SHORTCUTS
Shortcuts Distribution is a Paris-based short-film distribution and international sales company founded in 2017 by four French production companies. It acquires, curates, and licenses a catalogue of approximately 100 short films to broadcasters, VOD/SVOD platforms, airlines, festivals, and theatrical exhibitors globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SHORTCUTS does
Shortcuts Distribution is a Paris-based short-film distribution and international sales company founded in 2017. It was created as a cooperative venture by four established French production companies — Tripode Productions, Barney Production, Don Quichotte Films, and Les Valseurs — to aggregate their distribution capabilities and extend the international reach of short-form cinema. The company operates from its headquarters at 24, rue de l'Est, 75020 Paris, with a lean team of 8 employees.
Shortcuts maintains a global catalogue of approximately 100 curated short films and processes a line-up of more than 40 new titles per year across fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, and youth categories with runtimes ranging from under 15 minutes to 30-60 minutes. Its core activity is acquiring short films through festival submissions ([email protected]) and then handling international sales and distribution on behalf of producers. Distribution flows through multiple channels: international film festivals (Locarno, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Toronto, Melbourne, etc.), broadcast television (France Télévision, Arte, Canal+, OCS, Movistar), VOD/SVOD platforms, theatrical exhibitors, airline in-flight entertainment systems, and a direct-to-consumer Vimeo VOD storefront.
The business model is licensing- and royalty-based, with revenue generated by selling broadcast, streaming, theatrical, and in-flight rights to third-party buyers. Shortcuts does not publicly disclose pricing. The company operates without external investment or public listing, has no disclosed patents, APIs, or proprietary technology, and is governed cooperatively by its four founding production companies. Its recent industry recognition includes the Cannes Palme d'or 2025, the César du meilleur court métrage documentaire 2026, and the Prix Unifrance 2026 du distributeur de courts.
SHORTCUTS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SHORTCUTS
- Legal name
- Shortcuts Distribution
- Website
- https://shortcuts.pro
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Shortcuts Distribution is a Paris-based short-film distribution and international sales company founded in 2017 by four French production companies. It acquires, curates, and licenses a catalogue of approximately 100 short films to broadcasters, VOD/SVOD platforms, airlines, festivals, and theatrical exhibitors globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SHORTCUTS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Distribution Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Free TV / Syndication Distribution (MPADAJAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK), International TV Program Distribution (Sales/Output Deals) (MPABAMAD), Short-Form Video Discovery, Curation & Aggregation Platforms (MPACAHAG)
Keywords
Where SHORTCUTS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SHORTCUTS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Short Film Distribution and International Sales: Distribution, broadcast and sales of short films. Revenue generated through licensing short films to broadcasters (France Télévision, Arte, Canal +, OCS, Movistar), theatrical exhibitors, VOD/SVOD platforms, and airlines.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
SHORTCUTS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shortcuts Distribution provides international sales and festival strategy services for short films. The company acquires short films from its four founding French production companies and external submissions, then licenses them to broadcasters (France Télévision, Arte, Canal+, OCS, Movistar), theatrical exhibitors, VOD/SVOD platforms, and airlines. It manages a global catalogue of approximately 100 films with annual line-ups of more than 40 titles.
Product overview
Shortcuts is a short film distribution company founded in 2017, led by four French production companies (Tripode Productions, Barney Production, Don Quichotte Films & Les Valseurs). The company offers a unified distribution service combining festival strategy and international sales for short films. With a catalog of approximately 100 films and about 40 new works annually, they distribute through multiple channels including traditional broadcasters (France Télévision, Arte, Canal+, OCS, Movistar), movie theatres, and digital platforms (VOD/SVOD). Their catalog spans multiple genres: Fiction, Experimental, Animation, Documentary, and Youth films, with runtime categories from under 15 minutes to 30-60 minutes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Short Film Distribution Services Festival strategy and international sales distribution services for short films, working with historical broadcast market players (France Télévision, Arte, Canal+, OCS, Movistar, movie theatres) and digital platforms (VOD/SVOD, airlines). Offered to short film producers and production companies seeking international reach.
- Short Film Catalogue Curated catalogue of approximately 100 short films available for licensing, spanning genres (Fiction, Experimental, Animation, Documentary, Youth) and runtime categories (under 15 minutes, under 20 minutes, under 30 minutes, 30-60 minutes). Sold to broadcasters, streamers, theatres, festivals, and airlines.
- VOD Streaming Access Direct-to-consumer video-on-demand streaming access to Shortcuts' film catalogue via Vimeo, allowing individual viewers to watch short films online.
Companies that use SHORTCUTS
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SHORTCUTS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SHORTCUTS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Tripode ProductionscoreOne of four production companies that jointly lead Shortcuts. Tripode Productions contributes to the distribution infrastructure and film catalogue. Located at 4 rue Bazille Balard, 34000 Montpellier.
- Barney ProductioncoreOne of four production companies that jointly lead Shortcuts. Contributed films including Cairo Streets by Abdellah Taïa. Located at 17 Rue de Pali Kao, 75020 Paris.
- Don Quichotte FilmscoreOne of four production companies that jointly lead Shortcuts. Contributed films including Frágil como una bomba and Lazare.
- Les ValseurscoreOne of four production companies that jointly lead Shortcuts. Contributed films including Le jour où j'ai fumé..., I'm Glad You're Dead Now, and Paysage après la bataille. Contact: [email protected]
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SHORTCUTS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- L'Agence du court métrage: French short film distribution agency that promotes short films to broadcasters, festivals and online platforms. Directly comparable to Shortcuts as a Paris-based boutique specializing in French short film sales and festival strategy.
- The Party Film Sales: International sales company representing short films at major festivals and to broadcasters, with a comparable festival-driven sales strategy and overlapping client base of filmmakers.
- Shorts International: Shorts International operates the ShortsTV channel and is one of the most prominent dedicated short film distributors globally, with a catalogue and broadcaster relationships directly comparable to Shortcuts' short film distribution and licensing business.
- Premium Films: French independent sales agent focused on festival-driven short and medium-length film sales, with comparable broadcaster and festival relationships in the French and international markets.
Broad incumbents
- LevelK: European international sales company representing both features and shorts at festivals, with comparable broadcaster and festival sales activities across the European market.
- Wide Management: French independent sales and distribution company handling both features and shorts at festivals, with overlapping relationships with French broadcasters (Arte, Canal+) and international sales channels.
- Studiocanal: One of Europe's leading film distribution and sales companies with broad capabilities across theatrical, broadcast and digital channels. Comparable as a French distributor working with major broadcasters, though not focused on short films specifically.
- National Film Board of Canada (NFB): State-backed distributor of short films (animation, documentary, fiction) through theatrical, broadcast and digital channels including a direct-to-consumer platform. Comparable as a large, established short-film distribution operation, though with a different ownership structure.
- mk2 films: Major French independent distributor with theatrical, festival and international sales arms. Comparable as a Paris-headquartered distributor with festival strategy and broadcaster relationships, though operating at a much larger scale and focused on feature films.
Emerging players
- MUBI: Global curated SVOD platform that licenses short films and short-form content alongside features. Comparable as a downstream buyer of curated short film rights and a potential distribution partner for Shortcuts' catalogue.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SHORTCUTS social profiles
Digital presenceSHORTCUTS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SHORTCUTS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SHORTCUTS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SHORTCUTS 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 SHORTCUTS
What does SHORTCUTS do?
Shortcuts Distribution provides international sales and festival strategy services for short films. The company acquires short films from its four founding French production companies and external submissions, then licenses them to broadcasters (France Télévision, Arte, Canal+, OCS, Movistar), theatrical exhibitors, VOD/SVOD platforms, and airlines. It manages a global catalogue of approximately 100 films with annual line-ups of more than 40 titles.
Is SHORTCUTS a public or private company?
SHORTCUTS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SHORTCUTS founded?
SHORTCUTS was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SHORTCUTS based?
SHORTCUTS is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does SHORTCUTS make money?
One revenue line is on record: short Film Distribution and International Sales.
Who are SHORTCUTS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are L'Agence du court métrage, The Party Film Sales, Shorts International and Premium Films. Broad incumbents are LevelK, Wide Management, Studiocanal, National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and mk2 films. MUBI is listed as an emerging player.
Does SHORTCUTS have an API?
No public API is recorded for SHORTCUTS.
What industry is SHORTCUTS in?
SHORTCUTS's product category is Film Distribution Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAJAI, Free TV / Syndication Distribution, with a secondary code of MPADAJAK, Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release. Its NAICS code is 512120 and its SIC code is 7822.