The Jokers Films

Overview

The Jokers Films is a Paris-based independent film distribution company founded in 2006 by Manuel Chiche. The company operates from 16 Rue Notre Dame de Lorette, 75009 Paris, with a share capital of EUR 122,300. Since May 2022, The Jokers Films has been fully owned by the Logical Pictures Group, which had held a minority stake since July 2018. General Director Violaine Barbaroux leads the company, which has distributed 51 films (48 features and 3 shorts) across French theatrical, home video, and digital platforms.

The Jokers distributes 15 to 16 films per year theatrically, though Barbaroux has stated the company intends to reduce this to 10 to 12 titles annually to concentrate resources. The company's programming identity spans horror, dark comedy, animation, fantasy, and formally adventurous arthouse. For genre, cult, and animation filmmakers seeking French theatrical distribution, The Jokers offers a specialist alternative to mainstream French distributors, with a track record that includes the most-watched Palme d'Or winner in France in the past 15 years.

Logical Pictures Group Structure

The Jokers Films operates within the Logical Pictures Group, a French film group founded in 2016 and presided by Frederic Fiore. The group is structured around two main poles:

• Logical Distribution: The Jokers Films (French theatrical and home video distribution) and Pulsar Content (international sales, run by Gilles Sousa and Marie Garett, formerly of Bac Films).
• Logical Studio: Production companies including Logical Pictures, Spade, The Jokers Lab (two 100% Jokers-owned subsidiaries), Black MicMac (Africa-focused), and Loveboat (brand content producer).

The Jokers Films also absorbed the programming structure Les Bookmakers in January 2023 to consolidate under a single identity. Manuel Chiche, the founder, has moved to the production pole of Logical Pictures while continuing to oversee the Classics and Publishing labels at The Jokers. This group structure gives The Jokers access to upstream development and co-production financing through sister companies, enabling earlier involvement in projects than a pure acquisition distributor could achieve.

Four-Label Structure

Since early 2022, The Jokers operates across four distinct labels:

• Films: The core theatrical distribution label, releasing 15 to 16 new films per year (reducing to 10 to 12). This label handles both international acquisitions and French productions. The 2025 lineup is described by Barbaroux as "very French," while the 2026 lineup is "quasi complete."
• Entertainment: Approximately 10 films per year destined for TV/SVOD diffusion. These are finished foreign films, "very genre and identified," that allow The Jokers to manage risk on theatrical releases. Some titles from this label receive event-style theatrical screenings when warranted, as was the case with Concrete Utopia (Um Tae-hwa, South Korea).
• Classics: Heritage and restoration titles, approximately 2 per year, sourced by Manuel Chiche. Recent releases include Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, screened at Cannes Classics 2024) and 2046 (Wong Kar-wai, scheduled for December 18 release).
• Publishing: Books on cinema, with 3 publications planned for 2025.

Box Office Performance and Key Releases

The Jokers' biggest commercial success is Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019 Palme d'Or). The film reached nearly 2 million admissions in France, making it the most-watched Palme d'Or winner in the country in the past 15 years. It was the first Korean film to achieve 1 million admissions in France. Parasite grossed close to $12 million at the French box office via The Jokers. After its Oscar wins, the film returned to 160 French cinema screens, and The Jokers released a black-and-white version on February 19, 2020.

Other significant releases include The Host (Bong Joon-ho, 2006), released as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition with a special screening at Paris' Grand Rex theater (3,000 attendees) with Bong Joon-ho in conversation with Thierry Fremaux, followed by a retrospective at the Institut Lumiere in Lyon. The film sold more than 28,000 admissions in French theaters.

Associated directors in The Jokers' catalog include Nicolas Winding Refn, Ben Wheatley, Bong Joon-ho, Peter Strickland, Jim Mickle, Jeremy Saulnier, and Park Chan-wook. Asian films are described by the company as "in its DNA."

2024 to 2026 Releases

Recent and upcoming releases from The Jokers Films include:

• 2024: Lost in Territories, Jim Queen, Selon Joy, Papamobile, Les Arenes, Le Systeme Victoria, La Mer au loin, Le Dossier Maldoror, Les Tempetes, Maya donne-moi un titre
• 2025: Billie Melody, The Mad, donne-moi un autre
• 2026: Her Private Hell

At Cannes 2024, The Jokers held French rights for The Surfer (Lorcan Finnegan, Midnight section), Dog On Trial (Laetitia Dosch, Un Certain Regard), Across The Sea (Said Hamich, Critics' Week), and Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, Cannes Classics). The company also released The Book of Solutions (Michel Gondry, Cannes 2023) in France.

Acquisition Strategy

The Jokers has shifted its acquisition model significantly in recent years. According to General Director Violaine Barbaroux, 100% of recent new theatrical releases have been acquired at script stage rather than as finished films. The 2025 lineup was fully closed and the 2026 lineup was "quasi complete" as of mid-2024.

This upstream acquisition strategy responds to a challenging international market where acquisition prices have risen sharply. As Barbaroux noted: "To go see A24, you need an enormous portfolio." The company has adopted a strategy of buying fewer films at higher prices, leveraging synergies with Logical Pictures for co-production and development opportunities.

The company invests more upstream through the Logical Pictures group, which receives approximately 1,000 projects per year (600 seeking financing). Around 80% of Logical's investments are European and outside France, with partnerships including German producer Augenschein.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The Jokers Films is a realistic acquisition target for genre, cult, and animation filmmakers seeking French theatrical distribution. The company's programming identity is adventurous and genre-diverse, making it more receptive to unconventional projects than strictly arthouse labels. Its quality threshold requires genuine creative ambition, but its genre openness means films that might not fit pure arthouse distributors have a pathway here.

For international genre and animation productions targeting the French market, The Jokers' established relationships with French genre cinema exhibitors and community connections with French genre film audiences provide effective distribution infrastructure. The company's integration with Pulsar Content (international sales) and Logical Pictures (production financing) means a relationship with The Jokers can potentially extend beyond French distribution into international sales and co-production.

The company does not operate an open submissions portal. Approach should be made through sales agents at major markets (Cannes Marche du Film, EFM Berlin, AFM) or through the Logical Pictures network. The Jokers can be contacted through its website at thejokersfilms.com, with team email addresses following the format [first initial][last name]@thejokersfilms.com.

See Also

For how French genre and cult film distribution works alongside the mainstream arthouse market, see Distribution Deals Explained. For how Japanese animation specifically finds French distribution, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue. To model French theatrical revenue as part of a European distribution plan, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.