What Dan Films does

Dan Films is a privately held, founder-led independent film production company based in the United Kingdom, operating for approximately 30 years under Julie Baines and joined by producer Jonathan Taylor. The company produces feature films across genres and budget tiers, from period biopics (The Cat's Meow, Puffball) and horror/thrillers (Creep, Triangle, Severance) to family films (Four Kids and It) and noir/crime (Detour), and currently maintains an active development slate of roughly six projects including The Creep reboot, Charlie Has Fun, Bluebottle, Lottery Boy, Seahab, and Bloody London.

The company operates a sales-led, project-based production model. Films are developed internally and packaged with talent (e.g., directors Peter Bogdanovich, Christopher Smith, Nicolas Roeg, Michael Winterbottom) before distribution rights are licensed to established theatrical distributors and sales agents, including Studiocanal for international theatrical release (Something in the Water, 2024), True Brit for UK theatrical release (The Creep), and Hanway Films as international sales agent. Revenue is generated through distribution fees, licensing royalties, and box office participation; the company does not sell software or consumer products and pricing is not applicable in a SaaS sense.

Dan Films has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing; it appears to be a founder-owned boutique operation. Its GTM relies on industry trade body participation (Julie Baines is Co-Chair of the PACT Film Producers Group and a PACT Council member), film festival and theatrical marketing via distribution partners, its own website (danfilms.com), and targeted podcast/social media engagement around specific genre releases. Industry recognition includes the Women in Film and Television Contribution to the Medium Award and commercial outcomes such as Four Kids and It being the biggest Sky Original family movie of 2020.

Name

Dan Films

Legal name

Dan Films

Website

https://danfilms.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dan Films is a privately held UK independent film production company founded by Julie Baines, producing feature films across genres and licensing distribution to partners such as Studiocanal, True Brit, and Hanway Films.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Distribution Strategy & Release Planning (MPADAAAL)

Keywords

• Independent film production
• Feature film development
• Distribution licensing
• International co-productions
• Theatrical film releases

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Distribution: Dan Films generates revenue through producing feature films and licensing distribution rights to theatrical distributors. The company produces films across genres (horror, drama, thriller, family, comedy) and secures deals with distributors such as Studiocanal for international releases. Revenue comes from distribution fees, licensing royalties, and potentially box office participation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dan Films is an independent film production company that develops and produces feature films across genres (horror, thriller, drama, family, comedy) and licenses distribution rights to theatrical distributors and sales agents. The company maintains a slate of 15+ completed features and 6 active development projects, securing deals with partners such as Studiocanal, True Brit, and Hanway Films for international and domestic release.

Product overview

Dan Films is an independent film production company led by Julie Baines, operating as a single-product-company focused on producing independent cinema. The company produces films across all genres and budget levels, from period biopics and horror thrillers to family comedies and romantic dramas. The portfolio includes completed theatrical releases such as 'Something in the Water' (2024), 'Four Kids and It' (2020), 'Creep', 'Triangle', 'The Cat's Meow', and 'Butterfly Kiss', among approximately 18 total films. Additionally, the company maintains an active development slate with projects including 'The Creep' reboot, 'Charlie Has Fun', 'Bluebottle', 'Lottery Boy', 'Seahab', and 'Bloody London'. The company also provides industry news and company information through its website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Something in the Water An action thriller film following Meg who attends a Caribbean wedding where past trauma resurfaces among friends. Released in 2024 by Studiocanal.
• Four Kids and It Family comedy adventure based on Jacqueline Wilson's novel about four children who discover a magical Psammead creature that grants wishes. Released in 2020 as Sky Original family movie.
• Detour Noir thriller about a law student who makes a deal with a dangerous stranger to have his stepfather killed, leading to a road trip to Vegas.
• Triangle Psychological thriller about Jess who, after a violent storm, finds herself and her friends trapped on an abandoned ocean liner haunted by an evil presence.
• Imogene McCarthery Spy comedy set in 1962 about a Scotswoman working for British Admiralty intelligence who uncovers Soviet spies in her hometown.
• Severance Horror comedy about corporate employees on a team-building weekend who face deadly danger when their Palisade Defence corporate event is sabotaged.
• Creep Horror film about Kate who wakes up alone in a locked London tube station and must survive pursuers in the tunnels beneath the city.
• Bangkok Ninjas Action film following five childhood friends who open a gym in Bangkok and confront the Yakuza-backed Hyenas.
• Puffball Supernatural thriller directed by Nicolas Roeg, based on Fay Weldon's novel about a pregnant architect in an isolated valley facing supernatural forces.
• The Republic of Love Romantic comedy directed by Deepa Mehta, based on Carol Shields' novel about the barriers to finding love in the 21st century.
• The Immortals Thriller about four ex-soldiers who rob a bank and find themselves pursued by an investigating inspector.
• Summer Things French comedy following two families with secrets and hidden financial struggles during a coastal vacation.
• Villas des Roses Period drama set in 1910s Paris, adapted from Willem Elsschot's novel about a young widow working at an English-owned guest house who falls in love with a German artist.
• The Cat's Meow Comedy directed by Peter Bogdanovich about the mysterious death of silent film producer Thomas Ince on William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1920s California.
• L.A. Without a Map Romantic comedy about a British undertaker and aspiring screenwriter who follows a woman to Hollywood.
• Madagascar Skin Drama about a gay man with a facial birthmark who flees city life and forms a relationship with an eccentric drifter on a rugged coast.
• Butterfly Kiss Drama about Eunice, a dangerous young woman searching for her girlfriend across northern England, who meets the introverted Miriam.
• The Creep Horror film reboot of the original Creep by the original filmmaking team. Scheduled to shoot in October with UK release by True Brit. Sales agent: Hanway Films.
• Charlie Has Fun Teen comedy about Charlie dealing with her ex-boyfriend turning to the queer side, with help from her best friends at a toy store temp job.
• Bluebottle Film about a South London estate infiltrated by a corrupt inhuman force where inhabitants fight to survive.
• Lottery Boy Thriller based on Michael Byrne's novel about a homeless young teen and his dog facing life's challenges.
• Seahab Murder mystery about a washed-up female detective investigating a luxury rehab retreat at sea.
• Bloody London Horror film set over one night where a London taxi driver makes a deal with the Devil to deliver four souls before midnight.

Quantifiable outcome

• Four Kids and It was the biggest Sky Original family movie of 2020

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• StudiocanalflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Studiocanal is the international distribution partner for SOMETHING IN THE WATER, Dan Films' survival shark thriller released in 2024. This represents a significant distribution partnership for the company's recent production.
• PACTcoreOthersDan Films Founder Julie Baines serves as Co-Chair of the PACT Film Producers Group, the industry body representing UK producers. She is also a member of PACT Council. This provides strategic industry representation and policy influence.
• National Film and Television School (NFTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan Films maintains a close relationship with the UK's acclaimed National Film and Television School. Julie Baines regularly mentors new Producers, Directors and Writers and guest lectures on various courses. Jonathan Taylor also teaches contract negotiation and producing skills at the school.
• True BritflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrue Brit is the UK distribution partner for THE CREEP, Dan Films' upcoming horror film reboot scheduled to shoot in October and release in the UK.
• Hanway FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHanway Films serves as the sales agent for THE CREEP reboot, handling international sales and distribution licensing for the film.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Bankside Films: UK-based sales and distribution company handling international sales for independent films. Comparable as a participant in the same UK indie distribution ecosystem, though positioned as a sales/distribution counterpart rather than production.
• Protagonist Pictures: UK-based international sales and distribution company specializing in independent film. Comparable as a fellow participant in the UK indie film distribution ecosystem, handling sales for comparable genre and arthouse titles.

Others

• Studiocanal: Major European film distribution and production company that is Dan Films' international distributor for Something in the Water. Closely-related ecosystem participant — the buyer of Dan Films' completed films rather than a direct production competitor.
• HanWay Films: International sales company handling distribution licensing for independent films including Dan Films' The Creep reboot. Closely-related ecosystem participant — comparable as the company's existing sales-agent partner operating in the same UK indie film value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Film4: Major UK film production and financing entity operating as part of Channel 4. Comparable as a UK indie film production counterpart, though with significantly broader slate scale and institutional backing that Dan Films lacks.
• British Film Institute (BFI): UK lead body for film and the moving image, providing funding and strategic support for UK independent production. Comparable as a counterpart and ecosystem participant within the UK independent film sector, though operating as an institutional body rather than a production company.

Direct peers

• Working Title Films: UK-based independent film production company producing across genres including comedy, drama and family. Directly comparable as a similarly-structured UK indie producer working with major distributor partners and focusing on commercially-viable feature films.
• DNA Films: UK independent film production company with a long track record of producing British feature films across genres. Comparable as a similarly-positioned UK indie producer with deep distributor relationships and a multi-decade operating history.
• Warp Films: UK independent production company producing distinctive British features across genres including horror, drama and thriller. Directly comparable as a similarly-sized UK indie producer with a comparable genre-diverse slate and distributor-led go-to-market model.
• Number 9 Films: UK independent film production company known for producing critically-acclaimed British features. Comparable as a similarly-sized, founder-led UK indie production company focused on distinctive, director-driven cinema.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/juliebainesproducer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dan-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Dan Films