What Malaika Pictures does

Malaika Pictures GmbH is a privately held documentary film production company headquartered in Baden, Lower Austria, founded in 2015 by the husband-and-wife team Richard Ladkani and Anita Ladkani. The company specializes in producing high-production-value cinematic documentaries focused on environmental conservation, wildlife protection, and social justice, with a portfolio of five major productions: The Ivory Game (2016), Sea of Shadows (2019), Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold (2022), YANUNI (2025), and the in-production Just Me Jane (2026). Its core technical capability is investigative documentary filmmaking, including extended undercover field operations that infiltrate criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking — most notably documented in The Ivory Game and Sea of Shadows.

The company operates an event-driven, project-based business model. It does not sell products directly to consumers; instead, it monetizes its films through licensing and distribution deals with major streaming platforms (Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, Disney+) and theatrical distributors, supplemented by film festival premiere circuits (Sundance, Tribeca, Telluride, Toronto) and international sales representation through CAA and Submarine. Production is largely co-financed through a network of strategic partners including Appian Way Productions (Leonardo DiCaprio), Terra Mater Film Studios, Vulcan Productions, Plimsoll Productions, Nia Tero, Age of Union, and the Austrian Film Institute. The company employs roughly six people, operates with no disclosed external funding, and the founders retain full ownership.

Its end customers are effectively streaming platforms, broadcasters, and theatrical distributors licensing its content, while its impact audience is the global environmental and conservation community. The company has accumulated significant reputational capital — Academy membership, Oscar shortlists, Sundance Audience Award, and a documented policy outcome (China's domestic ivory trade ban in 2016, attributed in part to The Ivory Game) — but operates at a boutique scale with revenue not publicly disclosed.

Name

Malaika Pictures

Legal name

Malaika Pictures GmbH

Website

https://malaikapictures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Malaika Pictures is a boutique Austrian documentary film production company founded in 2015 by Richard and Anita Ladkani, producing high-impact environmental and social justice documentaries such as The Ivory Game, Sea of Shadows, and YANUNI for global streaming platforms including Netflix, National Geographic, and Disney+.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature, Science & Wildlife Documentaries (MPADADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE), Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Environmental documentaries
• Wildlife conservation films
• Impact filmmaking
• Nature documentary series

Headquarters

HQ city

Baden

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Distribution Deals: The company generates revenue through licensing documentary films to major streaming platforms (Netflix, National Geographic, Disney+) and theatrical distribution partnerships. Films are distributed globally through established entertainment distribution channels.
2. Film Festival Sales and Awards: Revenue generated through film festival premieres, awards recognition, and subsequent sales to distributors. Films like Sea of Shadows won Sundance Audience Award, enhancing commercial value.
3. Co-production and Production Partnerships: Co-productions with partners like Appian Way (Leonardo DiCaprio), Terra Mater Film Studios, National Geographic, and various international film funds provide production financing and revenue sharing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Malaika Pictures produces impact-driven documentary films and series focused on environmental conservation, wildlife protection, and social justice issues. The company produces both feature-length documentaries (e.g., The Ivory Game, Sea of Shadows, YANUNI) and documentary series (e.g., Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold), with content licensed to global streaming platforms including Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, and Disney+.

Product overview

Malaika Pictures is a documentary film production company that creates impact-driven films focused on environmental and social issues. The company produces feature documentaries (YANUNI, Sea of Shadows, The Ivory Game, Just me, Jane) and documentary series (Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold), working with co-production partners and sales agents to distribute content through platforms like Netflix, National Geographic, and Disney+.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YANUNI Feature-length documentary following Juma Xipaia, an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon, as she rises from a remote village to become Brazil's first Secretary of Indigenous Rights, while her husband leads dangerous operations against illegal gold miners.
• Just me, Jane (WT) Feature-length documentary celebrating Jane Goodall's life, offering an intimate look at the woman behind the iconic chimpanzee expert, directed by Richard Ladkani with deep personal access.
• Sea of Shadows Documentary thriller about the fight to save the vaquita porpoise from extinction in the Sea of Cortez, as drug cartels and Chinese traffickers target the totoaba fish for its swim bladder.
• The Ivory Game Documentary thriller exposing the illegal ivory trade, following undercover operations across Africa and China to infiltrate the corrupt global network of ivory trafficking.
• Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold Three-part documentary series following climber Alex Honnold and team as they attempt to climb an uncharted Arctic seacliff in Greenland while studying climate change impacts on the ice cap.

Quantifiable outcome

• China announced ban on domestic ivory trade within one year of The Ivory Game release, implementing the ban by end of 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Appian Way Productions (Leonardo DiCaprio)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-term production partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions. Appian Way has co-produced multiple Malaika Pictures films including The Ivory Game, Sea of Shadows, YANUNI, and others, providing high-profile executive production support and celebrity-driven distribution leverage.
• Nia TerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for YANUNI documentary about Indigenous rights and environmental justice in the Brazilian Amazon. Nia Tero specializes in Indigenous-led media and storytelling.
• Age of Union StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for YANUNI and Just Me Jane documentaries. Age of Union is an environmental studio focused on stories that drive conservation action.
• Tellux FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman production company and co-production partner for YANUNI and previous documentaries. Tellux Film produces documentary and fictional content with international reach.
• Terra Mater Film StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian production company that has co-produced multiple Malaika Pictures films including Sea of Shadows and The Ivory Game. Terra Mater specializes in nature and environmental documentaries.
• Vulcan Productions (Paul Allen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company of Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) that co-produced The Ivory Game, bringing significant production resources and backing.
• Plimsoll ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based production company and co-producer of Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold for National Geographic and Disney+. Plimsoll specializes in natural history and documentary content.
• Earth AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization founded by Leonardo DiCaprio that leads the impact campaign for YANUNI in close collaboration with Instituto Juma, focusing on driving action from the film's message.
• Instituto JumacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous organization founded by Chief Juma Xipaia that leads impact work in the Amazon. Partnered for YANUNI impact campaign to empower Indigenous women and youth as guardians of their land.
• Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI+)supportingOthersProvides funding support for YANUNI documentary production. The Austrian Film Institute supports Austrian film productions with production financing.
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming distribution partner for The Ivory Game documentary. Netflix released the film as a Netflix Original Documentary, providing global distribution to over 200 million subscribers.
• National Geographic Documentary FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Sea of Shadows, providing theatrical release and broadcast distribution. National Geographic Documentary Films brings global distribution reach for environmental documentaries.
• Disney+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming platform for Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold documentary series. Distributed as a Disney+ original series in partnership with National Geographic.
• CAA (Amanda Lebow, Katie Swick)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agents representing Malaika Pictures for feature documentary inquiries and television/series inquiries. CAA handles international sales and distribution negotiations.
• Submarine (Josh Brown)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent handling international sales for Sea of Shadows and other Malaika Pictures productions. Submarine provides distribution and sales representation for documentary films.
• Wild Lens CollectivesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation-focused production collective that co-produced Sea of Shadows, bringing investigative journalism and undercover filming expertise.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/malaika.pictures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/malaika-pictures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Malaika Pictures