Artsploitation Films

What Artsploitation Films does

Artsploitation Films is a Philadelphia-based independent film distribution company founded in 2009, specializing in provocative, genre-defying international cinema. The company acquires and distributes horror, thriller, drama, and art-house films from markets including South Korea, China, Israel, Chile, Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Canada, and the United Kingdom, positioning itself as a specialty alternative to mainstream studios for audiences seeking unconventional content.

The company's core offering is a curated catalog of roughly a dozen actively distributed titles, released across three formats: DVD and Blu-ray physical media and digital video-on-demand. Physical media is distributed primarily through a core partnership with Kino Lorber, with availability across major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and specialty outlets. Digital distribution spans iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, KinoNow, and Vimeo On Demand. Marketing relies on the company website, email newsletter, press coverage from genre publications, and world premieres at international film festivals including Rotterdam, Venice, Bucheon, and Fantasia.

Revenue is generated through one-time physical media sales (DVDs at approximately $15-30 and Blu-rays at $20-35 per unit) and transaction-based digital VOD sales. The target customer is genre film enthusiasts seeking challenging, artistic international films unavailable through mainstream distribution channels. The company operates with 11-50 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, and no parent company, indicating a privately-held, bootstrapped specialty distribution operation. Awards recognition includes a Venice Film Festival Queer Lion Award (2019), Rotterdam Special Jury Award (2019), and Bucheon Audience Award (2020), supporting the brand's positioning in international festival circuits.

Name

Artsploitation Films

Legal name

Artsploitation Films

Website

https://artsploitationfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Artsploitation Films is a Philadelphia-based independent film distributor specializing in provocative international horror, thriller, and art-house cinema, releasing titles on DVD/Blu-ray and digital VOD through Kino Lorber and major retail and streaming platforms for genre film enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Film Distribution

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community) (MPADAJAJ)

Keywords

• Specialty film distribution
• International genre films
• Horror film distribution
• Physical media distribution
• Video on demand content

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Media Sales: Sales of DVDs and Blu-rays through retail partners and direct-to-consumer e-commerce channels
2. Digital VOD Distribution: Streaming and video-on-demand sales through platforms including iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, KinoNow, and Vimeo

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Artsploitation Films is a Philadelphia-based independent film distribution company that acquires and distributes provocative, unsettling, and genre-defying international films primarily on DVD, Blu-ray, and Video On Demand (VOD) platforms. The company licenses a curated catalog of horror, thriller, drama, and art-house titles from filmmakers around the world and makes them available to consumers through major retailers and streaming services. Its distribution operations are supported by a core partnership with Kino Lorber for physical media reach.

Product overview

Artsploitation Films is a North American film distribution company specializing in international films with provocative, unsettling, and genre-bending content. The company operates as a distribution platform releasing unique, exciting, controversial, and challenging films from around the globe on multiple formats including DVD, Blu-ray, and Video On Demand. Their portfolio includes a diverse catalog of horror, thriller, drama, and art-house films from international markets, particularly Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The distribution service connects these films to audiences through retail partnerships (Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Kino Lorber) and streaming platforms (iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, KinoNow, Vimeo). Notable titles include 'The Dead Ones', 'Beasts Clawing at Straws', 'Welcome to the Circle', 'Happy Times', 'Sheep Without a Shepherd', 'Playdurizm', 'The Man With the Answers', 'Virtual Reality', 'We (Wij)', 'Benjamin', and 'The Prince'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Dead Ones A horror film about four outcast teens trapped in a high school by a gang wearing Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse costumes, hunting them through ravaged hallways. Directed by Jeremy Kasten.
• Welcome to the Circle A nightmarish horror film about a sinister mind control cult called The Circle, following survivors trying to escape its clutches. Written and directed by David Fowler.
• Beasts Clawing at Straws A pitch-black neo-noir crime thriller from South Korea about a Louis Vuitton bag stuffed with cash and the desperate chase by various lowlifes. Directorial debut of Kim Yong-hoon.
• Happy Times A dark comedy/horror film about an Israeli-American couple hosting a Sabbath dinner party that descends into murderous mayhem. Directed by Michael Mayer.
• Sheep Without a Shepherd A Chinese box-office crime thriller remake of Drishyam, following a family man entangled in a battle of wits with police after his daughter accidentally kills her molester. Directed by Sam Quah.
• Playdurizm A colorful fantasy/horror/sci-fi film about a young man who wakes up with no memory in an unfamiliar apartment with bizarre surroundings. Directorial debut of Gem Deger.
• The Man With the Answers A tender Greek-Italian romantic drama following a young man on a road trip from Greece to Germany who meets a free-spirited German traveler. Directed by Stelios Kammitsis.
• Virtual Reality An Argentinean thriller about a film director who agrees to a dark pact to help his career, with cast and crew summoned to survive a reality they never saw coming. Directed by Hernán Findling.
• We (Wij) A Belgian-Dutch coming-of-age drama about eight privileged teenagers whose sexual curiosity and dangerous games lead to porn, assault, and blackmail. Directed by Rene Eller.
• Benjamin A British romantic comedy about a neurotic filmmaker nervously preparing for his film premiere while falling for a young French musician. Written and directed by Simon Amstell.
• The Prince (El Principe) A Chilean prison drama set in the 1970s exploring a clandestine romance between inmates. Directed by Sebastián Muñoz.
• DVD/Blu-ray Distribution Physical media distribution of international films on DVD and Blu-ray formats through retail partners including Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and specialty retailers.
• Video On Demand (VOD) Distribution Digital streaming distribution of Artsploitation titles through platforms including KinoNow, iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, and Vimeo On Demand.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kino LorbercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary distribution partner for Artsploitation Films' physical media releases. Kino Lorber handles DVD and Blu-ray distribution through their extensive retail network, making Artsploitation titles available through major retailers and their own e-commerce platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Oscilloscope Laboratories: Independent New York-based film distribution company focused on distinctive, festival-driven films across genres including horror, thriller, and international cinema. Closely parallels Artsploitation's model of small-team, curated independent distribution targeting genre/cinephile audiences.
• Arrow Video: UK-based boutique label specializing in cult, horror, and world cinema on physical media and digital. Directly comparable in genre focus, format mix (disc-forward), and curatorial strategy; primarily competes in adjacent rather than identical retail geographies.
• Kino Lorber: New York-based distributor of arthouse, foreign, and classic films on physical media and digital platforms. Overlaps directly with Artsploitation as a specialty distributor in the same home-entertainment/curated-cinema space; also operates as Artsploitation's primary distribution partner, making it both a customer and a comparable.
• Vinegar Syndrome: US-based specialty distributor focused on horror, cult, exploitation, and genre cinema on physical media. Closely comparable in target audience, format mix (DVD/Blu-ray-forward), and curatorial approach to provocative genre fare.
• Shout Factory / Scream Factory: Multi-label specialty distributor (Scream Factory for horror) releasing cult, horror, and genre films on physical and digital. Highly comparable in target customer and content category, with materially greater scale and retail footprint.
• Drafthouse Films: Distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse cinema chain releasing independent horror, genre, and international films theatrically and on home entertainment. Comparable in genre-forward curatorial identity and multi-format release strategy.

Broad incumbents

• IFC Films: Larger US independent film distributor releasing arthouse, foreign, and genre titles theatrically and across VOD. Covers the same indie/foreign content category as Artsploitation but with substantially broader catalog, marketing spend, and theatrical capability.
• Magnolia Pictures: US-based independent distributor releasing documentaries, foreign films, and genre titles theatrically and digitally. Comparable breadth of independent/foreign content but with larger slate, theatrical infrastructure, and parent-company backing.

Emerging players

• Yellow Veil Pictures: US-based emerging specialty distributor of international horror, thriller, and genre cinema. Smaller and more recent than Artsploitation but overlapping in target content and acquisition channels (international festival circuit).
• MUBI: Global curated film streaming service specializing in arthouse, foreign, and independent cinema with a subscription model. Competes for the same cinephile viewer and international festival titles, but operates as a subscription streamer rather than transactional distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Artsploitation
• Facebookfacebook.com/Artsploitation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Artsploitation Films