Six capabilities · One standard

Services

From first spark to final frame

We are a full-service studio. We develop, finance, produce and deliver our own films — and partner with filmmakers, producers and organisations who share our standards.

01 Capabilities

Everything a story needs to reach the screen.

Choose one service or all six. Every engagement comes with the same people, the same care and the same Charter.

We option books and life rights, commission research, run writers’ rooms and build the materials that get films financed — protecting the filmmaker’s voice at every step.

  • Research & rights clearance
  • Treatments, outlines & screenplays
  • Pitch decks, sizzles & lookbooks
  • Packaging: directors, cast & key crew

Budgeting, scheduling, crewing, casting, locations, permits, insurance and safety — from micro-crews in remote places to large-scale shoots in the heart of a city.

  • Budgets & schedules
  • Crewing & casting
  • Locations, permits & logistics
  • Health, safety & wellbeing plans

Editorial, colour, sound and VFX managed in-house and with trusted partners — through to festival-grade and platform-ready deliverables.

  • Offline & online editorial
  • Colour grading (HDR & SDR)
  • Sound design, mix & music supervision
  • DCP, IMF & broadcast deliverables

Festival strategy, sales agent and distributor relationships, marketing assets and release planning — shaped around each film rather than a template.

  • Festival strategy & submissions
  • Sales & distribution partnerships
  • Trailers, key art & press kits
  • Release & awards planning

International co-productions, public funds, grants, broadcaster pre-sales and equity — structured transparently, with recoupment everyone can understand.

  • Finance plans & recoupment
  • Treaty co-productions
  • Grant & fund applications
  • Pre-sales & gap financing

For foundations, NGOs, institutions and brands — made to the same editorial standards as our own films, with independence written into every agreement.

  • Feature & short documentaries
  • Impact & campaign films
  • Archive & heritage projects
  • Multi-platform series

02 Process

Six steps. No surprises.

Every production follows the same clear path, so partners always know what happens next — and when.

  1. 01

    Listen

    We begin with a conversation about the story, the people in it and what success looks like for everyone.

  2. 02

    Shape

    Research, treatment and a clear creative and ethical approach, agreed before anything is filmed.

  3. 03

    Finance

    A budget, schedule and financing plan that every partner can read, understand and trust.

  4. 04

    Film

    Small, skilled crews, with safety, consent and wellbeing planned from the very first day.

  5. 05

    Finish

    Edit, grade, sound and music, with review points built into the calendar rather than squeezed in.

  6. 06

    Launch

    Festivals, release and impact — and a relationship that continues long after the premiere.

03 Ways to work together

Three models, one standard.

I.

Originals

Films we initiate, develop and produce ourselves — often with emerging filmmakers we have championed from their very first pitch.

Ideal for Filmmakers & writers

II.

Co-productions

Partnerships with producers, broadcasters and funds at home and abroad, sharing creative ambition, risk and reward.

Ideal for Producers, broadcasters & funds

III.

Commissions

Documentaries for organisations with a story to tell — made with full editorial integrity and our Documentary Charter.

Ideal for Foundations, NGOs & brands

04 Questions

Frequently asked.

Can’t find what you need? Write to us at hello@polarispictures.com.

Yes. We read every submission that arrives through our submissions page, and we reply to every one — usually within eight weeks.

Yes — through co-production or production services. We are clear about our role, credit and fees from the very first conversation.

From intimate observational documentaries to international features. What matters is that the budget fits the ambition — and we will tell you honestly if it doesn’t.

Yes. Our slate already spans several countries, and we regularly partner with producers, funds and crews overseas.

Every commission agreement includes an editorial independence clause and our Documentary Charter. Partners review cuts for factual accuracy — not for message.

Yes. See our Careers page for open roles and the Polaris Fellowship for emerging documentary filmmakers.