Studio Souza

What Studio Souza does

Studio Souza is a Brussels-based animation studio that develops and produces animated feature films, TV series, and short films. The studio handles full-service animation production from pre-production through final output, positioning itself as a creative and technical partner in international co-productions rather than as a rights-owning producer or distributor. Its portfolio spans 14+ titles including feature films (Titina, Monty and the Street Party, The Polar Bear Prince, Dreamwalker), animated series (Ewilan's Quest, Upside Down River, Labyrinth of Lies), and animated shorts (The Gap, Autokar, Miss Winters and The Wind, I'm Perfectly Fine!, Frydenlund Hair Parlor, Hold Me Tight, Mon Nom est Lilith). The core technology is digital animation production using standard industry tools, with no disclosed use of generative AI; the studio has issued a public statement opposing generative AI in production.

The business model is built on European co-production partnerships. Studio Souza works as an animation service provider and creative partner alongside European production companies such as Vivi Film (Belgium), seriousFilm (Netherlands), Zentropa (Denmark), Dandelooo (France), Maipo Film (Norway), Mikrofilm (Norway), Andarta Pictures (France), and Submarine Animation (Netherlands). These partners typically lead financing, own distribution rights, and secure broadcaster, streaming, and theatrical release deals. Studio Souza's revenue capture is therefore primarily production service fees and any negotiated back-end participation. Distribution to end audiences (broadcasters, streaming platforms, film festivals, theatrical release) is handled by co-production partners, not by Studio Souza directly.

The studio is privately held, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors. Leadership comprises Founder/Producer Viviane Van Fleteren and Creative Director Rudi Mertens, supported by a small team of production coordinators, line producers, and HR. The company is headquartered at Deschampheleerstraat 24-26, Brussels, and reports 11-50 employees. Its competitive positioning rests on a human-centered, AI-free animation approach, emotional storytelling, and a track record of international festival recognition including awards from Seoul, Tokyo, ZLIN, Animaevka, and Sharjah.

Name

Studio Souza

Legal name

Studio Souza

Website

https://studiosouza.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio Souza is a Brussels-based animation studio producing animated feature films, TV series, and shorts as a creative and technical partner in European co-productions. It serves production companies, broadcasters, and streaming platforms via partnerships across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Norway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Studio Campus / Production Facility Operators (MPADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM), Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Animated feature films
• Animated series production
• Animation co-production
• Digital animation services
• Short film animation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Studio Souza is a Brussels-based animation studio that develops and creates animated feature films, TV series, and shorts. The studio operates as a creative and technical partner in European co-productions, handling the full spectrum of digital image creation from pre-production through final output. Its work is delivered through co-production partnerships with European production companies that secure distribution to broadcasters, streaming platforms, and theatrical release.

Product overview

Studio Souza is an animation studio that develops and creates animated feature films and series. Their portfolio includes animated feature films (Dreamwalker, Monty and the Street Party, The Polar Bear Prince, Titina), animated series (Ewilan's Quest, Upside Down River, Labyrinth of Lies), and animated shorts (The Gap, Autokar, Miss Winters and The Wind, I'm Perfectly Fine!, Frydenlund Hair Parlor, Hold Me Tight, Mon Nom est Lilith). The studio handles the full spectrum of digital image creation from pre-production through final output, serving as a creative and technical partner in international co-productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dreamwalker A feature film following 11-year-old Lucy who, after being diagnosed with narcolepsy, encounters a mysterious boy who appears in her dreams.
• Ewilan's Quest An animated series adaptation of Pierre Bottero's saga, following 13-year-old Camille who portals into the world of Gwendalavir and discovers her true identity as Ewilan.
• Mon Nom est Lilith An animated film following Lilith after being banished from Eden, as she discovers her multiple identities with guidance from her connection to Eve.
• Autokar An animated short film about an 8-year-old girl named Agata who, during a bus journey from Poland to Belgium in the 1990s, transforms a mundane pencil search into a fantastical initiatory experience.
• Miss Winters and The Wind An animated short based on Christine Noble Govan's short story, telling the touching tale of an older woman named Miss Winters who lives with the wind, blending memories of the past with the present.
• Upside Down River An animated series adapted from Jean-Claude Mourlevat's books, following two parallel quests: Hannah seeking water to save her bird and Tomek seeking adventure.
• The Polar Bear Prince A modern animated feature film based on a Scandinavian folk tale, telling a story of love, greed, courage, and nature's wonders.
• Titina An animated feature film recounting the true-ish story of the 1926 airship expedition to conquer the North Pole, told from the perspective of the little terrier Titina.
• Labyrinth of Lies A series set in 1980s East Berlin where twelve-year-old Paul uncovers a mysterious family conspiracy, based on Ute Krause's novel.
• I'm Perfectly Fine! An animated short following illustrator Maaike through her burnout recovery journey, learning to accept being 'good enough' after her fear of imperfection becomes reality.
• Frydenlund Hair Parlor An animated short set in 1940 Narvik, following 17-year-old Anna Lorentz as she and her family survive the war while running a hair salon, with Anna holding onto her personal dreams.
• Hold Me Tight A short animated film set in a dark forest where two silhouettes meet and engage in a dangerous dance of seduction in search of sexual desire.
• Monty and the Street Party A feature film about young Monty whose happy life changes when his parents divorce, leading him to believe the annual street party might save his family.
• The Gap A short animated film about a cube-shaped man who maintains a perfectly flat world until his encounter with a little red ball that creates holes, disrupting his perfect world.

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

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• seriousFilmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company that co-produced 'The Gap' with Studio Souza. seriousFilm serves as producer on this animated short film project.
• Vivi FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company that has co-produced multiple Studio Souza projects including 'The Gap', 'Miss Winters and The Wind', 'Ewilan's Quest', and 'Dreamwalker'.
• ZentropamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish production company and co-producer of 'Monty and the Street Party'. Zentropa is a prominent European animation and film production company.
• New CreationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish production company co-producing 'Monty and the Street Party' alongside Zentropa and Studio Souza.
• CaviarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company serving as co-producer on 'Monty and the Street Party'.
• DandelooomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company and co-producer of 'Upside Down River'. Dandelooo specializes in animated content for children and families.
• Sparkle AnimationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese production company collaborating on 'Upside Down River' as part of the multi-country European co-production.
• Maipo FilmmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian production company and co-producer of 'The Polar Bear Prince'. Maipo Film is a leading Scandinavian film production company.
• Belga ProductioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company serving as co-producer alongside Maipo Film on 'The Polar Bear Prince'.
• Mideu FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman production company and co-producer of 'Labyrinth of Lies'. Mideu Films specializes in European animated content.
• Beside ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company collaborating with Mideu Films on 'Labyrinth of Lies' as part of the German-Belgian co-production.
• OZÙ ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company and co-producer of 'Autokar' with Studio Souza.
• NovanimacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company collaborating as co-producer on 'Autokar'.
• Ikki FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company and producer of 'Mon Nom est Lilith'. Ikki Films specializes in auteur-driven animated features.
• Comic HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company co-producing 'Miss Winters and The Wind' alongside Vivi Film.
• Andarta PicturesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company and lead producer of 'Ewilan's Quest', coordinating the multi-country European co-production.
• Studio PupilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company and co-producer of 'I'm Perfectly Fine!' alongside Submarine Animation.
• Submarine AnimationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch animation studio and co-producer of 'I'm Perfectly Fine!'. Submarine Animation is a well-established European animation company.
• MikrofilmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian production company and producer of 'Frydenlund Hair Parlor' with director Hanne Berkaak.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TeamTO: French independent animation studio producing feature films and series for children and family audiences. Comparable to Studio Souza in business model (independent studio serving European co-productions and broadcasters), though substantially larger in scale.
• Walking the Dog: Belgian animation studio producing auteur-driven animated shorts and series for European co-productions. Direct geographic and stylistic peer to Studio Souza, also based in Belgium and operating in the same auteur European animation segment.
• Cartoon Saloon: Irish animation studio producing award-winning auteur features (Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea). Closely comparable to Studio Souza in creative positioning, European co-production model, and festival-driven reputation, though larger in headcount.
• Submarine Animation: Dutch animation studio and co-producer with Studio Souza on 'I'm Perfectly Fine!'. Directly comparable in size, geography (Benelux), and business model as a European animation studio serving international co-productions.
• Dandelooo: French animation production company and co-producer with Studio Souza on 'Upside Down River'. A direct peer in the European children's animation segment, often acting as lead producer while partnering with animation service studios like Studio Souza.
• Mikrofilm: Norwegian animation production company and co-producer with Studio Souza on Titina and Frydenlund Hair Parlor. A direct Nordic peer operating in the same European co-production ecosystem with a similar artistic, festival-circuit positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Laika: US-based stop-motion feature studio (Coraline, Kubo). Comparable in feature film auteur positioning and festival pedigree, but operating at much larger scale and focused on theatrical releases rather than co-productions.
• Xilam Animation: Major French animation studio producing series and features including Oggy and the Cockroaches and If I Were an Animal. A larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities in European co-production and children's/family content, but broader portfolio scale.
• Illumination Mac Guff: Paris-based animation production facility serving the Illumination/Universal franchise machine (Despicable Me, Minions). Operates in European co-production model but at significantly larger scale and focused on theatrical franchise work.
• Aardman Animations: UK-based stop-motion and animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep. Comparable in auteur European animation positioning and festival reputation, though substantially larger and with broader IP ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Studio Souza