Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions

What Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions does

Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions is a Barcelona-based independent film production company founded in 2005 by director Alba Sotorra, operating as a small private limited company (Alba Sotorra S.L.) with approximately 10 employees. The company produces independent documentaries, fiction films, and series with an international scope and a distinctive gender-conscious perspective, focusing on subjects including conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan), feminist movements, and underrepresented voices. Its portfolio includes award-winning titles such as Game Over (2015, Best Documentary at Premis Gaudí), Commander Arian (2018, premiered at Hot Docs), The Return: life after ISIS (2021, executive produced by Sky), and Francesca i l'Amor (2022), with over 15 international awards and 20+ festival selections across Class A documentary festivals.

The business operates on a project-based production model with multiple revenue streams: theatrical distribution through partners like Dogwoof and 39 Escalones, broadcasting rights licensing to European public broadcasters (TV3, RTVE, Sky), international co-production financing (with partners from Germany, France, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, USA, and China), and EU/public film funding (Creative Europe MEDIA, Eurimages, ICEC). Distribution channels include international film festivals as the primary marketing platform, theatrical releases, streaming platforms (Filmin), and non-theatrical educational distribution (Women Make Movies in the US). The company also runs production services and co-working space in Barcelona's Poblenou creative district.

Technically, the company is notable for transmedia storytelling capabilities, including multi-platform projects combining feature films, web series, and mobile applications (El ball del vetllatori), augmented reality installations with 25+ projectors (Wargames), and experimental 3D documentary filming (Ultrainocencia). It is currently expanding into animation (La Mar i el Delta, 2024) and episodic series (La Virgen), and has produced branded content (Dior Cruise 2023 documentary). The company maintains no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investment, operating as a founder-led independent production house reliant on public funding, broadcaster commissions, and international co-production economics.

Name

Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions

Legal name

Alba Sotorra S.L.

Website

https://albasotorra.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions is a Barcelona-based independent film production company founded in 2005 that produces international documentaries, fiction films, and series with a gender-conscious perspective, serving European public broadcasters, film festivals, and international co-production partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADADAJ

Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

SECONDARYMPADADAI

Arts & Culture Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

SECONDARYMPADADAE

Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• International film co-production
• Independent cinema production
• Transmedia storytelling
• Production services Barcelona

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Theatrical Distribution: Revenue from theatrical releases in cinemas, including Spanish state cinema presence lasting up to four months for some productions.
2. Festival Licensing and Sales: Revenue from licensing films to international film festivals and international sales agents (Dogwoof).
3. Broadcasting Rights: Revenue from TV broadcasting deals with broadcasters including TV3, RTVE, Sky, and international broadcast partners.
4. Production Services: Co-working space and production services offered to other cinema producers and production companies in Barcelona's Poblenou district.
5. Co-production Partnerships: Revenue through international co-productions with partners from Syria, Germany, France, Qatar, China, Iraq, USA, and Afghanistan, leveraging EU film funds and regional film incentives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions is an independent film production company based in Barcelona that produces documentaries, fiction films, and series with international scope and a gender-conscious perspective. The company develops, finances, and produces feature-length works and transmedia projects, and offers production services and co-working space to other producers in Barcelona's Poblenou district.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Game Over 78-minute feature documentary directed by Alba Sotorra about a young man obsessed with war games who becomes a sniper in Afghanistan and returns home to confront the Spanish economic crisis. Won Best Documentary at Premis Gaudí and Best Film at DocsBarcelona.
• Commander Arian Feature documentary following a young Kurdish woman commander for whom war is a path to emancipation from a deeply patriarchal society. Selected at over 20 international festivals including Hot Docs, Sheffield Doc/Fest, and DOC NYC.
• The End Will Be Spectacular (Ji Bo Azadiyê) Feature film shot in Kurdistan of Syria telling the story of young people defending their neighborhood against the army. The first Kurdish production after the revolution, it is a Kurdish-Spanish co-production.
• The Return: Life After ISIS Feature documentary about Shamima Begum and Hoda Muthana, women who joined ISIS and now seek to return to their countries, filmed in high-security Camp Roj in Syria. Executive produced by Sky and won Best Documentary at the Premis Gaudí and was nominated at the Goya Awards.
• Francesca i l'Amor Documentary feature about Francesca (65), a plastic artist from Barcelona exploring love and identity after her daughter leaves home. World premiered at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival in 2022.
• Production Services Barcelona Production services and co-working office space of approximately 200m2 offered to other cinema producers and production companies in Barcelona's Poblenou district. Space includes meeting room, kitchen, and terrace.
• Transmedia Audiovisual Projects Multi-platform narrative projects combining feature films, web series, and mobile applications, including experimental installations using augmented reality and 25+ projectors. Examples include El ball del vetllatori and Wargames.

Quantifiable outcome

• Best Documentary at Premis Gaudí (Game Over, 2015)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Urban FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022French production company co-producing Francesca i l'Amor and Sima's Song projects.
• Novak ProdminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Production company co-producing Salen las lobas feature film project.
• Golden Girls (Austria)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Austrian production company co-producing Read my breasts documentary feature.
• Sky (International Broadcaster)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Executive producer and broadcaster of The Return: life after ISIS. Sky provided production financing and international broadcast distribution.
• MetFilmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021International sales agent and production partner for The Return: life after ISIS, handling international distribution and sales.
• Demkat Films (Iraq)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Iraqi production company co-producing The End Will Be Spectacular and Kobane feature film projects.
• DogwoofcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018International sales agent acquiring worldwide distribution rights for Commander Arian and other productions. Dogwoof handles international theatrical and VOD distribution for independent documentaries.
• 39 EscalonescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Spanish theatrical distributor for Commander Arian handling domestic release and cinema screenings.
• Boekamp & KriegsheimminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018German production company co-producing Commander Arian documentary.
• Rojava Film CommunecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Kurdish production house founded in 2015, based in Autonomous Community of Syrian Kurdistan. Dedicated to representing values of Syrian Kurdistan Revolution. Multiple co-productions including Kobane, The End Will Be Spectacular, and ongoing projects.
• TV3 (Televisió de Catalunya)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Catalan public broadcaster and co-producer of multiple productions including Game Over, Commander Arian, and The Return: life after ISIS.
• RTVE (Radiodifusión Española)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Spanish public broadcaster co-producer of productions and broadcast partner for documentary content.
• Corte y Confección de PelículasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Spanish production company co-producing Qatar the Race documentary.
• Women Make MoviesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008US-based non-theatrical distributor for Unveiled Views, providing educational distribution in the American market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cat&Docs: Paris-based documentary sales and production company representing award-winning social-issue films internationally. Comparable position as a boutique European documentary producer-sales hybrid serving the festival and broadcast market.
• Autlook Filmsales: Vienna-based documentary sales agent with strong festival pedigree and socially-engaged slate. Comparable role in connecting boutique European documentary producers with international broadcast and theatrical distribution.
• Deckert Distribution: Leipzig-based international documentary sales and co-production company. Comparable size and approach in servicing festival-circuit, socially engaged documentaries to broadcasters and theatrical distributors.
• Films Transit International: Montreal-based international documentary sales agent handling politically engaged, festival-circuit titles. Comparable in representing directors with socially conscious documentary slates across European broadcasters and festival distributors.
• Rise and Shine World Sales: Berlin-based documentary sales company handling politically and socially engaged international films. Comparable in festival-circuit, EU co-production financing model and broadcaster relationships.
• Louverture Films: US-based independent production company focused on social-impact storytelling from under-represented voices. Comparable mission profile, festival-circuit orientation, and global co-production approach to Alba Sotorra's gender-conscious slate.
• Films Boutique: Berlin-based international sales company focused on independent auteur and documentary films with strong festival pedigree. Comparable model in linking boutique European producers to global festival and broadcast distribution.
• Final Cut for Real: Copenhagen-based independent documentary production company behind Oscar winners The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. Most directly comparable to Alba Sotorra in size, festival-circuit focus, and politically engaged documentary output.
• Wide Management: Paris-based international sales and production company representing independent auteur films. Comparable in championing festival-circuit, socially engaged European independent films to global broadcasters and distributors.
• First Hand Films: Zurich-based documentary and fiction sales company representing award-winning independent films to broadcasters and festivals globally. Comparable in servicing European independent producers with social-issue content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlbaSotorra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alba-sotorra-cinema-productions

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 Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions