clin d'oeil films

What clin d'oeil films does

Clin d'oeil films is a Belgian documentary film production company headquartered in Brussels, founded in 2010, operating with 1-10 employees. The company produces and co-produces feature documentaries, documentary series, short films, and VR experiences, with a catalog of 51 completed projects and 8 in development covering human rights, migration, social justice, environmental, and cultural themes. Its productions span international co-productions with partners across Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Ireland, and Luxembourg, including recurring collaborations with BALDR Film, Submarine, Danish Documentary, Petit à Petit, Scenery, and Soilsiu Films.

The company's core offering is project-based documentary filmmaking using 16mm film, digital cinematography, thermal imaging (Club Heaven), and hybrid documentary/animation approaches (Draw for Change!). Its go-to-market relies on a festival-first distribution model: films premiere at international documentary festivals (IDFA, Hot Docs, Berlinale, Visions du Réel, Karlovy Vary) and are then licensed to European public broadcasters (ARTE, RTBF, VRT/CANVAS, YLE, NDR, SVT) and international sales agents such as Autlook Filmsales.

Clin d'oeil films generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) production fees and co-production equity from international partners, (2) pre-sales and licensing fees from broadcasters and streaming platforms, and (3) public film funding from regional and national agencies including the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Centre du Cinéma de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Creative Europe MEDIA, and the Netherlands Film Fund. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; deals are structured per-project through co-production agreements, broadcaster commissions, and grant applications. The company has accumulated awards at Hot Docs, Karlovy Vary, IDFA, Guldbagge, Gouden Kalf, Canneséries, and a 2025 Academy Awards longlist for Best Documentary Feature.

Name

clin d'oeil films

Legal name

Clin d'oeil films

Website

https://clindoeilfilms.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clin d'oeil films is a Brussels-based documentary film production company producing and co-producing feature documentaries, series, and VR experiences on social and human rights themes for European public broadcasters and international film festivals, with 51 completed projects and 8 in development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Co-Production & Treaty Structuring (MPADAAAC), Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• International co-productions
• Creative documentary series
• Film distribution services
• Documentary film festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Co-production: The company produces documentary films, often as co-productions with international partners. Revenue comes from pre-sales to broadcasters, international co-production financing, and public film fund grants.
2. Film Sales and Distribution: International sales of completed films to broadcasters, streaming platforms, and distributors worldwide.
3. Public Film Funding: Financing from regional and national film funds including Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Centre du Cinéma de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Creative Europe MEDIA, Netherlands Film Fund, and other European film support mechanisms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clin d'oeil films produces and co-produces creative documentary films and series covering human rights, social justice, environmental, migration, and cultural themes. The Brussels-based company develops individual feature documentaries, documentary series, short films, and VR experiences, often as international co-productions with European partners, financed through broadcaster pre-sales and public film fund grants.

Product overview

Clin d'oeil films is a Belgian documentary film production company producing feature documentaries, documentary series, short films, and VR experiences. The company's portfolio includes individual documentary films organized by completion status (8 in development, 51 completed) as well as documentary series such as 'Draw for Change!' (6x52min international series), 'Fanaticos' (series of 3-minute capsules), 'Europe Revealed' (TV series), and 'Gates of Europe' (doc series). Their productions span social issues, human rights, environmental themes, migration, cultural stories, and youth-focused documentaries. The company also produced a VR experience 'Draw for Change : Existimos, Resistimos'. Productions range from co-productions with other European documentary houses to fully independent productions, with distribution across European broadcasters and film festivals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Draw for Change! International documentary TV series (6 x 52 min) presenting female cartoonists from around the world challenging societal norms and addressing themes such as femicide, press freedom, and female representation.
• Europe Revealed TV series written by Andreas Pichler exploring Europe's turning points, including energy systems, migration, post-pandemic freedom of movement, digital Europe, climate change, and the future of agriculture.
• Gates of Europe Documentary series by Eefje Blankevoort, Els van Driel and Tomas Kaan, co-produced with Scenery, addressing European themes.
• Fanaticos A series of short documentaries presenting intimate portraits of football aficionados from various regions and social layers in Brazil, broadcast during the 2014 World Cup on RTBF, CANVAS, and De Morgen.
• Draw for Change: Existimos, Resistimos A virtual reality experience by Mariana Cadenas Sangronis exploring themes of resistance, extending the Draw for Change! franchise into immersive media.
• Feature Documentary Films The company's primary output: individual feature-length documentary films covering diverse topics including human rights, migration, environmental issues, social justice, cultural stories, and personal narratives, released individually for festival, broadcast, and streaming distribution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple films have won major international awards including Hot Docs, Karlovy Vary, IDFA, and European film festivals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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.

• CaviarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company that co-produces films with Clin d'oeil films. Multiple productions including Silent Stories, Sunnyside, Another Paradise.
• BALDR FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company, co-producer on films including Gods of Molenbeek, Planeet B, Club Heaven, Sunnyside.
• SubmarinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company that co-produces films including Club Heaven and BUGS.
• Danish DocumentarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish production company, co-producer on BUGS and A Family Affair.
• Petit à Petit ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company, co-producer on In Another Life, The Grocer's Son, and Le fils du poète.
• ARTE G.E.I.E.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranco-German public broadcaster and co-producer on European documentary series including Draw for Change! and Europe Revealed.
• Iota ProductionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company co-producing Overseas with Clin d'oeil films.
• Momento FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish production company co-producer on Transnistra.
• Zone 2 PicturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish production company co-producer on Gods of Molenbeek.
• Laika Film & TelevisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish production company, co-producer on Arica.
• Autlook FilmsalescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational documentary sales agent handling worldwide distribution of Clin d'oeil films productions.
• DérivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company co-producing Century of Smoke.
• Serendipity FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company co-producer on Dark Rider.
• Soilsiu FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish production company, co-producer on Young Plato.
• Les Films du BalibariminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench production company co-producer on Draw for Change! episodes.
• a_BahnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxembourg production company co-producer on Draw for Change! US episode.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Caviar: Belgian production company (film, documentary, commercials) co-producing multiple titles with Clin d'oeil (Silent Stories, Sunnyside, Another Paradise); similar Brussels base and European co-production financing model.
• BALDR Film: Netherlands-based documentary producer and recurring co-production partner (Gods of Molenbeek, Planeet B, Club Heaven, Sunnyside); similar size and thematic focus on socially engaged documentary.
• Submarine: Dutch documentary and animation production house that has co-produced multiple films with Clin d'oeil (Club Heaven, BUGS); comparable in scale, European co-production model, and festival-circuit positioning.
• Final Cut for Real: Danish documentary production company with comparable boutique scale and European co-production footprint; competes for the same Nordic fund money and broadcaster commissions as Clin d'oeil.
• Iota Production: Belgian production house that co-produced Overseas with Clin d'oeil; comparable boutique scale and engagement with arthouse festival-driven documentary.
• Danish Documentary: Danish documentary production company co-producing BUGS and A Family Affair with Clin d'oeil; operates the same European co-financed documentary model and serves the same Nordic/Benelux broadcaster ecosystem.
• Petit à Petit Productions: Paris-based documentary producer and co-production partner on In Another Life, The Grocer's Son, and Le fils du poète; comparable author-driven documentary profile and French public-finance access.

Others

• Autlook Filmsales: Vienna-based international documentary sales agent that handles Clin d'oeil's worldwide distribution; comparable touchpoint with European documentary producers and the same global broadcaster/streamer buyer base.

Broad incumbents

• ARTE G.E.I.E. Franco-German public broadcaster that commissions and co-produces documentary content with Clin d'oeil (Draw for Change!, Europe Revealed); functions as both customer and structural counterpart in the European co-production system.
• Off the Fence: One of Europe's largest independent documentary production and distribution companies; operates a much broader catalog and global distribution arm but serves the same festival-to-broadcaster documentary value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/clindoeilfilms
• Instagraminstagram.com/clindoeilfilms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 clin d'oeil films