBO for cinema exhibition
2. Broadcast Licensing: Licensing content to TV broadcasters including Canal+, Ciné+, TV5 Monde, France Télévisions, Trace TV, RTBF, Proximus for television exhibition
3. International Sales: International sales agents (MK2, Celluloid Dreams, Memento International, Urban Sales) selling distribution rights globally
4. Co-production Financing: Multi-party co-productions with regional funds (Région Sud, Pictanovo, CNC), international funds (Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, Eurimages), and broadcaster pre-sales

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Special Touch Studios is a Marseille-based film and animation production company that develops, finances, and produces animated feature films, live-action feature films, documentaries, documentary series, and animation series focused on Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, and urban cultures. The company monetizes productions through theatrical distribution deals (BAC Films, Eurozoom, KMBO), broadcast licensing (Canal+, TV5MONDE, France Télévisions, ARTE), international sales via agents (MK2, Celluloid Dreams, Memento), and multi-partner co-production financing with regional funds (Région Sud, Pictanovo, CNC, Eurimages).

Product overview

Special Touch Studios is a Marseille-based film and animation production company producing feature films, documentaries, animated features, and series. Its portfolio includes major animation features like 'Allah is not obliged' (upcoming 2026), 'FANON', 'Heart of Darkness', 'The Siren', 'FUNAN', 'The Island', and 'The Forest of Miss Tang'; documentary features such as 'Spike Lee: the Last King of Brooklyn', 'Lost Souls of Syria', 'Rudy Gobert N°27', and 'Djibril Cissé, the Unbreakable'; and feature films including 'OMEN (AUGURE)', 'Gang of the Caribbean', and 'Bwa Fouyé'. The company operates through affiliated studios Creative Touch Studios (Valenciennes), African Touch Studios (Douala/Abidjan), and Karaibes Touch Studios (Guadeloupe), with a music rights subsidiary Special Touch Music in Aix-en-Provence. The company focuses on stories from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, and Urban Cultures with a universal dimension.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FANON Feature film biopic (113 minutes) about Frantz Fanon, a French psychiatrist from Martinique appointed head of department at a psychiatric hospital in Blida, Algeria during the colonial era and Algerian war, produced for theatrical and broadcast licensing distribution to broadcasters and distributors.
• FUNAN Animated feature film (90 minutes) about the survival and struggle of Chou, a young Cambodian mother trying to find her 4-year-old son taken by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, produced for theatrical and broadcast distribution.
• Allah is not obliged Animated feature film (80 minutes) based on the novel by Ahmadou Kourouma about Birahima, a young Guinean orphan who must cross borders to find his aunt, produced for theatrical release and international broadcast.
• Heart of Darkness Animated feature film (77 minutes) adapted from Joseph Conrad's novel, set in near-future Rio de Janeiro where Marlon must find and capture Captain Kurtz, produced for theatrical and broadcast distribution.
• Spike Lee: the Last King of Brooklyn Documentary (52 minutes) looking back at the career of Spike Lee, the Black American filmmaker who never gave up on his beliefs, produced for broadcast on Canal+ and other networks.
• Dr Paul's Last Autopsy Documentary about Dr. Paul, a famous forensic doctor from the early 20th century who participated in solving major criminal cases, co-produced and broadcast with France Télévisions.
• The Siren Animated feature film (100 minutes) set in 1980s southern Iran during the Iraqi siege of Abadan, following 14-year-old Omid who discovers an abandoned boat, produced for theatrical release with BAC Films as distributor.
• Made in Kinshasa Documentary immersing viewers in the Libulu Shoe Market, an economic microcosm in Kinshasa where nothing is wasted and everything is recycled, broadcast on TV5MONDE and other networks.
• OMEN (AUGURE) Feature film (90 minutes) exploring the weight of beliefs on destiny through four characters accused of being witches and sorcerers in Congo, produced for theatrical distribution and broadcast with international sales handled by Memento International.
• Lost Souls of Syria Documentary (99 minutes) about victims' families seeking truth and justice from Syrian regime's secret archives showing detainees tortured to death, produced for documentary broadcast and distribution.
• The Island Animated musical fable (84 minutes) on the Robinson Crusoe myth, where a doctor named Robinson saves Friday, a refugee survivor, in an island invaded by migrants, produced for theatrical and broadcast distribution co-produced with RTBF (Belgium) and other partners.
• Rudy Gobert - N°27 Documentary (90 minutes) revealing the inspiring destiny of NBA player Rudy Gobert and a dive into the backstage of basketball, produced for broadcast licensing to Canal+ and other networks.
• The Forest of Miss Tang Animated short film (40 minutes) following an existential quest through generations of a family shaken by 200 years of history in China, produced for animation broadcast and festival distribution.
• Gang of the Caribbean Feature film set in 1970s France about Jimmy Larivière who arrives in Paris from the French overseas territories and becomes involved with a group of West Indians, produced for theatrical distribution with BAC Films.
• BÊTES 2 SON Fiction web-series (20 episodes x 5 minutes) about two aspiring rappers hired at a radio station who find their moment of glory through a Rap Contest, produced for digital/web distribution.
• MIA MOKÉ Animated series (52 episodes x 13 minutes) about Mia Moke, a little girl who with her friends protects nature from environmental threats in their village, produced for children's animation distribution.
• Birds Don't Look Back (Les Oiseaux ne se retournent pas) Animated feature film (85 minutes) based on the award-winning graphic novel by Nadia Nakhlé, about 12-year-old orphan Amel who must leave her war-torn country, produced for theatrical and broadcast distribution.
• GLADIATORS Feature film (120 minutes) about Boy Feug, a young Senegalese wrestler who meets former legend Robert Diouf and must face the national champion, produced for theatrical feature distribution.
• STARSEED Animated feature film (85 minutes) about Loveness, an albino girl in Zimbabwe who has a strange encounter in King Black forest and must save the goddess of water, produced for animated feature distribution.
• Ouzkourini Animated feature film (80 minutes) set in a metropolis where people's reflections suddenly vanish from mirrors and reflecting surfaces, produced for animated feature distribution.
• Slow Burn (À feu doux) Documentary (75 minutes) portraying Lebanon's struggling generation through a decade of political and music satire by Lebanese sisters Michelle and Noel Keserwany, produced for documentary broadcast and distribution.
• Thundering Smoke Feature film (90 minutes) combining suspense, fantasy, action, comedy and romance, following a teenage bus conductor who witnesses a fight between gangsters and a mysterious female assassin, produced for theatrical feature distribution.
• The Rovers of Hope (Les Routiers de l'Espoir) Documentary feature (90 minutes) about Lamine, a Malian car transporter who helps migrants return home from Europe in his car named 'Goodbye France', co-produced with France Télévisions and other partners.
• Bwa Fouyé Feature film (90 minutes) about a young woman who regains a taste for life after prison thanks to a team of women sailing traditional Martinican yoles, produced for theatrical feature distribution.
• Assa, a fish in a bowl Feature film (100 minutes) set in Beirut about Yasmine, an Ethiopian maid whose son goes missing, and her struggle to escape her inextricable situation, produced for theatrical feature distribution.
• Sidi Kaba and the Gateway Home Animated feature film (80 minutes) about Sidi Kaba, an 8-year-old boy who with the help of goddess Mami-Wata tries to find his brother taken by slave traders, produced for animated feature distribution with KMBO and Pathé Touch Afrique as distributors.
• MELVILE Animated feature film (85 minutes) adapted from the comic strip Melvile by Romain Renard, about Paul who returns to Melvile to discover his family's true history, produced for animated feature distribution.
• Solitude, a Figure of Freedom Feature film about Solitude, born a slave in Guadeloupe, who becomes aware of her condition and dedicates her life to fighting for abolition, produced for broadcast on France 3 and Trace TV and for theatrical distribution.
• Djibril Cissé, the Unbreakable Documentary about Djibril Cissé, the lightning-fast striker who redefined the place of a footballer in popular culture in the early 2000s, broadcast on Trace TV and distributed for sports documentary broadcast licensing.
• Rudy Gobert, Back to the Future Documentary about Rudy Gobert, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, at a pivotal crossroads in his career preparing for life beyond basketball, produced for documentary broadcast licensing.
• Between us two, Marseille Documentary (52/90 minutes) about two sisters between Beirut and Marseille, following Dima who is forced to leave deteriorating Lebanon for Marseille, produced for documentary broadcast and distribution.
• Niemeyer 4 Ever Documentary (90 minutes) about young Tripolitans who claim their freedom in the ruins of Oscar Niemeyer's International Fair in Tripoli, Lebanon, produced for documentary broadcast and distribution.
• Ducks Feature film (80 minutes) about Kerya, a Cambodian from France traveling to Cambodia to spread her father's ashes and becoming caretaker of 300 ducks, produced for theatrical feature distribution.
• AFRICAN EMPIRES Historical documentary series (4 episodes x 52 minutes) discovering the greatest kingdoms and empires of Africa before colonization, broadcast on Canal+ and TV5MONDE for distribution.
• SORYA Animated feature film (90 minutes) about Sorya, a young Cambodian peasant who arrives in Phnom Penh to work in a factory and support her expropriated family, produced for animated feature distribution.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Paul Thiltges DistributioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxembourg-based co-producer and distributor, key partner for multiple animated features including FANON, Melvile, Sidi Kaba, Thundering Smoke. Handles both production financing and distribution in Luxembourg/Benelux markets.
• Creative Touch StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister production company and animation studio based in Valenciennes (Hauts-de-France), co-producing numerous projects including Funan, The Forest of Miss Tang, Dr Paul's Last Autopsy, Rudy Gobert documentaries.
• African Touch StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company and animation studio based in Douala (Cameroon) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast), co-producing projects including The Rovers of Hope documentary.
• Karaibes Touch StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company and animation studio based in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), co-producing projects including Solitude documentary, Bwa Fouyé, Sidi Kaba, Rudy Gobert documentaries.
• BAC FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench theatrical distributor for multiple productions including FANON, Funan, Gang of the Caribbean, The Siren. Primary distribution partner for French theatrical releases.
• Canal+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench premium broadcaster and co-producer, broadcasting and co-producing Spike Lee documentary, FANON, African EMPIRES, Rudy Gobert documentaries. Key broadcast partner across multiple projects.
• EurozoommajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor for FANON theatrical release in France
• TV5MONDEmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrancophone international broadcaster, broadcasting African EMPIRES, Made in Kinshasa, and Sidi Kaba
• Trace TVmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational music and entertainment channel, broadcasting and distributing Solitude documentary, Bwa Fouyé, Djibril Cissé documentary
• France TélévisionsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench public broadcaster, co-producing and broadcasting Dr Paul's Last Autopsy, Rudy Gobert N°27, The Rovers of Hope
• RTBF (Belgium)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian French-language broadcaster, broadcasting The Island, Melvile, Sidi Kaba
• Les Films d'IcimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench documentary and animation production company, co-producing Funan, The Siren, Lost Souls of Syria, Gang of the Caribbean
• MK2majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales agent handling international sales for Allah is not obliged
• Memento InternationalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales agent handling international sales for Omen (Augure)
• Celluloid DreamsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales agent handling international sales for FANON
• Need ProductionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company co-producing Allah is not obliged and Melvile
• Aparte FilmsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian production company co-producing Starseed and The Island
• Wrong MenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company co-producing Omen (Augure)
• ARTEmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranco-German public broadcaster supporting and broadcasting The Forest of Miss Tang and Melvile
• YzanakiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company co-producing Allah is not obliged and Starseed
• La Ruche ProductionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company co-producing Made in Kinshasa documentary
• The Attic ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebanese production company co-producing Niemeyer 4 Ever documentary
• Playtime FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company co-producing Between us two, Marseille documentary
• The TalkiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company co-producing Slow Burn documentary
• Rabbit FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company co-producing Thundering Smoke feature
• ProximusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian telecom/broadcaster broadcasting Sidi Kaba and Allah is not obliged
• Société Radio-CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian public broadcaster broadcasting Allah is not obliged
• GKIDSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS animation distributor broadcasting Allah is not obliged
• RTBFminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian broadcaster co-producing and broadcasting Allah is not obliged
• LumièreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian distributor for Allah is not obliged
• Maison 4:3minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor for Allah is not obliged
• Pathé BC AfriquemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican distributor for FANON and Sidi Kaba across Francophone Africa
• Axia FilmsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor for FANON
• KMBOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor for Sidi Kaba
• Pulsar ContentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales for Sidi Kaba
• France 3majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench regional broadcaster broadcasting Solitude, Niemeyer 4 Ever, Entre nous deux Marseille
• Al JazeeraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcaster broadcasting Between us two, Marseille documentary

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Superprod: French independent animation studio producing CGI feature films and series with international co-productions. Comparable as a similarly sized European animation producer with festival-circuit titles and multi-territory co-financing experience.
• Wrong Men: Belgian production company co-producing Omen (Augure) with Special Touch. Comparable as a similarly sized Benelux production house producing festival-oriented feature films and animation with international co-production financing.
• Need Productions: Belgian production company co-producing Allah is not obliged and Melvile with Special Touch. Comparable as a similarly sized Benelux animation/film producer focused on socially engaged European co-productions with international sales reach.
• Cyber Group Studios: Paris-based animation production and distribution company producing children's animated series and features. Comparable as a French independent animation studio with international co-production financing and broadcaster relationships, though focused more on youth programming.
• Les Films d'Ici: Paris-based documentary and animation production company co-producing multiple Special Touch projects (Funan, The Siren, Lost Souls of Syria, Gang of the Caribbean). Comparable as a French independent producer of auteur-driven animation and documentary films targeting international festivals.
• Folivari: Paris-based independent animation studio producing auteur-driven feature films (Calamity, Ernest & Celestine franchise co-productions). Closely comparable in scale, editorial positioning around culturally distinctive animated features, and reliance on French/European co-production financing.
• Aparte Films: Romanian production company co-producing Starseed and The Island with Special Touch. Comparable as a similarly sized Eastern European animation/film producer co-financed through Eurimages and Creative Europe with festival-circuit ambitions.

Broad incumbents

• Xilam Animation: Established French animation studio producing feature films and series (Oggy, Dofus). Comparable as a French-rooted animation producer operating at greater scale with broader IP portfolios, but with a more commercial, family-oriented editorial line versus Special Touch's cultural-focus niche.
• Ankama Animation: French animation studio and game developer producing features (Dofus, Mutafukaz). Comparable as a French-rooted animation producer with feature film ambitions, though more diversified into gaming and youth entertainment.

Others

• Pictanovo: Regional French film fund providing co-production financing for Special Touch projects (Allah is not obliged, Sorya, Forest of Miss Tang). Comparable as an ecosystem participant: a Hauts-de-France regional fund that finances Special Touch titles and similar independent French productions, representing the funding-counterparty perspective rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/specialtouchstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialtouchstudios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Special Touch Studios