Heretic

What Heretic does

Heretic is a privately held boutique film house headquartered in Athens, Greece, operating as both an international film sales agent and a co-producer of independent cinema. The company runs two integrated service lines: Film Production (covering completed titles, in-production projects, and in-development works across features, documentaries, and shorts) and Film Sales (a current Line Up of available titles plus an extensive Film Catalogue of completed works). Its commercial focus is exclusively on story-driven auteur and arthouse cinema, with the company explicitly rejecting volume-based or trend-driven production.

Heretic monetizes primarily through territorial rights sales to international distributors and streaming platforms (one-time licenses and transaction fees), supplemented by co-production equity participation. Distribution is anchored by an active presence at all major international film festivals and markets — Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Venice, Toronto, Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, and Rome — where it acquires titles, conducts pre-sales, and launches completed films. The buyer base spans tier-one streaming platforms (most notably Netflix, which acquired U.S. rights to 'Sacrifice'), theatrical distributors, and an extensive network of international co-production partners across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The company has built a consistent awards record (Locarno Golden Leopard, Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe, Cannes Un Certain Regard, Berlin Silver Bear, BAFTA Rising Star) and supports its pipeline with financing from public sources including the Greek Film Centre and ERT. Its operating model is curatorial rather than scale-driven: the team selects projects individually, co-produces with established international partners, and relies on festival pedigree to drive per-title sales value. Pricing is negotiated individually per territory and is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Heretic

Legal name

Heretic

Website

https://heretic.gr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heretic is an Athens-based boutique film house that produces, co-produces, and sells international arthouse and auteur cinema, representing its catalog to global distributors and streaming platforms via major film festivals and markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production & International Sales

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Sales Agency Representation & Deal Structuring (MPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)

Keywords

• International film sales
• Arthouse film production
• Independent film distribution
• Film co-production
• Festival film sales agent

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Production & Co-production: Heretic produces and co-produces feature films, documentaries, and shorts, working with international filmmakers and securing funding from various sources including Greek Film Centre, ERT, and European creative funds.
2. International Sales & Distribution: Heretic acts as international sales agent, handling worldwide distribution rights for acquired and co-produced films, selling to platforms like Netflix and theatrical distributors.
3. Festival Participation & Awards: Revenue generated through festival participation, awards recognition, and subsequent distribution deals driven by festival visibility.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heretic is a boutique international film sales agent and co-producer that produces, acquires, and sells independent arthouse films worldwide. The company offers two core service lines: Film Production (completed titles, in-production projects, and in-development works, frequently as international co-productions) and Film Sales (a current Line Up of available titles and an extensive Film Catalogue of completed works available for licensing). The company sells worldwide distribution rights to streaming platforms such as Netflix and to theatrical distributors, with a strong festival-driven strategy.

Product overview

Heretic is a boutique film house operating as an international sales agent and production company based in Athens, Greece. The company offers two core service lines: Film Production (encompassing completed titles, in-production projects, and in-development works) and Film Sales (comprising a current Line Up of available titles and an extensive Film Catalogue of completed works). Heretic focuses on independent cinema with international co-productions across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Production Development and production of independent feature films, documentaries, and shorts, including international co-productions with European and global filmmakers, with a focus on arthouse and auteur cinema.
• International Film Sales International film sales and distribution services, representing Heretic's owned, acquired, and co-produced films to festivals, distributors, and buyers worldwide, handling worldwide or territorial rights.
• Sales Line Up Current slate of films available for international sales and distribution, featuring upcoming releases and recent acquisitions presented at major film markets and festivals.
• Sales Catalogue Comprehensive archive of completed Heretic films available for licensing and distribution, spanning multiple years and international co-productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple films won major festival awards including Locarno Golden Leopard and Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Netflix acquired U.S. rights to Romain Gavras' 'Sacrifice' starring Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Charli XCX. This represents a major streaming platform distribution partnership for Heretic-produced content.
• Bankside FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeretic partnered with Bankside Films for UK distribution, releasing trailers together for films like 'The Birthday Party'.
• Apellaniz & De SosacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish production company that co-produced multiple Heretic films including 'The Sacred Spirit' and 'Feathers'.
• Still Moving (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company that produced 'Feathers' with Heretic as Greek co-producer.
• Film Clinic (Egypt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEgyptian production company co-producer of 'Feathers'.
• Kepler Film (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company co-producer of 'Feathers'.
• ERT (Greek Public Broadcasting)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek public broadcaster co-produces and supports numerous Heretic productions.
• Dark Entries RecordsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on 'LP' documentary about Lena Platonos.
• Paradise City FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK production company that co-produced 'Drift' with Anthony Chen directing and Cynthia Erivo starring.
• Forty Nine Sixty FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'Drift' starring Cynthia Erivo.
• PARA-DOXAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIranian production company that produced 'The Great Yawn of History'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Coproduction Office: Paris-based international sales and co-production company with a strong auteur-focused catalog and festival presence. Comparable in combining international sales with co-production activities — a model that closely mirrors Heretic's hybrid sales/production positioning.
• Memento Films International: Paris-based international sales and production company focused on independent arthouse cinema. Comparable boutique model with festival-driven acquisition and territorial sales similar to Heretic's approach.
• Bankside Films: UK-based international sales agent focused on arthouse and independent cinema. Directly comparable as a boutique sales agent of comparable scale, and notably an active co-distribution partner of Heretic on films like 'The Birthday Party'.
• Films Boutique: Berlin-based boutique international sales agent focused on arthouse cinema with strong festival presence. Closely comparable to Heretic in scale, auteur focus, and reliance on European festival markets for deal-making.
• HanWay Films: London-based international sales company handling arthouse, documentary, and select commercial titles. Comparable in boutique scale and festival-led deal-making, with similar reliance on Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto markets.
• Playtime: Paris-based international sales and distribution company focused on arthouse and quality independent cinema. Directly comparable in festival-driven acquisition strategy and territorial rights management.
• Celluloid Dreams: Paris-based international sales agent specializing in arthouse and auteur cinema with strong festival track record. Closely comparable in catalog composition, auteur curation thesis, and territorial sales approach.

Broad incumbents

• Wild Bunch: One of Europe's leading international sales agents and distributors based in Paris, representing a large catalog of auteur and arthouse films. Comparable business model to Heretic but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio breadth.
• mk2 Films: Paris-based international sales agent and distributor with a strong arthouse and auteur catalog, including heritage titles and contemporary festival winners. Comparable to Heretic in arthouse curation and festival-driven acquisition/sales cycle.
• The Match Factory: Germany-based international sales agent and distributor focused on arthouse cinema with strong festival pedigree (Cannes, Berlin, Venice). Directly comparable in auteur/arthouse focus and festival-driven GTM, though operating at larger scale than Heretic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hereticfilms6986
• Facebookfacebook.com/Heretic.filmhouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/heretic.films
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hereticfilms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Heretic