Arp Sélection
Arp Sélection is an independent French film production and distribution company founded in 1991 in Paris, acquiring and producing auteur cinema from France and international markets for theatrical, VOD, and physical media release across Canal+, Orange, ARTE, Universcine, iTunes, Amazon, and FNAC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Arp Sélection does
Arp Sélection (legal entity: Société ARP) is a privately held French film production and distribution company founded in 1991 by Michèle Halberstadt and headquartered at 13, rue Jean Mermoz, Paris, with Laurent Pétin listed as legal representative. The company operates under the tagline "Le cinéma que j'aime" and curates, acquires, and produces auteur films with the stated philosophy of championing emotionally resonant cinema. Its catalog exceeds 200 titles spanning drama, comedy, thriller, action, documentary, romance, horror, science fiction, historical, and animation, drawn from France, the United States, South Korea, Iran, China, Germany, Italy, Colombia, and Brazil.
The company monetizes its titles through a multi-window distribution model: theatrical exhibition via DCP in French cinemas, transactional and subscription video-on-demand through Canal+ VOD, Orange VOD, Universcine, ARTE VOD, iTunes/Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video, physical DVD/Blu-ray sales through FNAC and Amazon, and international licensing to territory-specific distributors and sales agents. There is no standardized public pricing; terms are negotiated per title with each exhibitor and platform partner. The film festival circuit (Cannes, Berlin, Deauville) serves as the primary marketing channel, supplemented by press dossiers, social media assets, and exhibitor materials.
Notable commercial and critical successes include Rosetta (Palme d'Or and Best Actress at Cannes 1999), Minari (Academy Award winner), The Whale, Past Lives, Priscilla, and May December. The 2026 release slate includes Ulysse (Laetitia Masson, Cannes Official Selection), Colony (Yeon Sang-ho), La Corde au Cou (Gus Van Sant), and La Couleuvre Noire (Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux, France-Colombia-Brazil co-production), with additional upcoming titles including L'Apaisement and Sanguine. Arp Sélection has no disclosed parent company, no funding rounds on record, and operates as an independent entity with a headcount in the 11-50 range. No proprietary technology, API, or AI/ML capability is disclosed in the available data.
Arp Sélection firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arp Sélection
- Legal name
- Société ARP
- Website
- https://arpselection.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Arp Sélection is an independent French film production and distribution company founded in 1991 in Paris, acquiring and producing auteur cinema from France and international markets for theatrical, VOD, and physical media release across Canal+, Orange, ARTE, Universcine, iTunes, Amazon, and FNAC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arp Sélection industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Production and Distribution
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theatrical Distribution (International) (MPADAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales) (MPADAJAC), Electronic Sell-Through (EST) Distribution (MPADAJAG), Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK)
Keywords
Where Arp Sélection is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Arp Sélection business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Theatrical Distribution: Cinematic release of films in France and international markets through theater exhibition networks.
- VOD/Streaming Distribution: Digital distribution through platforms including Canal+ VOD, Orange VOD, Universcine, ARTE VOD, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video. Revenue from streaming rights and transactional rentals/sales.
- Home Entertainment: DVD and Blu-ray sales through retail partners including FNAC and Amazon.
- International Licensing: Licensing of film rights to international distributors and sales agents for various territories.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels4 records
Arp Sélection product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arp Sélection acquires and produces auteur and quality films, then distributes them theatrically in France and digitally through VOD platforms (Canal+, Orange, Universcine, ARTE, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video) and physical media (DVD/Blu-ray) via retail partners like FNAC. It also licenses film rights to international distributors and sales agents across global territories.
Product overview
ARP Sélection is a French film production and distribution company founded in 1991, operated as a producer and publisher of films. The company's core offering consists of acquiring or producing films that evoke strong emotional responses, then managing their theatrical distribution and marketing to reach audiences. The portfolio includes their own productions (such as La Couleuvre Noire, Ulysse, Colony, La Corde au Cou) as well as acquired international titles. Films are distributed across theatrical release, VOD platforms (Orange VOD, Canal+, Universciné, iTunes, Amazon, ARTE), and physical media. The company organizes content by genre categories including Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Action, Documentary, Romance, Horror, Science Fiction, Historical, and Animation, with releases spanning from their founding in 1991 to the present.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arp Sélection Film Distribution Core film acquisition, production, and distribution service. Arp Sélection acquires or produces films that resonate emotionally with audiences and distributes them through theatrical release, managing marketing and distribution across multiple channels.
- Featured Current Releases Currently showing films in theaters, including Ulysse by Laetitia Masson, Colony by Yeon Sang-ho, La Corde au Cou by Gus Van Sant, and La Couleuvre Noire by Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux.
- Upcoming Releases Films scheduled for future release, including L'Apaisement by Reed Van Dyk and Sanguine by Marion Le Corroller.
- Production Catalog Extensive catalog of produced and distributed films spanning genres including Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Action, Documentary, Romance, Horror, Science Fiction, Historical, and more, with releases dating from 1991 to present.
- Full Film Catalog Complete catalog of all films distributed by Arp Sélection, including productions, acquisitions, and international titles, organized by genre, year, and availability across theatrical and VOD platforms.
Companies that use Arp Sélection
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Arp Sélection technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Arp Sélection partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Canal+ VODcorePrimary VOD distribution partner in France for streaming and transactional film releases.
- Orange VODcoreFrench telecom platform for video-on-demand distribution of films.
- UniverscinecoreFrench VOD platform specializing in quality and auteur cinema.
- ARTE VODcoreEuropean cultural channel VOD platform for art-house film distribution.
- FNACcoreFrench retail partner for DVD and Blu-ray physical sales of films.
- AmazoncoreGlobal platform for digital streaming (Prime Video) and physical media sales.
- Apple iTunescoreInternational digital distribution through Apple TV for film rentals and purchases.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Arp Sélection competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wild Bunch: Paris-headquartered independent film sales and distribution company handling European auteur and arthouse titles. Direct competitor in acquiring and distributing the same class of festival-driven international cinema.
- Diaphana Films: Independent French film distributor focused on auteur and quality cinema. Closely comparable to Arp Sélection by virtue of similar theatrical + VOD distribution model in France and shared target audience of cinephile viewers.
- Ad Vitam: French independent film distributor focused on quality and arthouse cinema. Highly comparable to Arp Sélection in catalog mix, theatrical + VOD distribution approach, and auteur filmmaker relationships.
- Metropolitan Filmexport: Independent French distributor handling a mix of auteur and commercial arthouse titles. Overlaps with Arp Sélection in theatrical and home-entertainment distribution of festival-supported films in France.
- BAC Films: Long-standing French independent distributor with a catalog spanning auteur and genre cinema. Comparable in scale and operating model, distributing theatrical and home-entertainment releases across similar channels.
- Le Pacte: Paris-based independent film distributor specializing in arthouse and auteur cinema. Operates with a similar boutique-scale model distributing festival-selected films theatrically and on VOD in France.
- mk2: French independent film distribution and exhibition company with a strong auteur cinema heritage. Comparable through theatrical, VOD, and international sales of arthouse titles from a similar boutique footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Gaumont: Oldest film company in the world and one of France's largest distributors. Distributes a broader mix of mainstream and arthouse cinema, competing against Arp Sélection for theatrical slots and auteur acquisition deals.
- Studiocanal: Major French/European film distributor owned by Canal+. Competes for the same theatrical and VOD shelf space but operates at much larger scale with broader portfolio including library and TV content.
Emerging players
- A24: US-headquartered independent film company known for distributing auteur and prestige titles. Comparable through shared focus on festival-driven, director-driven cinema, though operating primarily in the North American market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Arp Sélection social profiles
Digital presenceArp Sélection financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arp Sélection leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Arp Sélection funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arp Sélection 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 Arp Sélection
What does Arp Sélection do?
Arp Sélection acquires and produces auteur and quality films, then distributes them theatrically in France and digitally through VOD platforms (Canal+, Orange, Universcine, ARTE, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video) and physical media (DVD/Blu-ray) via retail partners like FNAC. It also licenses film rights to international distributors and sales agents across global territories.
Is Arp Sélection a public or private company?
Arp Sélection is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Arp Sélection founded?
Arp Sélection was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Arp Sélection based?
Arp Sélection is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Arp Sélection make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Theatrical Distribution is the primary driver. The others are VOD/Streaming Distribution, home Entertainment and international Licensing.
Who are Arp Sélection's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wild Bunch, Diaphana Films, Ad Vitam, Metropolitan Filmexport, BAC Films, Le Pacte and mk2. Broad incumbents are Gaumont and Studiocanal. A24 is listed as an emerging player.
Does Arp Sélection have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arp Sélection.
What industry is Arp Sélection in?
Arp Sélection's product category is Film Production and Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAJAB, Theatrical Distribution (International), with a secondary code of MPADAJAC, International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales). Its NAICS code is 51212 and its SIC code is 7822.