Totem Films
Paris-based international sales agent representing bold documentary and arthouse fiction films, with a strong focus on first and second features and emerging directors.
Overview
Totem Films is a Paris-based international sales agent founded in 2012. The company represents documentary and arthouse fiction films for sale to distributors and broadcasters worldwide, with a particular focus on first and second features by emerging directors and on documentary work with strong international festival credentials. Totem operates as a boutique sales company in the Paris market, building a catalog around genuine discovery and curatorial commitment rather than volume acquisitions.
The company's emphasis on emerging directors reflects a long-term strategy: by identifying and representing significant voices before they reach broader industry visibility, Totem builds filmmaker relationships that can grow across multiple films. This approach produces a catalog with authentic discovery value for international buyers seeking new talent.
Documentary Specialisation
Totem Films has developed particular strength in documentary representation alongside its fiction catalog. The company attends IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, and Sheffield DocFest alongside the major fiction-oriented festivals, maintaining relationships with the documentary distribution ecosystem globally.
For documentary filmmakers seeking international sales representation, Totem's genuine documentary expertise -- its understanding of the broadcaster licensing market alongside theatrical distribution -- makes it a more effective advocate than a sales agent that treats documentary as an afterthought to its fiction catalog.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Totem Films is a realistic representation target for documentary filmmakers and arthouse fiction directors whose work has strong festival potential. The company's openness to first and second features -- and its genuine interest in emerging voices -- makes it more accessible than the larger, more established Paris sales companies.
Films that have secured Cannes, Berlinale, IDFA, or equivalent festival selections are the strongest candidates for Totem representation. The company's Paris base and Cannes presence give it natural access to the international arthouse distribution ecosystem, and its documentary specialisation extends this access to the broadcaster licensing market.
For projects in post-production that have not yet premiered, Totem may consider representation based on a rough cut or completed film, depending on the strength of the project and the director's prior work.
See Also
For how documentary filmmakers build international sales representation through the festival circuit, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For how Cannes and IDFA premieres drive international distribution for documentary features, see Distribution Deals Explained.
