WHAT'S UP FILMS
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
WHAT'S UP FILMS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WHAT'S UP FILMS
- Legal name
- What’s Up Films
- Website
- https://whatsupfilms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WHAT'S UP FILMS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Film and Television Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA), Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ)
Keywords
Where WHAT'S UP FILMS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WHAT'S UP FILMS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Production revenue: Revenue generated through production fees, coproduction agreements with broadcasters (ARTE, France Télévisions, Canal+), and licensing of produced content to streaming platforms (Netflix, Salto). French production companies typically receive funding from broadcaster预付款, CNC grants, and regional funds alongside coproduction structures.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
WHAT'S UP FILMS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
What's Up Films is an independent French audiovisual production company that develops, produces, and licenses documentaries, fiction films, and television series. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Paris, the company has produced over 80 films across documentary (primary) and fiction formats, working with French and international broadcasters and streaming platforms. Content is delivered as standalone films or multi-episode series on justice, society, and social themes.
Product overview
What's Up Films is an independent audiovisual production company founded in 2008 that produces documentaries, fictions (dramas), and series (TV series). The company operates as a single unified production house offering multiple content formats across the documentary and fiction genres, with productions spanning documentary series like 'The Staircase' and 'Trial 4', fiction series like 'Sambre' and 'Jeux d'Influence', standalone drama films, and web documentaries. The portfolio includes both individual documentary films and multi-episode documentary series, as well as fiction series and TV movies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Documentaries Documentary films produced by What's Up Films covering topics such as justice, society, history, and social issues, distributed to French and international broadcasters and streaming platforms.
- Fictions Drama productions and TV movies primarily inspired by true events, developed since 2015, including series and feature-length dramas produced for French broadcasters.
- Series Television series including documentary series and fiction series such as Sambre, Jeux d'Influence, 48 Heures, The Staircase, and Trial 4, produced for French and international broadcasters.
- Web Documentaries Interactive web documentary content distributed through digital platforms, exploring topics like environmental issues through digital storytelling, produced for clients such as Canal+.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 80 films produced in 15 years with international distribution
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WHAT'S UP FILMS
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WHAT'S UP FILMS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WHAT'S UP FILMS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.
- ARTEcorePrimary coproduction partner for documentaries and documentary series. ARTE France is a key broadcaster for What's Up Films productions including Les Couleurs du Maroc, Rivers of the World, Green Paradise, and numerous other documentaries.
- France TélévisionscoreMajor French public broadcaster group including France 2, France 3, and France 5. Primary partner for documentaries, series, and fiction productions including Sambre, 48 Hours, and various documentaries.
- Canal+coreFrench premium broadcaster and streaming platform. Broadcast partner for The Staircase, 48 Hours, and other productions. Also co-producer of Le Challenge and Une idée simple et révolutionnaire.
- NetflixcoreInternational streaming distribution partner for productions including The Staircase (Soupçons) and Trial 4 (Le Quatrième Procès). Major platform for reaching global audiences.
- SaltosecondaryFrench streaming platform distribution partner for series including La Secte and other productions.
- France 2corePrimary broadcaster for fiction productions including Sambre (6x52', France 2, Best French Series 2023) and Des Blessures Invisibles (2024).
- CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée)coreFrench national film and animation center. Key institutional partner providing funding support and regulatory oversight for productions.
- LCP-Assemblée NationaleminorFrench parliamentary channel. Partnership for political and documentary content including Melvin and Jean, An American History.
- Public SénatminorFrench public senator channel. Broadcast partner for documentary content.
- PROCIREPcoreFrench producers' association. What's Up Films won the Procirep du Producteur de Fiction award in 2024. Active member of the organization.
- SCAM (Société Civile des Auteurs Multimédia)coreFrench authors' rights society. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade served as president of SCAM (elected June 2011). What's Up Films has received multiple SCAM Star awards.
- Federation StudiossecondaryFrench production group. Distribution partner for productions including La Secte (The Sect).
- Gaumont TélévisionssecondaryCoproduction partner for Trial 4 documentary series distributed by Netflix.
- Collectif 50/50minorFrench collective promoting gender equality in the film and audiovisual industry. What's Up Films is a member.
- SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques)minorFrench authors' rights society for dramatic works. Membership indicates commitment to authors' rights.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WHAT'S UP FILMS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Elephant Doc: French independent documentary and current-affairs producer working with ARTE, France Télévisions, and Canal+. Operates at comparable scale and competes for similar commissions in the society/justice editorial lane.
- Agat Films & Cie: Long-established French independent documentary and fiction producer with similar broadcaster relationships and an editorial focus on society and current affairs. Comparable in scale and prize profile.
- CC&C (Clémentine et Cie): Independent French production company producing documentaries and documentary series for French public broadcasters. Similar team size and editorial focus on social and societal topics.
- Maha Productions: French independent production company co-founded by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and Denis Poncet in 1999, focused on documentaries and fiction. Directly comparable in editorial niche (justice/society) and company-stage, and was the prior home of two of What's Up Films' co-founders.
- ZED: Paris-based independent documentary and series producer with similar scale and broadcaster relationships (France Télévisions, ARTE, Canal+). Marion Papillon previously worked at ZED before joining What's Up Films, evidencing direct talent overlap.
- Bonne Pioche: Independent French production company producing documentaries and factual series for major broadcasters and international platforms. Pierre Carrique worked at Bonne Pioche prior to co-founding What's Up Films; similar scale and format mix.
- Little Bear: Earlier-stage French documentary production company where both Matthieu Belghiti and Pierre Carrique previously worked. Comparable in format (documentary-led) and editorial taste.
Broad incumbents
- Federation Studios: Larger French independent production group with a documentary and drama slate. Listed as a distribution partner on What's Up Films' La Secte, illustrating overlap in both editorial space and business model at greater scale.
- Banijay France: French arm of global production giant Banijay, producing factual, documentary, and scripted content for all major French broadcasters. Represents the consolidated competitive pressure on independent French producers like What's Up Films.
Regional players
- Dogwoof: Leading UK-based documentary sales and production company with strong international festival and streaming distribution track record. Comparable in documentary editorial niche and in monetizing prestige documentaries for global buyers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WHAT'S UP FILMS social profiles
Digital presenceWHAT'S UP FILMS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WHAT'S UP FILMS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WHAT'S UP FILMS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WHAT'S UP FILMS 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 WHAT'S UP FILMS
What does WHAT'S UP FILMS do?
What's Up Films is an independent French audiovisual production company that develops, produces, and licenses documentaries, fiction films, and television series. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Paris, the company has produced over 80 films across documentary (primary) and fiction formats, working with French and international broadcasters and streaming platforms. Content is delivered as standalone films or multi-episode series on justice, society, and social themes.
Is WHAT'S UP FILMS a public or private company?
WHAT'S UP FILMS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WHAT'S UP FILMS founded?
WHAT'S UP FILMS was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WHAT'S UP FILMS based?
WHAT'S UP FILMS is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does WHAT'S UP FILMS make money?
One revenue line is on record: production revenue.
Who are WHAT'S UP FILMS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Elephant Doc, Agat Films & Cie, CC&C (Clémentine et Cie), Maha Productions, ZED, Bonne Pioche and Little Bear. Broad incumbents are Federation Studios and Banijay France. Dogwoof is listed as a regional player.
Does WHAT'S UP FILMS have an API?
No public API is recorded for WHAT'S UP FILMS.
What industry is WHAT'S UP FILMS in?
WHAT'S UP FILMS's product category is Independent Film and Television Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAB, Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming), with a secondary code of MPADADAA, Feature-Length Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.