Welcome Aboard

What Welcome Aboard does

Welcome Aboard is a Montréal-based non-profit film distribution organization founded in September 2015 by Stéphanie Demers-Hébert and Valentin Verrier. The company specializes exclusively in short-format cinema, acquiring approximately 20 short films per year for end-to-end distribution management, from development and script stage through festival placement and theatrical screening. Its curated catalog spans drama, documentary, youth films, genre films, and Indigenous content, distributed to both generalist festivals (Vancouver International Film Festival, TIFF, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma) and specialized circuits (imagiNATIVE, documentary festivals). Since 2017, Welcome Aboard has also organized the Festival international du court-métrage - Courts d'un soir, providing an in-house platform that reinforces its curatorial and distribution pipeline.

The organization operates with a lean team of approximately five people, led by General Director Stéphanie Demers-Hébert and Distribution Manager Marc-Olivier Blackburn, supported by a board including Treasurer Laurence Lacroix and President Valentin Verrier (who also directs Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma). Revenue is generated through transaction fees on a per-project basis for distribution and marketing services, with no publicly disclosed pricing or contracts. Marketing and filmmaker acquisition rely on organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube), a newsletter, and a Wix-hosted website with catalog, submission, and company information.

The business model is a content-and-relationships arbitrage: identifying emerging filmmakers, packaging their work for international festival circuits, and capturing a distribution fee while promoting short films as a distinct cinematic medium rather than a stepping stone. Geographic reach is claimed to be international, with a Canadian (Montréal) operational base, a French phone line suggesting European outreach, and festival placements extending from Canada to Cyprus and beyond. Ownership is founder-controlled with no external institutional investment, and there is no evidence of venture funding, M&A activity, or public-market exposure.

Name

Welcome Aboard

Legal name

Welcome Aboard

Website

https://wlcmaboard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Welcome Aboard is a Montréal-based non-profit founded in 2015 that distributes approximately 20 short films per year to Canadian and international festivals, serves emerging filmmakers across genres, and operates the Courts d'un soir short film festival, earning revenue through per-project distribution fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Film Distribution Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Theatrical Distribution (Domestic) (MPADAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales) (MPADAJAC), Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK)

Keywords

• Short film distribution
• Film festival services
• Festival submission management
• Film marketing support
• International film sales

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Short Film Distribution Services: Welcome Aboard distributes and sells short film projects to festivals, theaters, and international audiences. The company generates revenue by taking a distribution fee for managing the marketing and sales of short films from emerging filmmakers and producers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Welcome Aboard is a Montréal-based short film distribution organization that acquires approximately 20 short films per year for full distribution handling, marketing, and sales to festivals, theaters, and international audiences. The company offers end-to-end support to filmmakers and producers from script stage through theatrical release, including festival submission management and international audience reach. Since 2017 it has also organized the Festival international du court-métrage - Courts d'un soir, dedicated to the short film format.

Product overview

Welcome Aboard is a short film distribution company founded in September 2015, based in Montreal with an international focus. The company operates a cinema distribution and screening service for short film projects, supporting filmmakers from script to screen through all production stages and festival circuit management. The core offering consists of a curated catalog of short films available for distribution, including titles such as Les mains sales (Katshinau), Summer Nights, and Port d'attache, with the company acquiring approximately 20 short films per year for full distribution handling. Since 2017, Welcome Aboard also organizes the Courts d'un soir International Short Film Festival dedicated to the short format.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short Film Distribution Service End-to-end distribution service for short films, acquiring approximately 20 projects per year and accompanying filmmakers and producers through all production stages from script to screen, including festival submission management, marketing, and sales to international audiences.
• Festival international du court-métrage - Courts d'un soir International short film festival dedicated to the short format, organized by Welcome Aboard since 2017 to promote short films as a distinct medium and serve as a talent pipeline for the distribution arm.
• Les mains sales (Katshinau) Short film in Welcome Aboard's catalog, directed by Julien G. Marcotte and Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush, distributed to festivals including Vancouver International Film Festival and TIFF.
• Summer Nights Documentary short film by Virgile Ratelle in Welcome Aboard's distribution catalog, released in 2022.
• Port d'attache Documentary short film by Laurence Lévesque in Welcome Aboard's distribution catalog, recognized at Festival Les Percéides and Gala Québec Cinéma.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Festival international du courtomètre - Courts d'un soircoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Welcome Aboard has been responsible for organizing the Festival international du court-mrotauge - Courts d'un soir, a short film festival dedicated to the short format. This festival supports their mission of promoting short films as a distinct medium.
• Le Foyer FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Foyer Films is a production company that produced Les mains sales (Katshinau), a film distributed by Welcome Aboard. The relationship involves ongoing collaboration on film production and distribution.
• Vancouver International Film FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVIFF is a major film festival partner where Welcome Aboard-distributed films are showcased. Les mains sales won Best Canadian Short Film at VIFF 2023.
• Toronto International Film FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTIFF is a prestigious Canadian film festival partner. Les mains sales was selected for TIFF Canada's Top Ten 2023/2024.
• Festival du Nouveau CinémaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Quebec film festival where Welcome Aboard-distributed films are presented.
• Rendez-vous Québec CinémaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuebec cinema festival partner. Valentin Verrier, board member of Welcome Aboard, is also Director of Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma - Fondation Québec Cinéma.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FilmRise: FilmRise is a US-based independent film and television distribution company with a large streaming-led catalog. It is comparable as a distributor focused on independent and festival-circuit films, though it operates at significantly larger scale and across all formats.
• Oscilloscope Laboratories: Oscilloscope Laboratories is an independent film distribution and production company focused on distinctive arthouse and festival-circuit content. It is comparable as a curator-distributor for festival-driven films, though it focuses on feature-length titles.
• National Film Board of Canada: NFB is a Canadian federal agency and one of the largest producers and distributors of Canadian short films and documentaries. While much larger and government-funded, it overlaps with Welcome Aboard in distributing Canadian short films to international audiences and bringing emerging filmmakers to global festivals.

Regional players

• EyeSteelFilm: EyeSteelFilm is a Montreal-based documentary and short film production and distribution company. It is comparable given the Montreal base, focus on documentary and short-form content, and international festival distribution model.
• Mongrel Media: Mongrel Media is one of Canada's largest independent film distributors, handling arthouse and Canadian titles. It is comparable as a Canadian-headquartered distributor working with festival-circuit films, though it focuses on feature-length content rather than shorts.
• KinoSmith: KinoSmith is a Canadian independent film distribution company that brings arthouse and festival-selected films to Canadian audiences. It is comparable as a regional Canadian distributor focused on festival-circuit content, though its catalog skews toward feature films.

Direct peers

• Shorts International: Shorts International (shortsTV) is the world's leading short film distributor and a dedicated short film television channel. It is the most direct comparable to Welcome Aboard given the exclusive focus on short-form film distribution and the shared mission of bringing short films to wider audiences globally.

Others

• Festival Scope: Festival Scope is a B2B platform connecting filmmakers and sales agents with film festival programmers worldwide. It is thematically comparable as a short film festival industry infrastructure provider, though it operates as a marketplace rather than a distributor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHFviVSjV_WZHziZNBWaI0w?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/Wlcmaboard
• Instagraminstagram.com/wlcmaboard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wlcmaboard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Welcome Aboard