Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Highland Film Group
Highland Film Group is a Los Angeles-based international sales and distribution outfit specializing in action, thriller, and crime films anchored by recognizable star talent.
Current mandate
Highland Film Group occupies a well-defined lane in the international sales and distribution market, focusing on action, thriller, and crime films built around recognizable star talent. The company's public-facing mandate stresses "real storytelling for audiences seeking substantial narrative experiences," a positioning that aligns with prestige-leaning genre fare rather than pure exploitation product. Its role as international sales agent on Not Without Hope, a survival thriller co-financed by Gramercy Park and with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights, illustrates how the company slots into multi-partner financing structures on independently financed features.
The Not Without Hope project, which was set to begin production in Louisiana, reflects Highland's recurring acquisition pattern: true-story or high-concept genre material with a moral or emotional hook, packaged with credible producing partners and a clear path to international pre-sales. The film's creative positioning, emphasizing themes of hope, perseverance, and moral responsibility alongside a tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard, points to Highland's appetite for survival thrillers and prestige-adjacent action that can travel across international territories. The company's 44 tracked decision makers and 24 total records over the past 12 months suggest a steady, if measured, level of market activity.
Material observed reaching Highland has traveled through established sales-agent and co-production channels. The Not Without Hope deal was launched at the European Film Market, one of the industry's primary international sales venues, confirming that major market events are a documented route through which Highland engages with new projects. No unsolicited pathway is documented in tracked deal activity; every observed deal has arrived via co-production partners, financing entities such as CAA Media Finance, or market-facing sales launches.
Signature peaks
- European Film Market Key Market Launch — Highland launched international sales for Not Without Hope at the EFM, a primary venue for its deal activity.
- Multi-Partner Co-Financing Structure — Not Without Hope is co-financed by Gramercy Park, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights alongside Highland's international sales role.
- 44 Decision Makers Tracked — ScriptMatch tracks 44 decision makers at Highland Film Group across its international sales and distribution operations.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Every tracked deal involving Highland Film Group has arrived through co-production partners, financing entities such as CAA Media Finance, or market-facing launches at venues like the European Film Market. No unsolicited pathway is documented in current deal activity.
- Deal structure
- Highland Film Group operates primarily as an international sales agent on independently financed features, handling international rights while domestic rights are managed by separate entities; projects are typically structured with multiple co-financing partners before Highland attaches.
Market context
Highland Film Group's international sales mandate for the prestige survival thriller Not Without Hope, launched at the European Film Market, signals a continued push into true-story, star-driven genre fare.
Highland Film Group occupies a well-defined lane in the international sales and distribution market, focusing on action, thriller, and crime films built around recognizable star talent. The company's public-facing mandate stresses "real storytelling for audiences seeking substantial narrative experiences," a positioning that aligns with prestige-leaning genre fare rather than pure exploitation product. Its role as international sales agent on Not Without Hope, a survival thriller co-financed by Gramercy Park and with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights, illustrates how the company slots into multi-partner financing structures on independently financed features.
Common questions about Highland Film Group
Does Highland Film Group accept unsolicited scripts?
No unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracked deal activity for Highland Film Group. Every observed project has arrived through co-production partners, financing entities, or market-facing sales launches such as the European Film Market. If you have a project that fits their action, thriller, or crime mandate, the most documented route is through a sales agent, producer with an existing relationship, or a co-financing partner who can bring the project to Highland through established channels.
What budget range does Highland Film Group typically work with?
The input data does not specify exact budget figures for Highland Film Group's projects. However, the company's focus on independently financed features with recognizable star talent, co-financing structures involving partners like Gramercy Park, and domestic rights handled by entities such as CAA Media Finance suggests a mid-range independent budget tier. Projects appear to be packaged with credible producing and financing partners before Highland attaches as international sales agent.
What festivals and markets does Highland Film Group source projects from?
The European Film Market is a confirmed, documented venue where Highland Film Group launches international sales, as evidenced by the Not Without Hope announcement. EFM is one of the industry's primary international sales markets, and Highland's presence there is consistent with its role as an international sales agent for independently financed features. Other major markets are likely relevant given the company's international focus, though EFM is the specifically documented venue in current tracked data.
How do I get my script or project in front of Highland Film Group?
Based on observed deal flow, material reaches Highland Film Group through co-production partners, financing entities, and established sales-agent relationships rather than direct outreach. The Not Without Hope project, for example, involved co-financier Gramercy Park and CAA Media Finance on the domestic side before Highland attached as international sales agent. Packaging your project with a recognized producer or financing partner, and positioning it for a major market launch, reflects the most documented pathway into Highland's pipeline.
What genres is Highland Film Group currently acquiring?
Highland Film Group's public mandate explicitly covers action, thriller, and crime films with recognizable star talent. Current tracked activity reinforces this, with Not Without Hope described as a prestige-leaning survival thriller based on a true story, emphasizing themes of hope, perseverance, and moral responsibility. The company appears to favor genre material that carries an emotional or moral hook and can travel across international territories, rather than pure exploitation fare or niche arthouse content.
Is Highland Film Group currently active in the market?
Yes. ScriptMatch's latest signal for Highland Film Group is dated June 2026, with 24 total records tracked over the past 12 months. The company is actively handling international sales for Not Without Hope, which was launched at the European Film Market and was set to begin production in Louisiana. While the 30-day and 90-day unique deal counts show no new closed deals in the immediate window, the company's market presence and active project slate indicate ongoing activity.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Beta Cinema — Beta Cinema is a Munich-based international sales agent specializing in arthouse and literary-adapta
- Starz — Starz is a premium cable and streaming network doubling down on wholly owned scripted drama and inte
- Cineflix Rights — Cineflix Rights is a genre-focused international distributor and co-production financier specializin
- Filmax — Filmax is a Spanish distributor and co-producer with a long track record in genre cinema, currently
Related reading
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