Sepia Films
Sepia Films is a Vancouver-based, privately held film and television production company founded in 2003 that develops feature films, TV series, and documentaries end-to-end, specializing in international co-productions distributed through major studios and streamers including Fox, Netflix, Disney, and Prime Video.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sepia Films does
Sepia Films is a privately held, Vancouver-headquartered film and television production company founded in 2003 by director Vic Sarin, producer Tina Pehme, and entertainment lawyer Kim Roberts. Operating with a 51–100-person core team across offices in Vancouver and Los Angeles, the company develops and produces feature films, television series, and documentaries end-to-end — from concept through development, production, post-production, and delivery — and specializes in international co-productions that have produced or shot in 12+ countries including Canada, the United States, Ireland, England, Italy, Denmark, India, China, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, and Brazil.
The company's core products are content assets — feature films and TV series — created through proprietary creative IP and project financing assembled from public funding bodies (Telefilm, Creative BC, Canada Media Fund, Screen Ireland) and studio partners. Sepia's catalogue spans family films, drama, horror/thriller, and documentaries, with notable titles including A Shine of Rainbows (2009), The Boy from Geita (2014), In Their Skin (2012), Anthem of a Teenage Prophet (2019), Cry From the Sea, The Hobby, and the Fox broadcast series Murder in a Small Town (2024–present). Underlying technology is described as standard production and post-production workflows, with no proprietary technology stack, app, or API.
Sepia monetizes content through one-time production/license fees from broadcasters and streamers (Fox, Lifetime, Hallmark, Global TV, Hulu) and through downstream licensing and royalty streams via major distributors (Walt Disney Pictures, eOne, 20th Century Fox, NBC Universal, Warner Home Video, HBO, Netflix, Prime Video, ITV Studios). The go-to-market motion combines enterprise-level broadcast/streaming sales with channel-partner co-productions, and the customer base is segmented primarily into global broadcast/streaming platforms and international co-production partners. The company is founder-controlled, privately financed, and has no disclosed institutional capital, parent company, or subsidiaries.
Sepia Films firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sepia Films
- Legal name
- Sepia Films
- Website
- https://sepiafilms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sepia Films is a Vancouver-based, privately held film and television production company founded in 2003 that develops feature films, TV series, and documentaries end-to-end, specializing in international co-productions distributed through major studios and streamers including Fox, Netflix, Disney, and Prime Video.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sepia Films industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film and Television Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)
Keywords
Where Sepia Films is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sepia Films business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Film and Television Production: Sepia Films produces feature films and television content for the global marketplace. They specialize in international co-productions and have produced and shot films in Canada, U.S., Ireland, England, Italy, Denmark, India, China, South Africa, Africa, Argentina, Australia and Brazil.
- Content Licensing and Distribution: Content distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, eOne, 20th Century Fox, NBC Universal, Warner Home Video, HBO and Netflix. This includes theatrical releases, broadcast licensing, and streaming distribution deals.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels3 records
Sepia Films product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sepia Films is a multi-platform film and television production company that develops, produces, and delivers original feature films, documentaries, and TV series. The company specializes in international co-productions, producing content that is then licensed and distributed by major entertainment companies including Disney, Fox, eOne, Warner, NBC Universal, HBO, and Netflix. Its content spans multiple genres (horror, thriller, drama, family) and has screened at top-tier festivals including Sundance, TIFF, and Tribeca.
Product overview
Sepia Films is a multi-platform film and television production company based in Vancouver and Los Angeles, forming in 2003. The company operates as a unified production studio producing feature films (including Murder in a Small Town, Cry From The Sea, Anthem of a Teenage Prophet, A Shine of Rainbows), television series (Murder in a Small Town TV series on Fox), and documentaries (The Boy from Geita, Keepers of the Magic, Hue: A Matter of Colour). They specialize in international co-productions and have content distributed by major studios including Disney, Fox, eOne, Warner, NBC Universal, HBO, and Netflix. The company has an active development slate including Pyramiden, DOSE, Theory of Evelyn, and Ten Days.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Murder in a Small Town Fox TV series starring Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk about a harbor town's new police chief who solves murders and falls for the librarian. Distributed on Fox, Global, and Hulu; renewed for Season 2 with Marcia Gay Harden joining the cast. Generated $4 million into the Sunshine Coast economy and earned 9 Leo Award nominations in May 2025.
- La Caja Azul (Blue Box) Feature film that debuted at #1 on Prime Video and was the most-watched content on the platform on its first day in Argentina and Uruguay. International co-production available on Amazon Prime Video.
- The Hobby Feature film that premiered at SXSW 2024 and is available on Video On Demand through Apple TV, Prime Video, and other platforms. Directed by Elizabeth Yake and co-produced with Germany's San Cinema as a feature documentary on board games.
- Confessions of a Cam Girl TV movie for Lifetime Television, co-produced with White Entertainment. Distributed on Lifetime US.
- Cry From The Sea Irish period drama starring Dominic Cooper and Sarah Gadon. Co-production with Screen Ireland and Telefilm Canada, with CMG (U.S. Outfit) boarding sales rights. Writer: Ciaran Creagh.
Quantifiable outcome
- $4 million economic impact from Murder in a Small Town on Sunshine Coast
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sepia Films
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sepia Films technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sepia Films partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ShinAwiLcoreCo-production partner for Cry From the Sea along with Screen Ireland and Telefilm Canada.
- Screen IrelandcoreBoarded Ireland-Canada co-production Cry From the Sea with Telefilm Canada and ShinAWiL.
- Creative BCcoreTheory of Evelyn, in-development TV series, recipient of Creative BC Canada Media Fund and CMPA BC Producers Branch development program: Access 2020.
- CMG (U.S. Outfit)minorU.S. Outfit CMG boards sales rights to Ireland-Canada co-production Cry From The Sea.
- Screen Ireland/Creative BC FundcoreCry From the Sea awarded Screen Ireland/Creative BC fund.
- San Cinema (Germany)minorCo-producing new feature documentary on board games with Germany's San Cinema, directed by Elizabeth Yake.
- White EntertainmentcoreSepia Films & White Entertainment began production on Lifetime Television's Confessions of a Cam Girl.
- 74 EntertainmentcoreProject partner for Pyramiden horror/thriller feature film development and production.
- TelefilmcoreFunding and support for Pyramiden and Smoking Man feature film projects. Also boarded Cry From the Sea co-production.
- Creative BCcoreProject partner for Theory of Evelyn TV series development through Creative BC Canada Media Fund and CMPA BC Producers Branch Access 2020 program. Also supported slate development for B.C.-made IP.
- Canada Media FundcoreProject partner for Theory of Evelyn TV series development.
- CMPA BC Producers BranchcoreDevelopment program partner for Theory of Evelyn TV series through Access 2020 program.
- Story First MediacoreProduction partner for Ten Days TV series.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sepia Films competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Thunderbird Entertainment: Vancouver-headquartered independent producer of scripted TV and film (The Imperfects, Reginald the Vampire, Kim's Convenience). Direct regional comparable for Sepia given shared Canadian tax-credit and co-production financing stack, similar episode-scale output, and reliance on public Canadian funding bodies.
- Brightlight Pictures: Vancouver-based film and TV production company with comparable genre-mix output and Canadian co-production financing model. Significant overlap in project pipeline and access to B.C. tax credits, making it a natural regional peer.
- Marble Media: Canadian independent film and television production company (Hudson & Rex, Untold Stories of the ER). Similar scale, premium/scripted focus, and reliance on Canadian creative infrastructure and tax-credit financing.
- Lark Productions: Vancouver-based indie producer (Firefly Lane, The Crossing) with similar scale, premium drama focus, and Netflix/major-streamer distribution. Compares directly on project size, genre mix, and reliance on Canadian creative talent pools.
Broad incumbents
- Entertainment One (eOne): Major studio with film and television production/distribution arms historically working across Sepia's distribution channels. Functions as both an acquisition counterpart and a larger peer with overlapping co-production and library ambitions.
- A24: Independent film/TV studio with premium scripted and prestige content focus. Comparable in festival-circuit positioning and premium-scripted niche, though materially larger and US-headquartered; serves as an aspirational scale comparable.
- Participant Media: Independent studio producing socially impactful feature films and documentaries with major distributor partners. Comparable on documentary track record, awards positioning, and premium-scripted distributor access.
- Lionsgate: Independent major with broad film and television production across drama and genre. Comparable premium-scripted and international co-production focus; functions as a larger-scale incumbent peer for positioning.
Direct peers
- FilmNation Entertainment: Independent film and TV producer/financier specializing in premium content and international co-productions. Compares on project financing structures, global buyer relationships, and writer/director-driven development model.
- BRON Studios: Canadian (Vancouver-rooted) independent film and TV producer (Pieces of a Woman, Bombshell, The Survivor). Highly comparable multi-platform production model and similar public-funding-backed co-production approach. Andria Spring joined Sepia from BRON, evidencing direct talent overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sepia Films social profiles
Digital presenceSepia Films financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sepia Films leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sepia Films funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sepia Films 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 Sepia Films
What does Sepia Films do?
Sepia Films is a multi-platform film and television production company that develops, produces, and delivers original feature films, documentaries, and TV series. The company specializes in international co-productions, producing content that is then licensed and distributed by major entertainment companies including Disney, Fox, eOne, Warner, NBC Universal, HBO, and Netflix. Its content spans multiple genres (horror, thriller, drama, family) and has screened at top-tier festivals including Sundance, TIFF, and Tribeca.
Is Sepia Films a public or private company?
Sepia Films is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sepia Films founded?
Sepia Films was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sepia Films based?
Sepia Films is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sepia Films make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Film and Television Production is the primary driver. The others are content Licensing and Distribution.
Who are Sepia Films's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Thunderbird Entertainment, Brightlight Pictures, Marble Media and Lark Productions. Broad incumbents are Entertainment One (eOne), A24, Participant Media and Lionsgate. Direct peers are FilmNation Entertainment and BRON Studios.
Does Sepia Films have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sepia Films.
What industry is Sepia Films in?
Sepia Films's product category is Film and Television Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAA, Feature-Length Documentaries, with a secondary code of MPADADAB, Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming). Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.