YUKUNKUN Productions

What YUKUNKUN Productions does

Yukunkun Productions is an independent French film production company founded by Gabriel Festoc and Nelson Ghrénassia, headquartered at 97 rue Réaumur in Paris (75002) with secondary offices in Saint-Gatien des Bois, Normandy. The company produces short films, documentaries, medium-length films, and feature films with a stated focus on emerging directors and on social and inclusive themes, and operates from a catalog of more than 40 short films, 8+ feature films, and roughly 50 projects listed in various stages of development, production, or release.

The company's core technology and product set is its film portfolio, organised across feature films (Trois Nuits par Semaine, Fario, Habibi Chanson pour mes ami.e.s, Mexico 86, upcoming features ABI, Sans Contact, A la faveur du roi, La Grande Fête), short films (Le bleu blanc rouge de mes cheveux, Baltringue, Beauty Boys, Premier Amour, Fairplay, and many others), and curated collections (Collection Nouveaux Regards with CNSAD-PSL and Amazon Prime Video, Collection Jeunesses d'Aujourd'hui with CNSAD-PSL and SACEM). Distribution is executed through Pyramide Distribution for French theatrical and international sales, French broadcasters for pre-purchased broadcast rights, Vimeo for direct VOD, and broadcaster VOD platforms (MyCanal, ARTE.tv). The company has no proprietary technology platform beyond its Vimeo VOD pages and company website.

Yukunkun assembles revenue from four streams: (1) co-production equity shares with partner production companies (Folle Allure, Les Films des Tournelles, Tripode, Need Productions, Box Productions, August Films, Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, Nomad Prod, Alaska Films, Ferdi Film, Avant la nuit, Cookies Films), (2) broadcast pre-licensing from Canal+, France 2, France 3, OCS, and ARTE, (3) regional and institutional public funding from CNC, Région Île-de-France, Grand Est, Normandie, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Eurimages, Greek Film Center, Onassis Foundation, and Pictanovo, and (4) downstream theatrical and VOD receipts via Pyramide Distribution and Vimeo. GTM is event-driven: projects are positioned for major festival premieres (Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Clermont-Ferrand) which generate visibility, broadcast pre-sales, and distribution deals. The company operates with a minimal in-house team of two producers (Nelson Ghrénassia and Stéphane Marchal) and one production assistant (Elsa Paineau).

Name

YUKUNKUN Productions

Legal name

Yukunkun Productions

Website

https://yukunkun.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yukunkun Productions is an independent French film production company based in Paris and Normandy that produces shorts, documentaries, and features for emerging directors with social and inclusive themes, financing projects through co-productions, French broadcaster pre-sales, and public film funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Action Short-Form Production (Short Films, Web Series) (MPADABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

Keywords

• Independent film production
• Feature film production
• Short film production
• Film distribution
• Documentary production

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Co-production Revenue: Yukunkun co-produces films with partner production companies, sharing production costs, rights, and revenues. Films like Fario (with Folle Allure), Habibi (with Les Films des Tournelles), and Mexico 86 (with Tripode and Need Productions) demonstrate this co-production model.
2. Broadcast Pre-purchases: Major French broadcasters (Canal+, France 2, France 3, OCS, ARTE) pre-purchase broadcast rights providing production financing. These pre-sales are secured before or during production.
3. Regional and Institutional Funding: Yukunkun secures financing from regional councils (Région Île-de-France, Grand Est, Normandie, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, etc.), national institutions (CNC), and European funds (Eurimages). This public funding supports development, production, and distribution.
4. Theatrical Distribution: Feature films are distributed theatrically in France through distributors like Pyramide Distribution. International sales are handled by specialized sales agents.
5. VOD/Streaming: Films are made available on VOD platforms including Vimeo (direct) and through broadcaster VOD services (MyCanal, etc.).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Yukunkun Productions is an independent French film production company that develops, finances, produces, and distributes feature films, short films, documentaries, and curated film collections. It focuses on supporting emerging directors—particularly those working on social and inclusive themes—providing end-to-end services from development financing through production, festival strategy, broadcast pre-sales, theatrical release, and VOD distribution. Its catalog spans 40+ short films and 8+ feature films, with co-productions across France, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, and Estonia.

Product overview

Yukunkun Productions is a French film production company founded by Gabriel Festoc and Nelson Ghrénassia, based in Paris and Normandy. The company focuses on supporting emerging filmmakers with a emphasis on social and inclusive themes. The portfolio includes feature films (longs-métrages), short films (courts-métrages), medium-length films, documentary and experimental works. Key products include feature films such as FARIO (2024), TROIS NUITS PAR SEMAINE (2022), ABI (upcoming), and SANS CONTACT; short films including LE BLEU BLANC ROUGE DE MES CHEVEUX, BALTRINGUE, BEAUTY BOYS, PREMIER AMOUR, and LES LIENS DU SANG; and film collections such as COLLECTION NOUVEAUX REGARDS and COLLECTION JEUNESSES D'AUJOURD'HUI. The company also operates a VOD platform via Vimeo and distributes content through platforms including MyCanal, ARTE TV, and Amazon Prime Video.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fario Fiction feature film by Lucie Prost about a young engineer returning to his Doubs village to sell family land, discovering strange behaviors in local trout. Distributed theatrically in France through Pyramide Distribution.
• Trois Nuits Par Semaine Romantic comedy feature film by Florent Gouëlou following a young man who discovers the drag queen world through Cookie Kunty. World premiered at Venice Critics' Week 2022.
• Mexico 86 Feature film by César Diaz about a Guatemalan revolutionary exile in Mexico facing a choice between motherhood and activism. Co-produced with Belgian partners Tripode and Need Productions. Screened at Locarno 2024 Piazza Grande.
• Habibi, Chanson Pour Mes Ami.e.s Documentary feature film by Florent Gouëlou following drag artists of the Soirées Habibi at La Flèche d'or venue, portraying five artists and a solidarity-focused venue. Won the Public Choice Award for Best French Independent Feature at Champs-Élysées Film Festival 2022.
• A la Faveur du Roi Historical drama by Rémi Giordano set in 16th century France during Henri III's reign, involving royal favorites and forbidden love. Co-produced with Chi-Fou-Mi Productions.
• Abi Drama feature by Josza Anjembe about a 25-year-old Black man who lands his first journalism job in Paris and falls in love with a man showing signs of hidden racism. Selected for Queer Palm Lab at Cannes 2025.
• Sans Contact Dramedy by Thomas Soulignac about a woman returning home to help her brother who believes the end is near, set near a shopping mall.
• Le Bleu Blanc Rouge de Mes Cheveux Short drama by Josza Anjembe about a Cameroonian-French teenager seeking French citizenship against her father's wishes. Nominated for the César Award for Best Short Film in 2018.
• Baltringue Short drama by Josza Anjembe about a man preparing for release from prison who meets a young inmate. Nominated for the César Award for Best Short Film in 2021.
• Beauty Boys Comedy short by Florent Gouëlou about teenagers passionate about makeup in a small village, featuring drag performance.
• Bruits Blancs Comedy short by Thomas Soulignac about a man who communicates with the afterlife through spiritualism. Winner of the Méliès d'Argent at the European Fantastic Film Festival Strasbourg in 2021.
• Collection Nouveaux Regards Collection of 5 short films by emerging women directors of color—Josza Anjembe, Rokhaya-Marieme Balde, Anne Cissé, Audrey Jean-Baptiste, and Anne-Sophie Nanki—created in partnership with CNSAD-PSL and Amazon Prime Video.
• Collection Jeunesses d'Aujourd'hui Collection of 5 short films by emerging directors—Mathilde Chavanne, Clémence Poésy, Aurélie Reinhorn, Pierre Giafferi, and Florent Gouëlou—created in partnership with CNSAD-PSL and SACEM.
• La Grande Fête

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chi-Fou-Mi ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025French co-production partner for A la faveur du roi (2025), a historical drama directed by Rémi Giordano.
• Nomad ProdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025French co-production partner for Wassupkaylee (2025), a drama directed by Pepi Ginsberg.
• Alaska FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Greek co-production partner for Pirateland (2025) alongside Ferdi Film.
• Ferdi FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Norwegian co-production partner for Pirateland (2025) alongside Alaska Films.
• Folle AllurecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-production partner for Fario (2024). Folle Allure is a French production company that co-produced this feature film with Yukunkun Productions.
• Les Films des TournellescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-production partner for Habibi, Chanson pour mes ami.e.s (2024). Les Films des Tournelles co-produced this documentary with Yukunkun.
• TripodecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Belgian co-production partner for Mexico 86 (2024) alongside Need Productions.
• Need ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Belgian co-production partner for Mexico 86 (2024) alongside Tripode.
• Avant la nuitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024French co-production partner for Les Liens du sang (2024) alongside Cookies Films.
• Cookies FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Belgian co-production partner for Les Liens du sang (2024) alongside Avant la nuit.
• August FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Estonian co-production partner for Les Corneilles Blanches (Belye Vorony) (2023). First fiction film by Denis Liakhov.
• Amazon Prime VideocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Distribution partner for Collection Nouveaux Regards (2023), a collection of 5 short films by emerging directors. Prime Video provides streaming distribution platform.
• Box ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Swiss co-production partner for Fairplay (2022), a satirical comedy directed by Zoel Aeschbacher.
• Les Quatre Cent FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Coproduction partner for Premier Amour (2020), short film by Florent Gouëlou.
• FullDawa FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Coproduction partner for Tuer l'ennui (2011), early short film in Yukunkun catalog.
• KidamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Coproduction partner for Tuer l'ennui (2011), early short film in Yukunkun catalog.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agat Films & Cie: Established French independent production company producing features, shorts, and documentaries across emerging and established directors. Comparable as a French indie producer active at festivals and with the same broadcaster relationships.
• Chi-Fou-Mi Productions: French production company that co-produced A la faveur du roi with Yukunkun in 2025. Comparable as a small-to-mid French producer working across features and shorts, accessing CNC, regional, and broadcaster financing.
• Films du Worso: French independent production company producing documentary and fiction shorts and features with a focus on socially engaged directors. Comparable catalog depth, festival positioning, and public-funding dependency.
• Folle Allure: French production company that co-produced Fario (2024) with Yukunkun. Comparable as a small independent French producer of festival-circuit features, working with the same broadcaster and public funding ecosystem.
• Micro Climat: French independent production company producing short and feature films with emerging filmmakers, often with social and inclusive themes. Directly comparable in scale, artistic positioning, and funding mix.
• Nomad Prod: French production company co-producing Wassupkaylee with Yukunkun. Similar profile as an independent French producer focused on emerging directors, working with public funding and broadcaster pre-sales.
• Tripode Productions: Belgian production company that co-produced Mexico 86 with Yukunkun. Comparable as a small-to-mid European producer of auteur-driven features and shorts, accessing Eurimages and creative Europe funding.
• Need Productions: Belgian production company co-producing Mexico 86 with Yukunkun. Similar size and artistic positioning, with a comparable track record of festival-selected features and shorts.
• Les Films des Tournelles: French independent production company that has co-produced Habibi and Chanson pour mes ami.e.s with Yukunkun. Operates at similar scale, supports emerging and mid-career filmmakers, and uses comparable French broadcaster and regional funding channels.

Others

• Pyramide Distribution: French theatrical distributor and international sales agent that handles Yukunkun's feature releases in France. Listed as a peer because it is the distribution partner through which Yukunkun's films reach cinemas, making it materially relevant to Yukunkun's commercial outcome.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yukunkun-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 YUKUNKUN Productions