Since 2016, Films Transit International has decided to take on less films, around 10 to 15 a year, half of which are launched around MIP TV and the Spring festivals, and the other half around MIP COM and the Fall festivals.
We also decided to no longer carry a large back catalogue, but renew our slate every year. Many of our older films are available for educational use via www.filmplatform.net.
The main market for documentaries has been, and continues to be the traditional TV market. Around 80% of the sales we do worldwide are broadcast sales in all its different forms with the Internet today stretching the definitions (catch-up TV) complicating matters as the broadcasters now want to use the Internet as much for telecasting as their over-the-air, cable or satellite signals. About 20% of the films we handle result in sales in the world of theatrical and video (including new media). The new, commercial often world-wide VOD platforms are becoming more and more important.
About 50 countries worldwide buy the type of documentary we sell and these are usually the countries where there is some sort of public broadcast history. All of them can buy TV hours, anywhere between 45 and 58 minutes, but usually around 52 minutes. Much less countries have feature length slots, and if they do, many slots are very late at night, so one can wonder how large the audience is. We prefer prime time TV hour slots, as these find serious audiences and attention.
Our client list consists of 1500 clients; TV buyers (public, commercial, private channels) and theatrical, non-theatrical, educational, home video distributors, Internet, and airlines. Within this group there is a hard-core group of primarily broadcast buyers of around 400, with whom we regularly meet at the markets.
Due to the overwhelming number of films on the market it is getting tougher to make sales in general, and the average performance of about 15 to 20 territorial sales per film is decreasing, while our best seller from the past sold over 50 times!
All information on our films can be accessed via our website, including festivals, awards, and other information. Our films are searchable by category, subject, or title. Per year we have about 600,000 hits on our website, while millions of people around the world get to see the films we represent.
Films Transit International 