Overview
Totem Films is a Paris-based international sales and production company launched in October 2018 by three founders: sales agents Agathe Valentin and Berenice Vincent, and cinema finance expert Laure Parleani. The company began scouting acquisitions in late 2018 and launched its first slate at the beginning of 2019. Totem operates from 5 Rue de Charonne in the 11th arrondissement of Paris and employs 7 people. The company has two divisions: Totem Films, which handles international sales of acquired and produced titles, and Totem Atelier, which develops and produces early-stage projects with international potential.
Berenice Vincent currently serves as CEO, overseeing acquisitions. The sales team includes Salome Rizk (Festivals and International Sales) and Anna Durand (Business Affairs and Acquisitions). Romain Millon heads technical operations and servicing, with Antoine Catteloin handling finance. The company works with external providers for servicing, legal, and marketing.
Totem's catalog is built around handpicked feature films and documentaries rather than volume acquisitions. The company typically represents 4 to 8 titles per year, selecting films with strong festival credentials and international crossover potential. Totem's focus on emerging directors is a deliberate long-term strategy. By identifying and representing significant voices before they reach broader industry visibility, the company builds filmmaker relationships that grow across multiple films.
Distribution Model
Totem operates as an international sales agent, not a territorial distributor. The company acquires worldwide sales rights (excluding the film's country of origin and any pre-sold territories) and licenses those rights to territorial distributors at film markets and festivals. Totem attends Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, IDFA, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, and Sheffield DocFest.
The company typically represents 4 to 8 titles per year. Totem's two divisions serve different functions: Totem Films handles international sales of acquired and produced titles, while Totem Atelier develops and produces early-stage projects with international potential. This structure allows Totem to board projects at the development stage rather than only acquiring finished films.
Deal Structure Reputation
Totem's deal structures typically involve the company taking international sales rights in exchange for a sales commission. The company does not pay minimum guarantees (MGs) in most cases, as it is a sales agent rather than a distributor. Revenue flows to the producer after the sales commission and any recoupable expenses (deliverables, marketing materials, festival shipping).
Totem differentiates itself from larger Paris sales companies like Wild Bunch, Memento, or Films Distribution by accepting smaller films with lower commercial ceilings. The company's willingness to represent first and second features makes it more accessible than established sales agents who require proven director track records. Totem Atelier can provide early co-production support, creating a pipeline of projects that move from development through production to international sales within the same company.
Typical Acquisition Profile
Totem acquires arthouse fiction features and documentaries with strong festival potential. The company focuses on emerging directors and handpicked films rather than volume acquisitions. Films that have secured Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, IDFA, or equivalent festival selections are the strongest candidates for Totem representation.
The company does not operate an open submission portal. Totem discovers films through festival scouting, relationships with producers, and direct outreach from sales agents and producers. For projects in post-production that have not yet premiered, Totem may consider representation based on a rough cut or completed film. The company also boards projects at the development stage through Totem Atelier, particularly for filmmakers with a clear international vision and a track record of festival-caliber work. Totem maintains a catalog that balances documentary and fiction features, attending both fiction festivals and documentary markets.
Example Titles They've Released
Totem Films' catalog includes films that have premiered across the major festival sections:
- Compartment No. 6 (2021, Juho Kuosmanen) - Cannes Competition, Grand Prix. Sold to Sony Pictures Classics for US distribution. Vincent previously sold Kuosmanen's The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki to more than 35 territories.
- My Favourite Cake (2024, Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha) - Berlinale Competition. Sold to Curzon for UK distribution.
- Kika (2025, Alexe Poukine) - Cannes Critics' Week. Sold to Youplanet Pictures (Spain and Portugal), Little Dream Pictures (Germany and Austria), Agora Films (Switzerland), and other territories.
- Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (2023, Elene Naveriani) - Cannes Directors' Fortnight.
- Slow (2023, Marija Kavtaradze) - Sundance World Dramatic Competition. Sold to Mubi for multiple territories.
- Crossing (2024, Levan Akin) - Berlinale Panorama.
- We (2021, Alice Diop) - Berlinale Documentary Award winner.
- Gagarine (2020, Fanny Liatard and Jeremy Trouilh) - Cannes 2020.
- The Village Next to Paradise (2024, Mo Harawe) - Cannes Un Certain Regard.
- Sudan, Remember Us (2024, Hind Meddeb) - Venice Giornate degli Autori.
Recent Slate and Acquisition Activity
Totem's 2025 and 2026 slate includes several new acquisitions and Atelier productions:
- Kika (2025, Alexe Poukine) - Cannes Critics' Week competition. Sales launched at Cannes 2025.
- Allegro Pastell (2026, Anna Roller) - Adaptation of the best-selling novel. World premiered in Berlinale Panorama February 2026. Totem initially launched global sales at Cannes 2025. Roller previously directed Dead Girls Dancing (Tribeca), which Totem also handled and sold to Mubi.
- Roya (2026, Mahnaz Mohammadi) - Iranian drama starring Melisa Sozen. World premiered in Berlinale Panorama February 2026. The story follows an Iranian teacher imprisoned for her political convictions.
- 17 (2026, Kosara Mitic) - Debut feature from North Macedonia. World premiered in Berlinale Perspectives February 2026. Totem acquired the film ahead of its Berlinale premiere and began sales at the European Film Market.
- Short Summer (2025, Nastia Korkia) - Venice Days. Co-produced by Totem Atelier.
- The Boy with Pink Pants (2026) - In development. Covered by Cineuropa in February 2026.
- Emma Doucet (2026, Elise Girard) - Romantic drama starring Vicky Krieps and Alex Lutz. Totem on board as sales agent. Announced January 2026.
Totem Atelier is also developing Anna Roller's third feature, which has received early co-production support from the CNC's "Mini Traite" program for Franco-German productions.
Notable Sales and Festival Track Record
Totem Films' catalog includes films that have premiered across the major festival sections:
- Compartment No. 6 (2021, Juho Kuosmanen) - Cannes Competition, Grand Prix. Vincent previously sold Kuosmanen's The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki to more than 35 territories when she was head of sales at Les Films du Losange. The Totem relationship with Kuosmanen was a founding acquisition for the company.
- My Favourite Cake (2024, Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha) - Berlinale Competition. The film was produced through Totem's relationship with the directors, who had previously been represented internationally by the company.
- Kika (2025, Alexe Poukine) - Cannes Critics' Week. The film sold to Youplanet Pictures (Spain and Portugal), Little Dream Pictures (Germany and Austria), Agora Films (Switzerland), and Bestiario Films (Mexico) after its Cannes premiere. Additional sales included K-Films Amerique (French-speaking Canada), Estinfilm (Estonia), and Scanorama (Lithuania).
- Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (2023, Elene Naveriani) - Cannes Director's Fortnight
- Slow (2023, Marija Kavtaradze) - Sundance
- Crossing (2024, Levan Akin) - Berlinale Panorama
- We (2021, Alice Diop) - Berlinale Documentary Award
- Gagarine (2020, Fanny Liatard and Jeremy Trouilh) - Cannes 2020
- The Village Next to Paradise (2024, Mo Harawe) - Cannes Un Certain Regard
- Sudan, Remember Us (2024, Hind Meddeb) - Venice Giornate degli Autori
- Measures for a Funeral (2024, Sofia Bohdanowicz) - Toronto Centrepiece
Totem Atelier Productions
Totem Atelier develops and produces early-stage projects with strong international potential, creating a pipeline of original content alongside the company's acquisitions. Totem Atelier productions include:
- Short Summer (2025, Nastia Korkia) - Venice Days
- The Hypnosis (2023, Ernst de Geer) - Karlovy Vary, where it won Best Actor, the Fipresci Jury Award, and the Europa Cinemas Label
- Dead Girls Dancing (2023, Anna Roller) - Tribeca
- Marcel! (2022, Jasmine Trinca) - Cannes Official Selection
The Atelier division allows Totem to board projects at the development stage rather than only acquiring finished films. For filmmakers with early-stage projects seeking a sales and production partner, Totem Atelier offers a pathway that combines production financing support with built-in international sales infrastructure.
Documentary and Fiction Balance
Totem maintains a catalog that balances documentary and fiction features. The company attends IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, and Sheffield DocFest alongside the major fiction festivals (Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, Karlovy Vary, Locarno). This dual presence gives Totem relationships with both the theatrical arthouse distribution ecosystem and the broadcaster licensing market, which is the primary revenue driver for documentary features internationally.
For documentary filmmakers, Totem's understanding of broadcaster licensing (pre-sales to European public broadcasters, streaming platform deals, and territory-specific documentary distributors) is a distinct advantage. It sets Totem apart from sales agents who treat documentary as secondary to their fiction catalog. The company has sold documentary titles including Sudan, Remember Us (Venice 2024) and We (Berlinale 2021, Documentary Award winner).
Watch: Trailers and Interviews
What Filmmakers Should Know
Totem Films is a realistic representation target for arthouse fiction directors and documentary filmmakers whose work has strong festival potential. The company's openness to first and second features makes it more accessible than larger Paris sales companies like Wild Bunch or Memento. Films selected at Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, or IDFA are the strongest candidates. Totem does not operate an open submission portal.
The company discovers films through festival scouting and producer relationships. For post-production projects, Totem may consider representation based on a rough cut. The company also boards projects at the development stage through Totem Atelier. Totem's deal structures involve taking international sales rights in exchange for a sales commission.
The company does not pay MGs in most cases. Revenue flows to the producer after the sales commission and recoupable expenses. For acquisitions, contact Anna Durand at anna@totem-films.com. For festival and sales inquiries, contact Salome Rizk at salome@totem-films.com.
See Also
For how international sales agents fit into the distribution chain between filmmakers and territory-specific distributors, see Distribution Deals Explained. For how festival premieres drive international sales and territory-by-territory deals, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue. To model the revenue from a multi-territory sales strategy, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For comparison with other international sales agents in this directory, see the broader Film Distributors Directory.
