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The prestigious catalogue of documentary distributor Lucky You (part of the Bonne Pioche group, part of Federation Studios) will now be represented by Federation Studios’ distribution arm Federation International, co-headed by Monica Levy and Guillaume Pommier.
With Robert Salvestrin who founded Lucky You in 2014 leaving the company to focus on new business ventures, Federation International will now step in to handle pre-sales and sales with Lucky You continuing its activities through this strategic partnership with Federation.
Highly respected globally, Lucky You plays host to a documentary portfolio of over 800 hours of programming produced by some thirty European production companies – including Bonne Pioche, a long-standing renowned player in the industry. The catalogue comprises exceptional one-off films, and series created for linear broadcasters and platforms covering a broad range of topics. Highlights include international hits such as Kheops: Mysterious Discoveries, Origami Code (which earned Lucky You a Unifrance Export Award), Science vs Terrorism, Who Killed the Neanderthal?, and Scanning the Nile.
The addition of this significant portfolio means that Federation International’s documentary offering has increased tenfold – from 90 to 900 hours – reinforcing its position as a premium distributor of ambitious co-productions, and high-end gripping documentaries that cover an extensive range of genres from science, history, nature, environment, arts & culture, through to sports, exclusive biographies, and current affairs, including primetime specials.
With this expanded catalogue Federation International has now positioned itself as a major player in the documentary field, able to meet buyer demands and expectations while still maintaining the agility of an independent boutique operation that can bring projects to market at an early stage, and support producers from development through to financing and presales.
Thanks to its dual focus on international TV and theatrical sales (via Ginger & Fed), Federation International is uniquely positioned to create hybrid strategies for special event documentaries, combining theatrical releases with TV rights deals – as is currently the case for La Scala, a film produced for France Télévisions and Rai, co-produced by Federation Studio France (Myriam Weil) and MDE Films (Francesco Melzi d’Eril).
Federation International’s documentary sales team will also benefit from Agnès Baldachino Costa’s expertise in acquisitions, servicing, and sales administration. A long-standing stalwart of Lucky You, Agnès will work closely with sales executives Ilan Sarfati – Documentary, International Sales Manager, and Raphaël Blin – Documentary, Sales & Acquisitions Executive. They will also have the support of Federation’s robust in-house team (legal, sales administration, marketing, communication, servicing etc).
Guillaume Pommier, Co-Head of Distribution, Federation International, states:
“We are truly honored by the trust Bonne Pioche has placed in us with the Lucky You catalogue, which complements our current documentary lineup perfectly. In today’s landscape, having such a wide variety and volume of content is essential. Over the past few years, we’ve significantly grown our client base and secured numerous pre-sales. Lucky You’s arrival comes at the perfect time, strengthening our position and representing a major opportunity for us.”
Ilan Sarfati and Raphaël Blin bring an especially rich slate of titles to Sunny Side, including several from Lucky You:
Also included are Federation-backed titles, such as:
And much more!
About Federation Studios:
Run by founder Pascal Breton and co-led by Lionel Uzan and Marco Chimenz, Federation Studios heralds a new breed of independent European studios, focusing on the creation, production, financing and distribution of high-quality original productions for the global marketplace. Federation Studios works with the best worldwide talents and partners on the scene today to create a strong distribution portfolio as well as an array of premium international productions.
The group federates 35 production companies located in Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Madrid, London, Berlin, Cologne and Tel-Aviv.
Active in the drama, kids & family, documentary and cinema space, Federation co-finances projects in the early stages and accompanies partners in their specific production needs throughout the entire creative process. The strong distribution arm of the company has been building up a rich lineup, mixing in-house and third-party premium content. Its portfolio includes major award-winning and international successes.
