Founded in Paris in 2009 by Leslie Vuchot, The Festival Agency (TFA) has carved out a distinctive niche for itself within the international film ecosystem by specialising in festival strategy and alternative theatrical circulation. Working closely with sales agents, producers and exhibitors, the company helps films extend their life on the festival circuit while also building curated screening opportunities in cinemas. Its clients include major sales outfits such as HanWay Films, StudioCanal, Pathé International, Wild Bunch, XYZ Films, Film Constellation and Altitude Films.

For our March 2026 Distributor of the Month interview, Cineuropa spoke with Fanny Gavelle, who has been with the company for over six years and became managing director in 2025, about how festivals increasingly function as key exhibition platforms and how alternative distribution models are reshaping the circulation of independent films.

Cineuropa: How did your company come about, and how has your mission evolved? Can you unpack your choice of focusing on festivals and alternative distribution channels?
Fanny Gavelle: TFA was founded 16 years ago by Leslie Vuchot. Coming from a sales-agent background at Focus Features and HanWay Films, she identified a clear gap in the market. While sales agents are focused on launching films and closing distribution deals, many did not have the capacity to fully support the festival life of a film in the 12-18 months following its world premiere.

The company was initially created to fill that gap, working closely with sales agents to build and execute festival strategies that would allow films to keep travelling and finding their audience. Over time, this expertise also became valuable for producers, and we naturally started helping them plan and launch their films directly.

Through these collaborations, we also built strong relationships with theatres, not just festivals. As event cinema started to grow, we began working directly with cinemas to create curated screenings. Today, this approach has developed into a form of alternative distribution, helping films reach audiences beyond traditional release models. For us, the mission has always been the same: bringing films to the theatre, because that is where cinema truly belongs.

What titles have you worked on recently?
In 2025, we worked on a diverse range of films. To mention a few: Dragonfly by Paul Andrew Williams, which premiered at Tribeca, where it won Best Performance, the sales agent for which is AMP Entertainment; Couture by Alice Winocour, which premiered at Toronto and is being sold by HanWay Films; Broken English, a documentary by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth about Marianne Faithfull, which premiered at Venice and is sold by Global Constellation; and Out of Love by Nathan Ambrosioni, which premiered at Karlovy Vary and is sold by StudioCanal. We also worked on the 50th-anniversary re-release of Picnic at Hanging Rock by Peter Weir, showing how classic films can still create meaningful theatrical moments today.

How many titles do you handle each year?
We manage the festival campaigns for around 50 films per year. About 40 come from long-standing relationships with sales agents, and around ten are movies we take on directly from producers. Our slate includes films from all over the world, including recent projects from Kenya and Argentina, although we have a significant number of French and British partners. We focus exclusively on feature films, both fiction and documentary, and often handle elevated genre titles in collaboration with sales agents such as XYZ Films.

How is the team organised?
Our team works much like a sales company, with each member being responsible for specific territories. This allows us to better understand local festivals and cinemas. We also have a dedicated team member focusing on the French institutional circuit. Many of the French films we represent benefit from this well-organised and well-funded network, which helps them reach the French diaspora abroad and also connect with international audiences.

Can you tell us about one of your recent successful film campaigns?
A recent example is Dragonfly, a social drama with a bloody twist. The film premiered at Tribeca, where Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn won the Award for Best Performance. It then had its European premiere at Karlovy Vary.

The British premiere was particularly important and took place at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The movie continued to travel widely on the festival circuit, screening at festivals such as the Galway Film Fleadh, where it won Best International Film; the Dinard British and Irish Film Festival in France, where it received the Best Film Award; the Cairo International Film Festival, where it also won Best Film; as well as Göteborg, Hamburg, Seville and many others. In some territories, the momentum created by these awards opened the door to additional screenings. In France, for example, the Dinard prize helped the film continue its festival life through regional festivals across the country.

How is the role of festivals evolving within the industry ecosystem? And what role does alternative distribution play in this context?
Festivals have always played a key role in launching films and filmmakers’ careers, and they remain spaces where directors can connect directly with audiences. Today, distribution for independent films is increasingly challenging, and festivals are becoming the main theatrical window for films outside their country of production. We are even seeing festivals expand by creating travelling versions of their events, bringing movies to multiple cities instead of remaining in a single location, and some now offer films on streaming platforms throughout the year.

Alternative theatrical distribution helps extend this exposure to territories where traditional sales may not be possible. It allows films to reach audiences through curated events and special screenings. For us, the heart of our mission at TFA is the theatre. It is where films truly come alive and where viewers experience them together with the rest of the audience.