Telescope Films

What Telescope Films does

Telescope Films is a privately held, Montreal-based short-film production company founded in 2020, operating as an "ecosystem" of directors, producers, artists, and craftspeople led by co-founder and executive producer Samuel Caron. Its core product is a catalog of roughly a dozen auteur short films spanning narrative drama, thriller, experimental cinema, and dance/screendance, with repeat creative involvement from directors such as Vincent René-Lortie (Invincible, Sit Still, A Dying Tree, Wrap Me Up) and emerging collaborators including Will Niava, Abeille Tard, Martin C. Pariseau, and Kristof Brandl. The company's technology footprint is conventional film-production tooling; no proprietary AI, software platform, or technical IP is disclosed.

Telescope generates revenue through two principal streams: production services (production fees, co-production arrangements, and executive producer credits on individual films) and international licensing (royalties and distribution fees from third-party distributors handling finished films). Distribution is handled through three specialized partners — H264 Distribution (worldwide), La Distributrice de Films (Canadian/regional), and mk2 Mile End (regional, including HBO Europe placement). The go-to-market motion is event-driven: films premiere at international festivals (Sundance, TIFF, Slamdance, Busan, Fantasia, Clermont-Ferrand, etc.), where recognition and awards serve as both validation and the primary demand-generation mechanism to attract distributor and co-production partners. Telescop

Name

Telescope Films

Legal name

Telescope Films

Website

https://telescopefilms.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADADAI

Arts & Culture Documentaries

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

SECONDARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Short film production
• Auteur film direction
• International film distribution
• Dance screendance films
• Co-production partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Production Services: Telescope Films produces short films and generates revenue through production fees, co-production arrangements with other production companies, and executive production credits. The company serves as the production entity for its distributed films.
2. International Distribution and Sales: Revenue generated through international sales agents and distributors (H264 Distribution, La Distributrice de Films, mk2 Mile End) who handle worldwide distribution of finished films, with Telescope receiving licensing fees and royalties from distribution deals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Telescope Films is a Montreal-based film production company that produces and distributes auteur-driven short films spanning drama, thriller, dance/screendance, and experimental cinema. The company operates as an ecosystem of directors, producers, artists, and craftspeople, with revenue generated through production fees, co-production arrangements with international partners, and licensing fees/royalties from international distributors. Films are premiereded at major festivals (Sundance, TIFF, Slamdance) and have received Academy Award nominations and numerous international festival awards.

Product overview

Telescope Films is a Montreal-based film production company and distributor specializing in short films. The company operates as an ecosystem of directors, producers, artists, and craftspeople united by their belief in the power of storytelling. Their portfolio includes a diverse catalog of short films spanning multiple genres including drama, thriller, dance film, experimental, and documentary styles. The company produces and distributes films from various directors including Vincent René-Lortie, Will Niava, Abeille Tard, Martin C. Pariseau, Benjamin Nicolas, and Kristof Brandl. Their films have received international recognition including Oscar nominations, festival selections, and awards. Distribution partnerships include La Distributrice de Films, H264 Distribution, and HBO Europe for international reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jazz Infernal A short film by director Will Niava about Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter who arrives in Montreal with his father's legacy as his guide, exploring themes of identity and finding one's voice. Won Best International Short Fiction at Sundance 2026.
• A Dying Tree A dance/screendance short film by Vincent René-Lortie about a 45-year-old office worker whose encounter with a chimpanzee leads to an irreversible decision. Produced by Samuel Caron.
• Invincible A short film by Vincent René-Lortie, an ode to his childhood friend who died at age 14, depicting a young man dealing with self-destructive impulses while yearning for freedom. Oscar-nominated at the 96th Academy Awards.
• Pippa et Léo (Pippa and Leo) A short film by Abeille Tard about a young mother struggling to adapt who leaves a shelter with her baby despite curfew restrictions. Produced by François Bonneau and Samuel Caron.
• Aventure FM A short film by Martin C. Pariseau about David, a young neurodivergent music lover, whose relationship with his brother is tested when he discovers a hidden truth during a summer afternoon. Produced by Samuel Caron and Louis-Emmanuel Gagné-Brochu.
• Take Me to a Nice Place A 33-minute short film by Kristof Brandl set in a dying world where a mysterious family destroys humanity to create an idyllic future. Stars Roy Dupuis and Pascale Bussières.
• Sit Still A short dance film by Vincent René-Lortie following seven-year-old Adeline Kerry Cruz on an intimate journey of self-expression through Krump dance, with choreography by Russell 'Gutta' Ferguson.
• As Happy As Can Be (Chez les heureux de ce monde) A thriller short film by Jean-François Sauvé about two young men from modest backgrounds caring for a girlfriend's luxurious house while she recovers from surgery.
• Beast A dark Christmas tale by Benjamin Nicolas about a man reaching for his daughter, blending narrative and experimental forms.
• Wrap Me Up A short film by Vincent René-Lortie and Brittney Canda combining dance and fiction, depicting an ominous group therapy meeting that spirals into contagious psychosis.
• The Man Who Traveled Nowhere in Time An experimental dance film by Vincent René-Lortie based on Kyra Jean Green's live show, exploring time and space through a shared nightmare.
• TDJ - Quest for Glory A minimalist one-shot video by Martin C. Pariseau exploring musical and physical performance through a run on an airport runway.
• Simon Leoza - la nuée A short film by Vincent René-Lortie about a young girl taking her first steps into adulthood by fleeing an abusive father with her newborn sister.

Quantifiable outcome

• Invincible nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards (2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• H264 DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales and distribution partner handling worldwide distribution for Invincible. H264 Distribution manages international sales and territorial distribution for the company's award-nominated short film.
• La Distributrice de FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian and international film distribution company handling distribution for As Happy As Can Be and Beast. Manages distribution and international sales for these productions.
• mk2 Mile EndcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Take Me to a Nice Place, with the film available on HBO Europe platforms.
• Production DisamaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Jazz Infernal, working with Zion Lipstein-Saffer as producer from the partner company. Represents a strategic co-production relationship for this Sundance-winning film.
• Agile FilmsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Take Me to a Nice Place alongside other international production companies including Insurrection Paris, BWGTBLD, Section80, and Colossale.
• Insurrection ParismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational co-production partner for Take Me to a Nice Place, a 33-minute film starring Roy Dupuis and Pascale Bussières.
• BWGTBLDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Take Me to a Nice Place.
• Section80minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Take Me to a Nice Place.
• ColossaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Take Me to a Nice Place.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Institute Documentary Program: U.S.-based nonprofit supporting independent documentary and short film. Operates as both a funder and exhibition platform for short-form work; comparable as a short film ecosystem gatekeeper though operating with institutional scale rather than commercial model.
• Telefilm Canada: Federal cultural agency that funds Canadian film including many Telescope co-productions. A peer/funder relationship in the Canadian film ecosystem, comparable as an institutional counterpart that Telescope works with operationally.

Direct peers

• National Film Board of Canada (NFB): Canada's public film producer with a renowned short film and animation catalog. Most directly comparable to Telescope as a Montreal-based producer of internationally awarded short films, including Oscar-recognized work, though operating at much larger scale with public funding.
• Kartemquin Films: Chicago-based independent documentary and short film production company with a similar festival-driven, award-validated model. Comparable in its auteur-director ecosystem approach and reliance on co-productions and international distribution.
• Field of Vision: Non-fiction short film production initiative focused on visionary short-form documentary and hybrid work, comparable in its auteur-driven short film focus and festival-circuit positioning.
• mk2 Mile End: Montreal-based arthouse distributor affiliated with the French mk2 group, distributing Take Me to a Nice Place (HBO Europe availability). A direct peer operating in the same Montreal indie/short film distribution ecosystem.

Regional players

• H264 Distribution: Montreal-based international sales agent specializing in short films and art-house cinema, currently distributing Telescope's Invincible globally. A natural peer given the operational overlap in Montreal's short film ecosystem and overlapping client base.
• La Distributrice de Films: Canadian and international film distributor handling distribution for several Telescope titles. A regional peer operating in the same short film and arthouse distribution market in Quebec.

Emerging players

• RADAR Concerts / RADAR Films (independent short film accelerators): Short film accelerators and indie producer collectives focused on emerging filmmakers and festival-circuit distribution. Comparable as emerging players in the short film production and distribution space.

Others

• Catapult Film Fund: U.S.-based documentary short film grant fund supporting award-winning short work. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that funds and circulates the kind of short-form content Telescope produces.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/telescopefilms
• Instagraminstagram.com/telescope_films
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/telescope-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Telescope Films