"International Lounge" Sales Agents Announced - Ten Global Sales Agents Bring New Titles to Connect World Cinema with Chinese Audiences
Setting sail on the language of cinema, the Beijing International Film Festival once again creates a meeting point across borders. With the support of experienced sales agents, outstanding films are able to travel beyond cultural boundaries and find their way to the audiences who are ready to embrace them. Over the past year, a number of such encounters have taken place on cinema screens across China.
Loveable, distributed internationally by TrustNordisk from Denmark, won the Best Feature Film at BJIFF and moved audiences with its distinctly Nordic restraint and emotional delicacy. Follemente, produced by RAI Cinema from Italy, reached Chinese theatres through the efforts of local buyers, overcoming cultural distance to strike a strong chord with the audiences. The Thai breakout hit How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, produced by GDH 559, became a nationwide sensation following its release, proving that the universal theme of intergenerational love can resonate powerfully across cultures. Earlier this year, the animated feature Arco, represented by Goodfellas Animation from France, also opened in Chinese cinemas, earning widespread praise from animation enthusiasts.
Chinese Theatrical Release Posters of Loveable, Follemente, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and Arco
This year, the BJIFF "International Lounge" brings together the very partners who have guided these international films into the Chinese market, inviting a group of sales agents with long-standing ties to China and extensive experience in global distribution. The participating companies come from Denmark, Italy, Thailand, France, Spain, the United States, Germany and beyond, forming a content network that spans Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. From handling major commercial releases to championing art films and family animation, these agencies are keen observers of the global film marketplace. This April in Beijing, they arrive with new films, new opportunities and renewed expectations - ready to help world cinema meet Chinese audiences once again.
International Sales Agents
Company Name: TrustNordisk
Founded in 2008, TrustNordisk is the international sales division of Zentropa and Nordisk Film, one of the world’s longest-established film production companies. The company is dedicated to the global promotion of contemporary cinema, working closely with internationally acclaimed directors, emerging filmmakers and global distribution partners. Films handled by TrustNordisk include Loveable (2025) released in China, Dancer in the Dark previously sold to the Chinese market, and the Academy Award-winning Another Round.
Company Name: RAI Cinema
Rai Cinema International Distribution, established in 2024, serves as the global distribution arm of Rai Cinema, with a focus on bringing contemporary Italian films to audiences worldwide. The company builds strong links between established filmmakers, emerging talent and international partners, while actively expanding the global circulation of Italian productions. Films released in China include Follemente (2025). Other works distributed by the company include Le cose non dette directed by Gabriele Muccino, and Forest High directed by Manon Coubia, which has been selected for the Perspectives section of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
Company Name: GDH 559 Co., Ltd.
Founded in 2016, GDH 559 Co., Ltd. has become one of Thailand’s most influential film production companies within a decade, earning industry recognition for a series of commercially successful and critically acclaimed titles that have reshaped the contemporary Thai film landscape. Films released in China include the global breakout hit How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024), widely praised for its emotional depth, as well as the high-concept crime thriller Bad Genius, which is scheduled for re-release in the Chinese market.
Company Name: Goodfellas Animation
Established in 2021, Goodfellas Animation is the animation-focused sales division of the French company Goodfellas, representing a rapidly growing slate of distinctive animation projects with strong artistic and commercial potential. Films released in China include Arco (January 2026), nominated for the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards and César Awards and winner of the Crystal Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, as well as Little Amélie, nominated for both the Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards and scheduled for release in China.
Company Name: Paradise City Sales
Formerly known as Memento International, Paradise City Sales draws on more than twenty years of industry experience and has established itself as a leading international sales company in the independent film sector. The company specializes in representing works by internationally renowned filmmakers, including Luca Guadagnino, Asghar Farhadi, Laurent Cantet, Kelly Reichardt, Jia Zhangke, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Anthony Chen. Films handled by the company include We Are All Strangers, The Night of the 12th and Wet Season.
Company Name: StudioCanal
StudioCanal is the principal film and television production and distribution arm of CANAL+. Its operations span nine key European territories - France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland - with additional activities in Australia and New Zealand, and offices in both the United States and China. In the Chinese market, StudioCanal has established distribution partnerships with leading streaming platforms and television networks, while also bringing theatrical releases such as Paddington, Shaun the Sheep and The Commuter to local cinemas, continuing to expand its presence in the region.
Company name: Latido Films
Latido Films is an international sales agency specializing in Latin American and European cinema, with more than two decades of industry experience. The company is committed to discovering emerging talent while continuing to support established filmmakers. Through long-standing partnerships with distributors, television networks and streaming platforms worldwide, the company develops tailored sales strategies for each film, ensuring optimal positioning in the international marketplace. Films released in China include The Heist of the Century, while titles previously sold to the Chinese market include Sorda, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and received multiple nominations for the Spain's Goya Awards.
Company Name: Bendita Film Sales
Bendita Film Sales is a Spain-based boutique international sales company. Films handled by the company include The Punishment, winner of Best Feature Film and Best Actress at the 2023 Beijing International Film Festival, as well as Memories of a Burning Body, now available on Chinese streaming platforms. Other standout titles include Toxic, awarded the Golden Leopard for Best Film at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival; Sisters, winner of the Grand Jury Prize of Giornate degli Autori section at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival; and The Devil Smokes, winner of Best First Feature at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival.
Company name: FilmNation Entertainment
Founded in 2008, FilmNation Entertainment is a premier U.S.-based company specializing in independent film production, financing and global distribution. Since its inception, FilmNation films have received over 40 Academy Award nominations, claiming eight wins. Films produced or distributed by the company include Café Society, Arrival, The Imitation Game, Blue Jasmine, and Room.
Company Name: Studio 100 Film
Studio 100 Film, the international sales division of Studio 100 International, focuses on premium family entertainment. Headquartered in Munich, the company possesses over a decade of experience promoting and distributing animated feature films worldwide. Titles released in China include Maya the Bee: The Honey Games (2018), alongside Giants of La Mancha, Maya the Bee trilogy, Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia, and numerous other Studio 100 International productions.
The first wave of international buyers (click to view official announcement) has already been confirmed, with additional festival programmers to be announced soon. Participants completing Industry Professional Registration for Beijing Film Market (click to view official announcement) will have full access to all activities in the “International Lounge”. Throughout the event, international sales agents will engage with domestic buyers via one-on-one meetings, International Film Pitch and Market Screening.
Great stories deserve to be discovered, and meaningful collaborations call for the right platform. This April, join us at the “International Lounge” and let new partnerships take flight.