International film sales and worldwide representation
Dawson's represents independent feature films for international sale. We license distribution rights territory by territory to distributors, broadcasters and streaming platforms, negotiate and close the deals, and account for the money. We take on no more than 5 films a year so that each one is genuinely worked rather than listed.
What representation includes
A territory plan
Before anything else, a written plan: which territories to go to, in what order, with what minimum guarantee to ask for, and which buyer in each one is the realistic first call. Order matters — a strong early deal sets the minimum guarantee for everything after it.
Positioning and comparable titles
How the film gets described, who it's for, and which recent titles a buyer will measure it against. Agreed with you, not imposed on you.
Materials
We work with you to produce the trailer, sizzle, key art and one-sheet — materials built to make buyers want the film before they watch a frame. Buyers in each territory will often adapt or replace materials for their market; what we give them is a strong foundation to work from.
Market representation
We take the film to all major markets, run buyer screenings, and follow up. You get a written report after every market: who watched, who responded, what they said, what we're doing next.
Negotiation
Advances, minimum guarantees, holdbacks, term, media, sub-distribution rights. We negotiate all of it and explain the trade-offs before you decide. You see every offer, including ones we recommend refusing.
Contracting and collection
Long-form agreements, delivery co-ordination, and collection via a collection account manager. Regular statements showing gross receipts, commission, expenses against the cap, and what's owed.
How the process runs
- You send the film. Screener and script plus — synopsis, credits, festival plans, budget, marketing material. We reply within 2 working days.
- We watch it. If we're interested we'll ask to talk. If we're not, we'll tell you why and suggest where else to try.
- We agree terms. Commission, expense cap, term, territories, minimum performance. Written down before anything is signed.
- Testing, positioning and materials. Where there's time, we test the film with a recruited audience and use what comes back to set the positioning, build the sales materials and set the minimum guarantee.
- Materials and plan. Artwork, trailer, one-sheet, territory plan with minimum guarantees to ask per territory.
- Market. Buyer screenings, meetings, offers. Reported to you as it happens, not summarised afterwards.
- Deals and delivery. Negotiation, contracts, delivery, collection, statements.
Rights we handle
- Theatrical
- Non-theatrical
- Home entertainment and transactional digital (TVOD, EST)
- Subscription streaming (SVOD)
- Advertising-supported streaming (AVOD, FAST)
- Free and pay television
- Airline, maritime and hotel
- Remake and format rights, where instructed
We can take worldwide, international (all territories excluding UK), or specified territories only.
What we're looking for
- Completed, near-completed or fully-financed feature films
- All budgets considered
- All genres — no documentaries currently
- A clear audience — not necessarily a large one
- Films where we can see the audience and therefore the buyer
We are less useful to you if: your film needs finishing funds we can't source, if the rights position is unresolved, or if you need a single-territory release you could negotiate yourself.
Questions producers ask
What's the difference between a sales agent and a distributor?
A distributor buys rights for one territory and releases the film there. A sales agent represents you and sells to distributors, in exchange for commission. The distributor's money comes from the release; ours comes from the deals we close for you.
Do you take rights or represent them?
We represent them. You retain ownership. We hold the exclusive right to license, for the agreed term and territories, and it reverts to you at the end.
What happens if you don't sell it?
The agreement has a minimum performance provision: if we haven't achieved agreed targets within the set period, you can terminate and take the rights elsewhere. Exact terms are subject to contract. It should be in every sales agreement. Read for it.
Do you handle sales estimates for financing?
No. We don't prepare sales estimates for lenders and we don't arrange or provide financing. If your financing requires estimates, the sales agencies that produce them will tell you which lenders have accepted theirs — ask that question directly.
Will you attach us to a market before the film is finished?
Sometimes, with a strong concept, existing reputation and clear delivery date. Going out too early with the wrong version is expensive and hard to undo — we'd rather wait a market than burn the first impression.
What we guarantee
The Score Movement Guarantee
Test screenings are only worth what you do with them. So: run the first screening, implement the changes we agree after it, and if the second screening doesn't show improvement in Excellent and Definitely recommend, the second screening is free.
The conditions are the point, not the small print. This works when you act on the findings. If you don't, we can't stand behind it — and we'll tell you that before you book, not after.
The Vault
No score, no comment, no verbatim, no report ever leaves this office without your written instruction. That is in the agreement, not just on this page.
Phones are collected and secured for the duration of every in-cinema screening. Every participant signs a non-disclosure agreement. No title, cast or synopsis is disclosed in recruitment beyond genre. The venue and date are never publicised.
The report belongs to you. You decide whether a buyer ever sees a number.
No fee to be considered
We don't charge to read, watch or consider your film, and we never will. If any sales agency asks you to pay to be looked at, that's your answer.
We reply either way within 2 working days.
Five places, and no way out
We take five films a year and we don't release a place once it's taken. If you're looking for an exit clause before you've started, we're the wrong agency — and we'd rather say that now than take the place from someone who wants it.
The calendar decides, not us
Buyers acquire in compressed windows around the markets. Working backwards from those windows is the only honest way to plan a sale.
Our cutoff is eight weeks before a market opens. That is what it takes to validate the audience, screen, recut, retest and build the campaign without rushing any part of it. For American Film Market (AFM) in November 2026, that means we need the film by September 2026. After that the next window is Ventana Sur in December 2026 — which is not a delay of a few weeks, it's a delay of a season.
| Market | Opens | We need the film by |
|---|---|---|
| American Film Market (AFM), Las Vegas | November 2026 | September 2026 |
| Ventana Sur, Buenos Aires | December 2026 | October 2026 |
| Sundance, Park City | January 2027 | November 2026 |
| European Film Market (EFM), Berlin | February 2027 | December 2026 |
| Hong Kong FILMART, Hong Kong | March 2027 | January 2027 |
| Marché du Film, Cannes | May 2027 | March 2027 |
| Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto | September 2027 | July 2027 |
Exact market dates shift from year to year, so we work in months here. Once you're talking to us we'll fix the day against that year's published dates.
Submit your film
Work with us directly
Consultations, representation, and The Audience First Package — the complete film sales & marketing service. Every engagement is booked online and confirmed the same day.