Federation Joins Forces with ‘Desperate Parents’ Producer Elephant

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Federation, Pascal Breton’s Paris-based company which has just raised $18.4 million to expand its footprint, has signed a joint distribution agreement with leading independent production banner Elephant.

Created by Emmanuel Chain and Thierry Bizot, is the company behind French drama hits such as “Desperate Parents,” “Killer by the Lake” and WorkinGirls.”

The partnership with Federation will allow Elephant to develop shows for the global market, tapping into Federation’s experience working with international talents, co-producers, broadcasters and streaming services.

Elephant recently hired Sandra Ouaiss, a former high-ranking executive from Newen, to came on board as executive producer and head of international.

With offices in Paris and Los Angeles, Federation Entertainment is one of the market’s most dynamic independent distributors, boasting international drama hits such as “The Bureau,” “Bad Banks,” “Hostages,” “Marseille” and “Find me in Paris.”

“When it comes to bringing together indie European talents, what better partners than the incredibly creative teams at Elephant?” said Breton. “We are happy to be able to share with them our know-how in terms of distribution, pre-financing and partnerships, to really help their shows flourish on the global market,” added Breton, who launched the company in 2013.

Elephant is already established abroad, notably in Italy with Elephant Italia which has adapted “Desperate Parents” for local market, and in the U.K. with the subsidiary Chalkboard. 

“We’re very proud of this ambitious move, designed to give original French shows the limelight they deserve on the international stage,” said Elephant’s Emmanuel Chain and Thierry Bizot.

has also recently taken a stake in We Make to dive into unscripted content and has launched a premium documentary label.