Overview
Picture Tree International (PTI) is a Berlin-based international sales agent founded in 2012 by Andreas Rothbauer. The company represents up to 15 audience-driven feature films per year, selling rights to territorial distributors worldwide at Cannes, the Berlinale European Film Market (EFM), Toronto, AFM, and other major markets. PTI operates from Husemannstrasse 7 in Berlin (10435) and can be reached at +49 (0) 30 4208 248-0 or pti@picturetree-international.com.
Co-Managing Directors Andreas Rothbauer and Yuan Rothbauer lead the company. Yuan joined PTI at its founding as Head of Sales and Operations and was appointed Co-Managing Director in 2017. Prior to PTI, she headed the international department at Star Image Media Group (SIMG), one of the first leading theatrical distributors in China, where her acquisition credits included Pan's Labyrinth, Black Book, and Son of the Mask. This China connection gives PTI access to Asian market intelligence and buyer relationships that most European sales agents of comparable size lack.
PTI's core business is worldwide licensing and coproduction across all platforms. The company works closely with producers from early development through financing and release strategy, not just at the finished-film sales stage. This integrated approach allows PTI to help shape projects for international marketability before they are locked, which is a meaningful advantage for producers working on films that need pre-sales or territorial commitments to close financing.
Distribution Model
PTI operates as an international sales agent, licensing films to territorial distributors worldwide. The company does not release films theatrically itself. Instead, it sells rights to local distributors who handle theatrical, home entertainment, and VOD in their respective markets.
PTI maintains a theatrical-window stance aligned with its crossover arthouse positioning. Most PTI titles follow a traditional theatrical-first release pattern in each territory. The company negotiates windowing terms as part of each territorial deal. For family films and broader commercial titles, PTI also structures deals with streaming platforms and in-flight entertainment partners.
The company's international structure is centered in Berlin with a presence in the United States. PTI employs 5 people across Germany and France, with distribution across departments including sales, legal, and project management. The company's China connections through Yuan Rothbauer add Asian market access that most European sales agents of comparable size cannot offer.
PTI also structures multilateral co-production deals, helping producers access financing from multiple territories. The company's knowledge of specific territorial buyer preferences informs casting decisions, budget structure, and creative choices before the film is locked.
Example Titles They've Released
PTI's catalog spans elevated mainstream, crossover arthouse, family films, and genre-inflected independent titles. Representative titles include:
- Old White Man (Simon Verhoeven, 2024) - Nearly 1 million admissions in Germany since its October 2024 premiere
- Frieda's Case (Maria Brendle, 2025) - Number one at the Swiss box office in its first week after release on January 23, 2025. Oscar-nominated director. Distribution deals closed with Arsenal Filmverleih (Germany and Austria), Alfa Pictures (Spain), Encripta (Latin America), and HBO Europe (Central Europe)
- Hello Betty (Pierre Monnard, 2025) - Swiss crowd-pleaser about the creator of Betty Bossi. 150,000 theatrical admissions in Switzerland. Sales to Alpenrepublik (Germany and Austria), Panda Film (Austria), Palace Pictures (Australia and New Zealand), and RTV Slovenia
- The Prank (Benjamin Heisenberg, 2025) - Family adventure-comedy. German release spring 2025
- Raptures (Jon Blahed, 2025) - Arthouse historical drama, IFFR Rotterdam Big Screen Competition
- The Badgers (Paul Magnus Lundo, 2025) - Norwegian family adventure, honored at European Work in Progress Cologne
- Hot Girl Summer (Mädchen Mädchen, 2025) - Theatrical release via Constantin Filmverleih July 3
- Almost Brothers (Ganzer Halber Bruder, 2025) - Theatrical release via Wild Bunch Germany September 18
- Night Creatures (Indra Siera, 2025) - Flemish noir thriller based on Frederic Dard's bestseller. Kinepolis released in Benelux November 5
- Rosemead (Eric Lin, 2026) - U.S. drama starring Lucy Liu. Vertical released in U.S. theaters. PTI reported first international sales at EFM 2026
- The Perfect Holiday (Bora Dagtekin, 2026) - Hit German filmmaker's latest comedy. Constantin Film releases in Germany October 2026
Back catalog includes Seneca (Robert Schwentke, 2022), Contra (Sonke Wortmann, 2020), Soul of a Beast (Lorenz Merz, 2021), and Mission Ulja Funk (Barbara Kronenberg, 2019).
Deal Structure Reputation
PTI structures deals as MG-based territory sales with revenue sharing downstream. The company negotiates minimum guarantees from territorial distributors at major markets including EFM, Cannes, AFM, and Toronto.
For a Berlinale or Cannes title with strong commercial potential, PTI can command MGs of $50,000 to $200,000 for major territories. For mid-range crossover titles, MGs typically fall in the $20,000 to $80,000 range. The company also structures pre-sales during financing to help producers close budgets, particularly for family films and commercial comedies with clear territorial appeal.
PTI's co-production and financing strategy allows the company to participate at the development or financing stage. This means PTI can come aboard a project before the finished cut, taking an equity position while also handling international sales. The company's China connections through Yuan Rothbauer add a dimension that most European sales agents cannot offer, enabling Asian territorial pre-sales and co-production structures.
For Hello Betty, PTI closed deals with Alpenrepublik for Germany and Austria (theatrical release planned for second half of 2026), Panda Film for Austria, Palace Pictures for Australia and New Zealand, and RTV Slovenia for Slovenia. Multiple in-flight entertainment deals were also concluded covering airlines in Germany, Jordan, the Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Typical Acquisition Profile
PTI acquires films that combine artistic distinction with accessible narrative elements. The company targets:
- Elevated mainstream fiction with crossover potential
- Crossover arthouse titles with narrative momentum
- Family films and adventure comedies
- Genre-inflected independent titles (thriller, noir, comedy)
- International co-productions with clear territorial appeal
- Debut and second features from emerging directors with festival credentials
- German-language commercial comedies with remake potential
PTI does not represent pure experimental cinema or films with no theatrical ambition. The programming identity targets films that combine artistic distinction with accessible narrative elements. This reflects a pragmatic sales philosophy: films that are exclusively formally adventurous are harder to sell territorially than films that pair artistic distinction with narrative momentum.
The company does not maintain a formal open submissions process. Filmmakers and producers can contact PTI through their website or directly at pti@picturetree-international.com. The company is receptive to emerging directors whose debut feature has secured a Berlinale, Rotterdam, or Locarno selection.
Recent Slate and Acquisition Activity
PTI's 2026 activity includes acquisitions and sales across multiple markets:
EFM 2026 (Berlin):
- Hello Betty (Pierre Monnard) - First EFM sales reported. Swiss crowd-pleaser with 150,000 admissions. Multiple territorial deals closed.
- Last Call - Real-time Greek thriller, market premiere screening at EFM.
- Rosemead (Eric Lin) - U.S. drama starring Lucy Liu, market premiere screening at EFM. First international sales reported.
- Butchers (Matarifes, Rafael and Bernardo Antonaccio) - Uruguayan historical thriller, worldwide sales acquired excluding Uruguay. Market debut at EFM. Stars Esteban Bigliardi (Society of the Snow).
Cannes 2026:
- The Perfect Holiday (Bora Dagtekin) - Latest feature from hit German filmmaker. Constantin Film releases in Germany October 2026. PTI introducing to buyers with first teaser at Cannes Market.
- The Perfect Secret - Also boarded by PTI as a potential package with The Perfect Holiday, leveraging brand recognition of one of the most remade properties in recent film history.
AFM 2025:
- Night Creatures (Indra Siera) - Flemish noir thriller, trailer debuted ahead of AFM launch. Based on Frederic Dard's international bestseller.
Coproduction and Financing
PTI's integrated business model includes coproduction and financing strategy, not just finished-film sales. The company leverages its market relationships to help producers design financing structures that include pre-sales, territorial commitments, and coproduction partnerships. This means PTI can come aboard a project at the development or financing stage rather than waiting for a finished cut.
For producers, this creates an opportunity to involve a sales agent early enough to shape the project for international marketability. PTI's knowledge of what specific territorial buyers want (German broadcasters, Scandinavian arthouse distributors, Asian theatrical chains) can inform casting decisions, budget structure, and creative choices before the film is locked.
Emerging Director Focus
PTI's investment in debut and second features from emerging directors reflects a strategic choice. By representing directors before they reach the visibility of established names, the company builds long-term relationships that can grow into significant careers. This approach carries commercial risk in the short term because debut films are harder to pre-sell than established directors' work. But it creates catalog value and filmmaker loyalty over time.
For emerging directors whose debut feature has secured a Berlinale, Rotterdam, or Locarno selection, PTI is a realistic and receptive sales representation target. The company's willingness to work with directors at an early career stage distinguishes it from sales agents that focus exclusively on established talent.
Watch: Trailers and Interviews
What Filmmakers Should Know
PTI is an accessible representation target for emerging and mid-career directors from Europe and internationally whose work has festival credentials in the arthouse or arthouse-genre crossover categories. The company's Berlin base and Berlinale relationships make it most naturally aligned with films that premiere or screen at the Berlinale, though it acquires at all major festivals and markets. Filmmakers approaching PTI for representation should have clear festival ambitions for their project and a realistic understanding of the international arthouse distribution market. The company's mid-tier scale means it has the relationships to sell to key European, North American, and Asian arthouse distributors, but does not have the leverage of larger sales agents in pre-sale negotiations with major broadcasters. PTI's strength is in targeted territorial sales to specialist distributors rather than broad pre-sale campaigns. For producers seeking early-stage involvement, PTI's coproduction and financing strategy offers a path beyond the standard finished-film sales model. Contact the company through their website or directly at pti@picturetree-international.com.
See Also
For how international sales agents structure pre-sale and territorial deals, see Distribution Deals Explained. For the Berlinale's role as a launch platform for European and international arthouse cinema, see the Film Festivals Directory. For a comparable Berlin-based sales agent focused on documentary, see Rise and Shine World Sales in this directory. For modeling international pre-sale revenue as part of a financing stack, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.
