Cinema Libre Studio
Cinema Libre Studio, founded in 2003, is a private film production and distribution company producing social issue narrative and nonfiction films. With 11-50 employees, the company operates an integrated model spanning content creation, distribution, and business development.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersCausapscal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cinema Libre Studio does
Cinema Libre Studio is a privately held film production and distribution company founded in 2003. According to its firmographic self-description, the company positions itself as a leader in the production and distribution of social-issue narrative and nonfiction films, indicating a deliberate specialization in documentary and narrative content centered on social themes rather than mainstream commercial entertainment. The company operates with a small team of 11-50 employees, consistent with the scale profile of an independent boutique studio focused on a defined content vertical.
The company's leadership structure is compact and integrated across the full content-to-distribution pipeline. Philippe Diaz serves as Founder, CEO, and President; Lily Yang holds the dual CEO and VP of Business Development title; Beth Portello leads marketing and business development as VP; and Richard Castro serves as COO and VP of Distribution & Acquisitions. The presence of dedicated senior executives for distribution and acquisitions suggests the studio handles theatrical, platform, and rights sales in-house rather than outsourcing that function, which is a meaningful operational signal for an independent social-issue distributor.
The company's website (cinemalibrestudio.com) and the primary data source pages were inaccessible during research due to a security verification/loading screen, which prevented direct extraction of catalog details, distribution partners, revenue model specifics, customer segments, and recent strategic activity. As a result, the available evidence supports a description of the company's stated core function — production and distribution of social-issue narrative and nonfiction films — but does not support substantive claims about revenue mechanics, customer concentration, geographic footprint, financing structure, or growth trajectory.
Cinema Libre Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cinema Libre Studio
- Website
- https://cinemalibrestudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cinema Libre Studio, founded in 2003, is a private film production and distribution company producing social issue narrative and nonfiction films. With 11-50 employees, the company operates an integrated model spanning content creation, distribution, and business development.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cinema Libre Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Film Production & Distribution
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), 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
- Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB), Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ), Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)
Keywords
Where Cinema Libre Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Causapscal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cinema Libre Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Cinema Libre Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cinema Libre Studio produces and distributes social issue narrative and nonfiction (documentary) films. The company handles end-to-end film creation—from development through production—and then releases the finished titles through distribution channels to reach audiences interested in issue-driven cinema.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Issue Film Production
Companies that use Cinema Libre Studio
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Cinema Libre Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cinema Libre Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Cinema Libre Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Participant Media: Participant (now Participant) is the most prominent producer and financier of social impact narrative and documentary films. It is directly comparable to Cinema Libre Studio because both focus on issue-driven storytelling and use film as a vehicle for advocacy, though Participant operates at significantly larger scale.
- IFC Films: IFC Films is a long-standing U.S. independent distributor with deep documentary and issue-driven programming. It overlaps with CLS in social-issue nonfiction distribution, but operates a wider genre portfolio at significantly larger scale.
- NEON: NEON is a U.S. distributor known for prestige documentary and narrative acquisitions including social-issue and political films. It is a comparable distributor of issue-driven content, though at meaningfully larger scale and with broader genre exposure.
Direct peers
- Magnolia Pictures: Magnolia is an independent film distribution company with a strong slate of documentaries and social-issue titles. It directly parallels CLS's combined production and distribution model, particularly around nonfiction and politically engaged cinema.
- Oscilloscope Laboratories: Oscilloscope is a boutique independent distributor known for socially conscious, art-house, and documentary releases. It is a close peer to CLS in scale and editorial mission, both serving niche nonfiction audiences.
- Zeitgeist Films: Zeitgeist Films is a small independent distributor of documentary and narrative features with an art-house orientation. Comparable to CLS as a similarly-sized indie distributor focused on socially engaged and nonfiction work.
- First Run Features: First Run Features is an independent distributor focused on documentaries and social-issue films, with theatrical, educational, and home video channels. It is a direct peer to CLS given overlapping genre focus and similar operational scale.
- Abramorama: Abramorama is an independent film distribution and marketing company specializing in documentaries and event-driven releases. Its combination of distribution plus bespoke theatrical/event marketing for nonfiction films mirrors CLS's distribution-plus-content approach.
- Kino Lorber: Kino Lorber is a U.S. distributor specializing in independent, documentary, and art-house films with both home video and digital channels. It is comparable to CLS in distribution focus on niche nonfiction and in combining theatrical with home/educational distribution.
Emerging players
- Argot Pictures: Argot Pictures is a small independent distributor with a slate heavy in documentary and socially engaged work. It is comparable to CLS in scale and editorial focus, representing the cohort of boutique nonfiction distributors competing for similar platform and festival slots.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cinema Libre Studio social profiles
Digital presenceCinema Libre Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cinema Libre Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cinema Libre Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cinema Libre Studio 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 Cinema Libre Studio
What does Cinema Libre Studio do?
Cinema Libre Studio produces and distributes social issue narrative and nonfiction (documentary) films. The company handles end-to-end film creation—from development through production—and then releases the finished titles through distribution channels to reach audiences interested in issue-driven cinema.
When was Cinema Libre Studio founded?
Cinema Libre Studio was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cinema Libre Studio based?
Cinema Libre Studio is headquartered in Causapscal, Canada, in the North America region.
Who are Cinema Libre Studio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Participant Media, IFC Films and NEON. Direct peers are Magnolia Pictures, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Zeitgeist Films, First Run Features, Abramorama and Kino Lorber. Argot Pictures is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cinema Libre Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cinema Libre Studio.
What industry is Cinema Libre Studio in?
Cinema Libre Studio's product category is Independent Film Production & Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAG, Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries, with a secondary code of MPADADAB, Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.