When you hear pre-sales financing, a funding method where filmmakers sell distribution rights to international buyers before production begins. Also known as advance sales, it’s how many low-budget films get off the ground without waiting for grants or investors. This isn’t magic—it’s a business deal. A producer locks in a contract with a distributor in Germany, Japan, or France, promising them the right to show the film in their territory. In return, they get cash upfront. That cash becomes the budget for shooting. It’s how films like Little Miss Sunshine and Parasite got made before anyone knew if audiences would even like them.
Pre-sales financing doesn’t work for every movie. It needs a strong hook—a genre that sells globally, like horror or action, or a director with a track record. Buyers care about cast, story, and whether the film can compete in their market. That’s why many indie films bundle international sales agents into the deal early. These agents know which territories want what. They pitch at markets like Cannes or AFM, where buyers sit in rooms and bid on films that haven’t even been shot yet. The more pre-sales you lock in, the more you can borrow from banks or attract private investors. It’s a chain: pre-sales enable bank loans, which cover production, which then leads to real revenue.
It’s not without risk. If the film flops, the distributor still owns it—but they’re the ones who lose money. The filmmaker already got paid. That’s why contracts are tight. Buyers often demand final cut, or require the film to be shot in a certain language, or insist on specific actors. That’s why film distribution, the process of getting a movie into theaters, streaming platforms, or TV channels worldwide is part of the deal from day one. You’re not just making a movie—you’re building a product for global markets. And that’s why production funding, the total money needed to shoot and complete a film, including post-production and marketing often looks like a puzzle: one piece from a French distributor, another from a Korean streaming service, a third from a tax credit in Canada. No single source covers it all.
You’ll find posts here that break down how insurance, incentives, and crowdfunding play into this. Some show how filmmakers finished films when money ran out. Others explain how global casting and co-productions make pre-sales easier by appealing to multiple markets at once. You’ll see real examples of what works—and what gets rejected by buyers. This isn’t about theory. It’s about what actually gets a film made, sold, and seen.
Pre-sales financing lets filmmakers secure funding before shooting by selling distribution rights internationally. Learn how it works, who it's for, and how to make it happen without giving up creative control.