XYZ Films

Overview

XYZ Films is a Los Angeles-based independent film studio and international sales agent founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian. The company produces and represents genre films, primarily horror, action, thriller, and genre-hybrid projects, for sale to territorial distributors worldwide. XYZ operates at the intersection of commercial genre filmmaking and independent production, pursuing projects with genuine artistic identity alongside commercial marketability. The company targets films in the $4 to $12 million budget range that have clear theatrical potential across multiple major territories.

XYZ's current leadership includes Guy Danella as President of Film, Pip Ngo as Executive Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions, Marie Garrett as SVP of Sales and Acquisitions, and Alex Williams as Director of Acquisitions and Development. Ngo has negotiated over 100 distribution deals for XYZ's sales and production slate, including titles like Skywalkers: A Love Story, Daniela Forever, and Redux Redux (SXSW 2025). The company is backed by financing from IPR.VC and has expanded into multi-picture slate financing deals with international partners.

Production and Sales Model

XYZ Films operates a dual production-and-sales model. The company produces genre films that it then sells internationally alongside its acquisitions activity, giving it full-cycle involvement from development through production through international sales. This integration creates catalog films with coherent artistic identities rather than purely market-driven premises. XYZ also acquires finished films at festivals and represents them for international sales.

The company's head of international acquisitions, Todd Brown, has publicly stated that XYZ is focused on genre films including action, horror, and sci-fi in the $4 to $12 million range that have clear theatrical potential across multiple major territories. The company looks for a compelling hook within the genre framework, prioritizing filmmaker-driven packages with established or emerging directorial voices.

In May 2026, XYZ announced a multi-picture slate financing deal with Paris-based producer-financier Vixens, backed by IPR.VC alongside YouRoc. The first film on the slate is Flesh of the Gods, starring Kristen Stewart and Wagner Moura, directed by Panos Cosmatos as his follow-up to Mandy (which XYZ also produced). This deal signals XYZ's continued expansion into ambitious, internationally-shot genre cinema with global collaboration.

2025 and 2026 Slate

XYZ's current and upcoming slate includes Havoc (2025), directed by Gareth Evans and starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, which premiered on Netflix in April 2025; The Ritual (2025), a true-story exorcism thriller starring Al Pacino and Dan Stevens, releasing wide in summer 2025; Something Beautiful, the visual album from Miley Cyrus; Banquet, starring Meghann Fahy and directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia (The Platform); Hallow Road, a SXSW thriller directed by Babak Anvari and starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys; The Trip (retitled Over Your Dead Body), starring Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, Juliette Lewis, and Timothy Olyphant, which won the SXSW Audience Award; The Furious, a TIFF action title set for theatrical release by Lionsgate in summer 2026; and The Edge of Normal, a serial killer thriller starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Rupert Friend, directed by Carlota Pereda.

At Cannes 2025, XYZ acquired worldwide sales rights outside Japan for Never After Dark, a supernatural horror feature shot in the Japanese countryside, executive produced by Todd Brown and Aram Tertzakian for XYZ. The film reunites the creative team behind the 2024 Netflix global hit House of Ninjas.

What Filmmakers Should Know

XYZ Films is an accessible representation target for genre filmmakers whose work has the formal ambition and commercial genre appeal that defines the company's catalog. The company acquires at Sundance, SXSW, Fantasia, Fantastic Fest, Cannes, and through direct submissions from filmmakers and producers. XYZ considers both completed films and projects in late production stages with strong genre credentials and established directorial voices.

For genre filmmakers seeking international distribution alongside US representation, XYZ's dual sales-and-production identity means it has relationships across the full international genre distribution market. The company has closed deals with Entertainment Film (UK), Wild Bunch (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy), Belga (Benelux), Falcon (Middle East), and The Film Group (Greece), alongside US specialty distributors including IFC Midnight, Neon, and streaming platforms with strong genre acquisitions programs.

XYZ's financing structure through IPR.VC allows the company to participate in production financing, not just finished-film acquisitions. This means filmmakers with projects in development can approach XYZ for potential financing and sales representation simultaneously, rather than waiting until a film is complete. The company's $4 to $12 million target budget range provides a clear benchmark for filmmakers evaluating whether their project fits XYZ's commercial model.

Notable Productions and Representations

XYZ has produced and represented genre films including The Raid (2011, directed by Gareth Evans), which became a global action cinema phenomenon; Mandy (2018, directed by Panos Cosmatos, starring Nicolas Cage); The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020); My Animal (2023); Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024); Daniela Forever (2024, TIFF Platform, starring Henry Golding); Get Away (2024); History of Evil (2024); and Redux Redux (2025, SXSW Midnighter). The company's catalog reflects a commitment to genre filmmaking as a site of artistic ambition and commercial value simultaneously.

Deal Structure Reputation

XYZ Films operates as both an international sales agent and a production company, with a dual identity that gives it relationships across the full international genre distribution market. The company has closed deals with Entertainment Film (UK), Wild Bunch (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy), Belga (Benelux), Falcon (Middle East), and The Film Group (Greece), alongside US specialty distributors including IFC Midnight, Neon, and streaming platforms with strong genre acquisitions programs. XYZ's financing structure through IPR.VC allows the company to participate in production financing, not just finished-film acquisitions. This means filmmakers with projects in development can approach XYZ for potential financing and sales representation simultaneously, rather than waiting until a film is complete. The company's $4 to $12 million target budget range provides a clear benchmark for filmmakers evaluating whether their project fits XYZ's commercial model. The typical sales agent commission ranges from 15% to 25% of gross receipts.

Typical Acquisition Profile

For genre filmmakers seeking international distribution alongside US representation, XYZ's dual sales-and-production identity means it has relationships across the full international genre distribution market. The company attends Cannes Marche du Film, the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, AFM, and TIFF, where it represents both finished films and projects in development. XYZ has produced and represented genre films including The Raid (2011, directed by Gareth Evans), which became a global action cinema phenomenon; Mandy (2018, directed by Panos Cosmatos, starring Nicolas Cage); The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020); My Animal (2023); Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024); Daniela Forever (2024, TIFF Platform, starring Henry Golding); Get Away (2024); History of Evil (2024); and Redux Redux (2025, SXSW Midnighter). The company's catalog reflects a commitment to genre filmmaking as a site of artistic ambition and commercial value simultaneously.

Watch: Trailers and Behind the Scenes

See Also

For how genre film international sales work alongside festival distribution, see Distribution Deals Explained. For genre-focused streaming platforms that acquire from companies like XYZ, see the Shudder and IFC Films entries in this directory. To model the revenue contribution of international territorial sales in a genre film's financial projection, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.