Yzanakio
Yzanakio is a Montréal-based independent film and television production company founded in 2018 that develops documentary, fiction, and animated content centered on Afro-descendant and underrepresented-community narratives, monetizing via broadcaster licensing, festival distribution, and non-dilutive public co-production funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Yzanakio does
Yzanakio is an independent film and television production company headquartered in Montréal, Canada, founded in 2018 by Éric Idriss-Kanago. The company develops and produces documentary, fiction, and animated content — feature films, short films, documentary series, dramatic series, and animated features — with a thematic focus on stories from underrepresented communities, particularly Afro-descendant, Black diaspora, and immigrant narratives across the Americas, Europe, and Africa. The active portfolio comprises approximately 12 productions including Kanaval, Afro Canada, Cult Underground, Sirius, Je suis la France, Ma traversée, Allah n'est pas obligé, Bitch: un word movie, Chemin Roxham, Ibuka, and Un jour peut-être.
The company's go-to-market is dual: an event-driven motion built on the international film festival circuit (TIFF, Cannes Short Film Corner, CINEMANIA, DOK Leipzig, etc.) to drive visibility and distribution interest, combined with a sales-led motion through distribution partners (La Distributrice de Films, Maison 4 Tiers, SPIRA) and broadcasters (Natyf TV, Série +, ICI.tou.tv/Radio-Canada). Revenue is generated through one-time licensing and production fees from these distribution deals, with the vast majority of production capital sourced as non-dilutive co-production financing from public funding bodies (Telefilm Canada, SODEC, Canada Media Fund, CALQ, Eurimages, Luxembourg Film Fund, Fonds Rogers, Fonds Québecor, Fonds Harold Greenberg) rather than private equity or venture capital.
The company is founder-controlled, privately held, with no disclosed subsidiaries, no M&A activity, no patents or trademarks, and a small core team of 6 employees supplemented by project-based collaborators. Strategic positioning is explicitly editorial — described as 'new impressionists' capturing underrepresented perspectives — with an emphasis on first works and emerging talent development.
Yzanakio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yzanakio
- Legal name
- Yzanakio
- Website
- https://yzanakio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Yzanakio is a Montréal-based independent film and television production company founded in 2018 that develops documentary, fiction, and animated content centered on Afro-descendant and underrepresented-community narratives, monetizing via broadcaster licensing, festival distribution, and non-dilutive public co-production funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yzanakio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film and Television Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB), Animated Feature Film Production (MPADACAH)
Keywords
Where Yzanakio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yzanakio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Film and Television Production: Yzanakio produces documentary, fiction, and animated content for theatrical release, television broadcast, and streaming platforms. Revenue is generated through production fees, co-production arrangements, and licensing deals with broadcasters and distributors.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Yzanakio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yzanakio produces documentary, fiction, and animated film and television content for theatrical release, television broadcast, and streaming platforms. The company develops and produces feature films, short films, documentary series, and dramatic series with a focus on stories featuring characters and universes from underrepresented communities, particularly Afro-centric and Black diaspora narratives. Revenue is generated through production fees, co-production arrangements with funding bodies, and licensing deals with broadcasters and distributors across Canada, France, Luxembourg, and Belgium.
Product overview
Yzanakio is a Montreal-based film and television production company founded in 2018 by Éric Idriss-Kanago. The company specializes in producing documentaries, documentary series, fiction feature films, animated features, and dramatic series that center stories from underrepresented communities, particularly Afro-descendant and immigrant narratives. The portfolio includes: feature films (Kanaval, Je suis la France, Bitch: un word movie, Allah n'est pas obligé), documentary series (Afro Canada, Cult Underground), dramatic series (Chemin Roxham), and short films (Sirius, Ma traversée, Ibuka, Un jour peut-être). The productions span multiple countries including Canada, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cult Underground Cult Underground is a weekly one-hour documentary series (5 x 60 minutes) that highlights two Quebec hip hop/rap artists per episode, exploring their atypical and inspiring journeys. It is produced for and broadcast on Natyf TV, targeting Canadian audiences interested in hip hop culture and underrepresented artists.
- Sirius Sirius is an 11-minute short fiction film about a solitary dark-skinned man named Sirius who has collapsed to Earth, working to sustain himself in winter until the sky calls him back. It is produced for theatrical and VOD distribution through La Distributrice de Films in Canada and has been featured at international festivals.
- Kanaval Kanaval is a feature fiction film following a young Haitian boy named Rico who is abruptly separated from his homeland in the 1970s and transported to Canada with his mother Erzulie. It is produced for theatrical release and distribution through Maison 4 Tiers in Canada, targeting audiences interested in immigration stories and Afro-diasporic narratives.
- Je suis la France Je suis la France is a documentary feature examining police violence in France through the testimonies of families of victims killed during police interventions, featuring Ramata Dieng, Assa Traoré, and others. It is produced for festival circulation and broadcast distribution, targeting audiences interested in social justice and human rights issues.
- Ma traversée Ma traversée is a personal documentary spanning 20 years that explores racial issues and privileges experienced by the filmmaker across three French-speaking societies: Guadeloupe, France, and Quebec. It is produced for streaming on ICI.tou.tv, targeting Canadian Francophone audiences interested in racial identity and cross-cultural experiences.
- Afro Canada Afro Canada is a four-part documentary series tracing 400 years of Afro-descendant presence in Canada, exploring slavery, forced displacement, and resistance through documentary and fiction elements. It is produced for streaming on ICI.tou.tv, targeting Canadian audiences and educational institutions interested in Black Canadian history.
- Allah n'est pas obligé Allah n'est pas obligé is an 80-minute animated feature based on Ahmadou Kourouma's novel, following Birahima, a young Guinean orphan who becomes a child soldier while trying to reach his aunt in Liberia. It is produced for theatrical release and distribution through Maison 4 Tiers in Canada, with international co-production funding from Eurimages.
- Bitch: un word movie Bitch: un word movie is a documentary following Nantali Indongo of Nomadic Massive on a journey across the Americas to understand the origins of the word 'bitch' and its historical dehumanization of Black women. It is produced for broadcast on Natyf TV, targeting audiences interested in Black feminist history and linguistics.
- Chemin Roxham Chemin Roxham is a six-part dramatic fiction series (in development) about interconnected refugee stories traveling through the Americas to reach Canada via Roxham Road, featuring characters from Senegal, Venezuela, Haiti, and other countries. It is produced for broadcast on Série + in Canada, targeting audiences interested in refugee and immigration narratives.
- Ibuka Ibuka is a 22-minute animated documentary following a young couple, Valentine and Jean-Claude, during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 as they attempt to flee Kigali with their newborn. It is produced for festival circulation and Quebec distribution through SPIRA, targeting audiences interested in genocide history and African narratives.
- Un jour peut-être Un jour peut-être is a 19-minute short fiction film about Jeanne, a Black artist in her sixties struggling with depression and unable to communicate with her thirty-year-old daughter. It is produced for festival exhibition and short film distribution.
Quantifiable outcome
- Kanaval won Best Canadian BIPOC Feature Film at TIFF 2023
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Yzanakio
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Yzanakio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Yzanakio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Natyf TVcoreNatyf TV is a broadcaster that will air Cult Underground documentary series and has partnerships for other Yzanakio productions like Bitch: un word movie.
- La Distributrice de FilmscoreLa Distributrice de Films is a Canadian film distribution company that handles theatrical and VOD distribution for Sirius short film.
- Maison 4 TierscoreMaison 4 Tiers is a Canadian film distribution company handling distribution for Kanaval and Allah n'est pas obligé in Canada.
- Série +coreSérie + is a Canadian television channel and broadcaster that will air Chemin Roxham dramatic series (in development).
- SPIRAcoreSPIRA is a Quebec-based documentary distribution company that handles distribution for Ibuka documentary.
- Outpost MTLminorOutpost MTL is listed as a production partner for Sirius and Je suis la France films.
- Le DétourminorLe Détour is listed as a production partner for Je suis la France documentary.
- Dynastie 4 ProductionminorDynastie 4 Production is listed as a production partner for Je suis la France documentary.
- Stellar Collision FilmsminorStellar Collision Films is listed as a production partner for Je suis la France documentary.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Yzanakio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Périphérie Films: French independent production company specializing in auteur documentary and fiction with strong international co-production track record. Comparable in size, format mix, and dependency on European/French public funding.
- ARRAY: US-based film collective and distribution/production company founded by Ava DuVernay, focused on work by people of color and underrepresented filmmakers. Directly comparable to Yzanakio's Afro-centric, underrepresented-voice mandate and indie production model.
- Agat Films & Cie: French independent production company with deep documentary and fiction slate across international co-productions. Comparable format mix and European funding profile to Yzanakio.
- Louverture Films: US production company co-founded by Danny Glover, dedicated to films about social justice and the African diaspora. Highly comparable to Yzanakio in mission, scale, and festival-oriented distribution.
- Eye Steel Film: Montreal-based independent documentary production company with an internationally acclaimed catalogue. Comparable in geography, documentary focus, and reliance on Telefilm/SODEC-type funding.
- micro_scope: Montreal-based independent film production company producing festival-circuit features and documentaries. Comparable in city ecosystem, scale, and reliance on Canadian public funding and co-productions.
Regional players
- InformAction Films: Montreal-based documentary production company specializing in social-issue and politically engaged films. Comparable in mission and local ecosystem, with a longer operating history.
Emerging players
- Junia Films: Paris-based independent production company focused on documentaries by emerging filmmakers with international co-production reach. Comparable in scale, format focus, and international co-production model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yzanakio social profiles
Digital presenceYzanakio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yzanakio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Yzanakio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yzanakio 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 Yzanakio
What does Yzanakio do?
Yzanakio produces documentary, fiction, and animated film and television content for theatrical release, television broadcast, and streaming platforms. The company develops and produces feature films, short films, documentary series, and dramatic series with a focus on stories featuring characters and universes from underrepresented communities, particularly Afro-centric and Black diaspora narratives. Revenue is generated through production fees, co-production arrangements with funding bodies, and licensing deals with broadcasters and distributors across Canada, France, Luxembourg, and Belgium.
Is Yzanakio a public or private company?
Yzanakio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Yzanakio founded?
Yzanakio was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Yzanakio based?
Yzanakio is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Yzanakio make money?
One revenue line is on record: film and Television Production.
Who are Yzanakio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Périphérie Films, ARRAY, Agat Films & Cie, Louverture Films, Eye Steel Film and micro_scope. InformAction Films is listed as a regional player. Junia Films is listed as an emerging player.
Does Yzanakio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yzanakio.
What industry is Yzanakio in?
Yzanakio's product category is Film and Television Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAG, Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries, with a secondary code of MPADADAB, Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.