Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd.

What Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd. does

Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd. is an Edinburgh-based, privately held documentary film production company founded in 2021 and led by founder Sonja Henrici. The company produces and co-produces feature-length documentaries in collaboration with international filmmakers, with a thematic focus on character-driven narratives spanning political biography (Merkel, 2022), art and science (Tracing Light, 2024), mental health and trauma (Love & Trouble), and conflict journalism (Birds of War, 2026). Output has premiered at top-tier festival circuits including Sundance, Berlinale, DOK Leipzig, CPH:DOX, and FIPADOC, with Birds of War winning the Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact at Sundance 2026 and Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon world-premiering at the 76th Berlinale.

The underlying production model is project-based, relying on public film funding (BFI UK Global Screen Fund, Creative Scotland, Screen Scotland, FFF Bayern), broadcaster co-commissions (SWR/ARTE, Al Jazeera, BBC), and international co-production partners (Passion Pictures, Filmpunkt GmbH, Amy Hardie Productions, Real Lava, Odd Girl Out Productions, Skyline Productions Edinburgh). Distribution is executed through specialist world sales agents (Dogwoof, Journeyman Pictures, New Docs) and direct licensing to streaming platforms (Netflix for Merkel across Europe and Turkey, DocPlay, Curzon Player) and broadcasters. The company maintains headcount of 1-10 employees and operates without disclosed external institutional investment.

Revenue mechanics derive from production financing, licensing fees, and festival awards on a project-by-project basis. Pricing is non-standardized and negotiated through sales agents. The primary customer segments are streaming platforms and public broadcasters acquiring finished content, with film festival selection serving as the principal demand-generation mechanism. Geographic reach spans the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Czech Republic, USA, Canada, India, Australia, and Turkey.

Name

Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd.

Legal name

Sonja Henrici Creates Limited

Website

https://sonjahenrici.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd. is an Edinburgh-based independent documentary film production company founded in 2021 that develops and co-produces feature documentaries with international filmmakers, distributing through world sales agents, streaming platforms, and public broadcasters across Europe, North America, and select global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ), Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE), Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Feature documentary co-production
• International film financing
• Documentary distribution licensing
• Film festival premieres

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Film Production & Licensing: Sonja Henrici Creates produces documentary films and licenses content to streaming platforms (Netflix, DocPlay, Curzon Player), broadcasters (SWR/ARTE, BBC, Al Jazeera), and through sales agents (Dogwoof, Journeyman Pictures, New Docs). Revenue is generated through production financing, licensing fees, and festival awards.
2. World Sales & Distribution: Films are distributed internationally through world sales agents. Love & Trouble is sold through Journeyman Pictures; Tracing Light through New Docs. This generates licensing revenue across different territories and platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sonja Henrici Creates develops, produces, and co-produces feature-length documentary films in collaboration with international filmmakers. Finished films are licensed to streaming platforms (Netflix, DocPlay, Curzon Player), public broadcasters (SWR/ARTE, BBC, Al Jazeera), and distributed internationally through world sales agents (Dogwoof, Journeyman Pictures, New Docs).

Product overview

Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd. is an Edinburgh-based film production company that produces and co-produces documentary films. The company operates as a production partner, collaborating with various filmmakers on documentary projects including 'Merkel' (2022), 'Tracing Light' (2024), 'Love & Trouble', and 'Birds of War' (2026). The company serves as a production entity on these documentaries, working alongside other production companies and handling distribution through various sales agents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Birds of War Feature documentary following London-based Lebanese journalist Janay Boulos and Syrian activist/cameraman Abd Alkader Habak across thirteen years of personal archives through revolutions, war, and exile. Won Sundance Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact in 2026. Distributed internationally by Dogwoof.
• Merkel Feature documentary directed by Eva Weber telling the story of how Angela Merkel became Germany's first female chancellor and de facto leader of the free world, using archive materials and interviews. Currently streaming on Netflix, DocPlay, and Curzon Player.
• Tracing Light Feature documentary exploring the nature of light with leading artists and physicists, following artists such as Semiconductor and Julie Brook as they develop artworks to understand light phenomena. Part of director Thomas Riedelsheimer's trilogy alongside his films on time and sound.
• Love & Trouble Feature documentary directed by Amy Hardie following a young couple, Kerry and Kenny, over ten years as they navigate trauma, PTSD, and recovery through therapy and unconventional methods including horses, race-cars, and ice swimming.
• Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon Feature documentary portrait of artist Douglas Gordon directed by Finlay Pretsell. Currently featured on the Sonja Henrici Creates 'Latest Releases' page as a current title.
• The Oil Machine Feature documentary listed on the Sonja Henrici Creates 'Latest Releases' page as part of the company's film catalogue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Birds of War won Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact at Sundance Film Festival 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• DogwoofcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Sales agent handling 'Birds of War' - managing festival bookings and international sales. Contact: Cleo Veger, [email protected]
• Filmpunkt GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Production company co-producer of 'Tracing Light'. German production company collaborating on this art-science documentary.
• Skyline Productions EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Edinburgh-based production company associated with 'Tracing Light' production.
• New DocscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024World sales agent handling international sales for 'Tracing Light' documentary.
• Amy Hardie ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Production company of writer/director Amy Hardie. Co-producer of 'Love & Trouble' documentary.
• Fruitmarket GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Production company co-producer of 'Love & Trouble'.
• SWR/ARTEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023German-French public broadcaster and co-producer of 'Love & Trouble' documentary.
• Journeyman PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023World sales agent for 'Love & Trouble' handling international distribution and sales.
• Passion PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Production company co-producer of 'Merkel' documentary. Passion Pictures is an established documentary production company that collaborated on this feature film about Angela Merkel.
• Odd Girl Out ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Production company co-producer of 'Merkel' documentary.
• Real LavacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Production company co-producer of 'Merkel' documentary.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BFI (British Film Institute): UK national body that funds Sonja Henrici Creates' projects via BFI DOC Society and BFI UK Global Screen Fund. Functions as both an enabler/funder and a broader incumbent shaping the indie documentary landscape.
• BBC Studios Documentary Unit: In-house documentary production arm of the BBC that commissions and produces premium UK documentaries. Comparable as a buyer of finished documentary content and as a broader incumbent in the UK documentary ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Catfish Films: UK boutique documentary production company with a similar profile of working with international co-producers, public funders, and festival premieres.
• KEO Films: UK indie documentary and unscripted producer known for Stacey Dooley Investigates and feature docs. Comparable scale, funding mix (BBC, BFI, international co-producers), and festival-to-broadcaster pipeline.
• Dogwoof: UK-based documentary sales and production company handling international sales for 'Birds of War'. Comparable as a UK indie documentary specialist that combines sales agency and production roles, working with the same festivals and streamers.
• Rise Films: London-based documentary producer behind I Am Daniel Blake, For Sama. Directly comparable as a small UK indie documentary house that regularly secures festival premieres and global distribution.
• Journeyman Pictures: UK-based documentary distributor and sales agent handling international sales for 'Love & Trouble'. Comparable scale and operating model within the UK indie documentary ecosystem.
• Pulse Films: London-based production company producing feature documentaries and premium unscripted content (e.g., Beastie Boys Story). Comparable as a UK indie producer working with international talent and global streamers.
• Passion Pictures: London-based documentary production house (Searching for Sugar Man, The Imposter) that directly co-produced 'Merkel' with Sonja Henrici Creates. Same genre, same funding ecosystem, same festival-tier ambitions.

Regional players

• New Docs: German documentary sales agent handling 'Tracing Light'. Comparable as a regional sales agent operating in the same European co-production and festival ecosystem, primarily serving German-speaking territories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonja-henrici-creates-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/sonjahenrici

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 Sonja Henrici Creates Ltd.