APIFA Association
Becoming a member of APIFA means joining a proactive and visionary professional collective, driven by a strong spirit of inclusion, sharing and mutual support.
On July 6, 2016, 22 production companies from the former Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon regions came together in Narbonne to create a single association uniting independent producers across the newly formed Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée region: Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn, and Tarn-et-Garonne.
Today, the association consists of some forty forty companies producing original creative works as defined by the European Commission, in fiction, documentary, animation, and new media. Since 2020, APIFA has also sat on the Board of Directors of the regional agency Occitanie Films.
We believe in cooperation and mutual sharing to foster innovation and excellence. Our collaborative approach aims to develop original projects that reflect the cultural diversity of Occitanie and meet the demands of the global market.
Ethics
APIFA promotes respectful, fair and transparent practices. We defend solidarity, diversity and inclusion, ensuring that works initiated in the Occitanie region are recognized for their artistic quality and their cultural, social and/or environmental impact.
Our Commitment
APIFA’s mission is to strengthen and promote audiovisual and film production in Occitanie by showcasing local talent and the diversity of works (co-)produced and made in the region. Our objectives include:
- Highlighting the important role played by the executive producers in the regional ecosystem.
- Supporting the emergence of new talent, the diversity of creation, and enhancing the visibility of works (co-)produced and made in Occitanie — whether in animation, documentary, fiction, or new media.
- Strengthening connections and collaborations with the various players in the regional film and audiovisual ecosystem.
- Contributing to the professionalization of the Occitan sector, strengthening its structure, competitiveness, and visibility at national and international levels.
- Representing the common interests of producers by acting as their spokesperson with industry stakeholders.
- Promoting and supporting the activities of its members, and acting as a key interlocutor with local, national, and international public authorities, on issues of major strategic importance for the industry (La Fabrique de l’Image France 2030, the White Paper on the sector and new specific industry schemes, Artificial Intelligence).
The Team
The association is led by an Executive Committee composed of a President, two Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, and a General Secretary, supported by a Board of Directors made up of 7 more active members (for a total of 12).
As of now, the Board members include: Bernard Arnauld (Kalimago Films), Clément Debeir (SapienSapiens), Jérémie Palanque (Woooz Pictures), Franck Priot (Ghosts City Films), Luc Reder (Chuck Productions), Flavio Perez (Les Fées Spéciales) & Anthony Thédenat (Spot Studio).
In January 2024, the association created the position of Managing Director and appointed experienced professional Sophie Bourdon in this key role.
Alice Baldo graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts de Paris-Cergy. After directing several short films, she joined French Kiss Production as a partner and developed the company’s cinema division. Initially focused on short films, artist films, and experimental works, she gradually shifted toward feature-length fiction and documentary through various co-productions. In 2014, she participated in the European training program EURODOC, dedicated to documentary producers.
In recent years, the company’s editorial line has evolved to center on films addressing major social and environmental issues. The upcoming fiction feature Les Convulsions, by Catalan director David Gutierrez Camps — co-produced with Imy Production (Toulouse) and partners in Spain — is a good example.
Alice also oversees and coordinates the post-production activities of French Kiss Studio.
After completing her studies in Paris, Iréna worked for 5 years with several Parisian production companies specializing in documentary and fiction.
She then moved to Toulouse and joined the Veo productions team alongside Sandrine Mercier and Juan Gordillo Hidalgo.
She produces documentaries as well as shorts and feature-length fiction films in international co-production.
Luc Camilli is the co-founder of production company Xbo Films and of Toulouse-based studios La Ménagerie (specializing in traditional animation) and Les Affranchis (specializing in 2D digital animation).
Over the past 20 years, he has produced around thirty animated short films, the series KIWI for France 5, the TV special Marcel, le père Noël for Canal+, and the feature films La Traversée by Florence Miailhe (2021, co-produced with Les Films de l’Arlequin, Germany, and the Czech Republic) and Green Line by Sylvie Ballyot (co-produced with TS Productions and Les Films de Force Majeure), which received an award at the Locarno Festival in August 2024.
After graduating in management and then production at the Master 2 métiers de la production in Montpellier, Jules learned the rudiments of the profession at Films Pelléas, followed by a stint on film sets and distribution at Warner Bros, before joining Ladybirds Films in 2018 as an administrator.
After a few months working alongside Hélène Badinter, he became producer and associate. Following the company's historical focus on creative documentaries, he also turned his attention to cinema and fiction.
In 2022, he co-founded L'Oeil Vif Productions in Toulouse with Mouloud Ouyahia and Lucas Senecaut. In 2023, he takes part in the Eurodoc training program. So far, he has produced or co-produced some thirty films in France and abroad.
Pablo holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Buenos Aires.
After working in film production in Paris and Buenos Aires, he moved to Toulouse and joined the anoki team in June 2019. He manages the company’s administration and oversees the operational execution of productions in collaboration with producer Marie Régis. He also develops international co-productions.
Pablo has been a member of APIFA’s Board of Directors and Treasurer since 2023.
Sophie began her career in Public Relations at L’Oréal and advertising at the American agency DMB&B, before joining Paris-based production companies FLACH FILM and MK2, where she specialized in co-productions, TV and international sales. She then became director of ACE Producers, a European training organization for a network of over 300 film producers.
She later moved to Switzerland, where she oversaw industry programming at both the Locarno Film Festival and Visions du Réel, focusing on co-production, works-in-progress, and training (workshops, conferences).
Back in France since January 2024, she has returned to her original passion: supporting producers, their talents, and their projects.
Our partners
APIFA is supported by Toulouse Métropole, the Région Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée, the City of Toulouse, and Montpellier Métropole.
And in collaboration with the regional agencies: Occitanie Films & AD’OCC
Over the years, collaborations with numerous regional organizations — such as professional associations and agencies, training programs and writing residencies, and festivals — have helped raise APIFA’s profile and strengthen the role of creative producers within the Occitan ecosystem.
The impact of these partnerships and cooperative efforts can be seen in the development of a more structured, collaborative, and competitive film and audiovisual industry in Occitanie. These advances are essential to collectively meet the major challenges the sector will face in the coming years (e.g., France 2030).
The film and audiovisual industry in Occitanie is booming, making a significant contribution to the region’s economic dynamism. Occitanie has become a major location for film shoots in France (particularly for TV series), providing a diversity of unique sets.
However, for APIFA, building a strong regional industry with European and international reach goes beyond hosting film and TV shoots, whether on location or in studios. The region’s attractiveness must also serve to boost local creativity, production, and post-production, and to offer an ecosystem — both human and financial — that meets the needs of all creative formats, while remaining open to foreign talent and co-productions, in a spirit of reciprocity.
Occitanie already boasts a solid network of independent production and post-production companies. Together with its members, APIFA is committed to consolidating this ecosystem to successfully support the current and future evolution of the sector and help achieve the ambitious goals set by the Region.
APIFA warmly thanks its financial partners, along with the many associations, professional organizations, film schools and training programs, writing residencies, and festivals that are part of this dynamic and collaborative Occitan ecosystem, including: ARTFX, ASSOC, Ateliers Varan, BRASSART, Cartoon Forum, Cinélatino, Cinémaginaire, CINEMED, Cinephilae, Cinespaña, Cinestoria, la Cité Européenne des Scénaristes, Confrontation, Coup de Projecteurs, DEFI Production, Doc Cévennes, ENSAV, ESMA, Festivals court métrage d’Auch et Séquence, Gindou Cinéma, ICONIC, Indépendance et Création, ISCID, Itinérances, Jets d’ancre, L’Illuminé – Festival du Cinéma d’Animation, MIA, Musée Fabre, RAN, Regard’Occ, La Ressource, Travelling, Université Paul-Valery Montpellier.
