An international documentary catalogue is a sales and rights tool, not a filmography. Its job is to let an acquisition editor, distributor, sales agent, programmer or broadcaster decide quickly what a film is, who it is for, where it can play and whether the necessary materials and rights are available. Build every entry around that decision: consistent facts first, a precise editorial description, an explicit rights position and a practical route to the film.
The strongest catalogue can be scanned in seconds and trusted in a later deal. It separates confirmed information from plans, labels unfinished work honestly and never implies that a territory, language or promotional asset is available until the underlying agreement and permissions support that claim.
What an international buyer needs from a catalogue
A buyer rarely begins with a complete knowledge of your film. They may be comparing dozens of documentaries during a market, searching for a subject that fits a particular territory or checking whether a title can be delivered in the required language and window. Your catalogue should answer four questions in a predictable order:
- What is the film? The title, format, subject, story access, point of view and creative team.
- Does it fit this audience or territory? The language, themes, likely audience, editorial angle and any relevant positioning information.
- Can I acquire or programme it? The territories, languages, media, exclusivity and term that are actually available.
- What happens next? The screener route, sales representative or rights-holder contact and the materials available for review.
IDFA describes Docs for Sale as a curated catalogue and meeting market for connecting filmmakers and rights holders with industry professionals. Cannes Docs similarly presents specialist sales agents who promote line-ups and hold meetings. A catalogue therefore works best as a discovery route into a conversation, not as a substitute for a rights contract or a full pitch meeting.
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Choose the catalogue route before writing entries
Requirements differ by programme, edition and route to market. Decide whether you are preparing a self-submission to a market, a catalogue for a sales agent, a private slate for buyers, or a combination. Then obtain the current rules and delivery instructions for that specific route.
Self-submission to a documentary market
A market may publish eligibility rules, deadlines, access conditions and a standard submission form. For example, IDFA Docs for Sale 2026 required a completed creative documentary, an English version and cleared rights for the film and accompanying materials. Selected titles were made available to accredited professionals through the official online catalogue for one year. Those are edition-specific conditions, not a universal definition of market eligibility.
Working through a sales agent
A sales agent may ask for a different set of fields, a private screener, a delivery schedule and a rights statement tailored to its territories. Cannes Docs information confirms that specialist documentary agents use the market to promote their line-ups and meet potential partners. Before sending a slate, agree in writing on the territories, media, term, expenses, reporting, approval rights and termination provisions. The fact that an agent appears at a market does not establish its current availability or the terms it will offer your film.
Direct outreach to buyers
A direct catalogue can support targeted emails and meetings with broadcasters, platforms, distributors, educational outlets, festivals or exhibitors. Keep a master version internally, then create a buyer-specific copy that shows only the rights and materials relevant to that conversation. Do not circulate a public claim of availability that conflicts with an existing licence or holdback.
Build a consistent entry for every film
Consistency lets a buyer compare titles without hunting for basic facts. Put the same fields in the same order for every entry, even when some fields are marked “not stated” or “to be confirmed.” A concise header can carry the essential data, followed by editorial copy and rights information.
Core identification fields
- Exact release title, including punctuation and any approved international title.
- Production country or countries.
- Completion year and current completion status.
- Format: feature, short, episodic documentary or series.
- Runtime for the completed version; for a series, episode count and episode lengths if confirmed.
- Original language or languages.
- Director and producer names, with relevant credits.
- Production company and a direct rights-holder or sales contact.
Do not use a temporary runtime, speculative completion date or unofficial translated title as though it were final. If a market permits work in progress, label the cut and status plainly. IDFA Docs for Sale 2026, by contrast, required films to be fully finished at entry, so a rough cut could not be presented as eligible for that edition.
Logline
Write one or two sentences that identify the protagonist, situation, conflict or question and the distinctive access the film brings. A useful logline tells a buyer what changes, what is at stake and why this documentary has a particular point of view. Avoid a chain of adjectives such as “powerful,” “timely” or “unmissable” unless the wording is supported by a specific, verifiable achievement.
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Synopsis
Follow the logline with a short synopsis that gives enough narrative shape for an acquisition decision without reproducing the entire pitch deck. State the subject, principal characters or community, setting, time frame and the filmmaker’s approach. Explain the story’s progression rather than listing themes. If a significant outcome is intentionally withheld, make the editorial choice clear instead of implying a result the film does not contain.
Creative and production context
List the director, producer and key creative roles with relevant credits. A short director’s note can explain access, method or point of view when it helps a buyer understand the film. Keep biography factual and proportionate: a catalogue is not the place for unsupported superlatives or a complete career history.
State language, subtitles and completion status precisely
Language information affects eligibility, subtitling cost and audience reach. Identify the original language, whether an English version exists, and what kind of version it is: completed English-subtitled master, English-language audio, temporary subtitles or another status. Do not describe a subtitle file as an English version if the target market requires a finished, reviewable film.
IDFA Docs for Sale 2026 required an English version. Other markets may accept different language arrangements, so check each current edition. If translations are planned but not delivered, write “English subtitles in production” with an expected date only when that date is realistic and owned by someone responsible for delivery.
For series, distinguish between a completed season and episodes still in production. State whether all episodes have been delivered, whether a pilot is available and whether the buyer is acquiring a finished package or participating in completion.
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A buyer should not have to infer availability from a release history, festival listing or a vague phrase such as “worldwide rights.” Prepare an internal rights grid, then convert the confirmed portions into plain language in each catalogue entry.
Use a rights grid internally
Track at least these dimensions for every title:
- Territory: a named country, region or worldwide scope.
- Language: original-language, English-language, dubbed-language or language-specific rights.
- Media or window: theatrical, television, subscription streaming, transactional, advertising-supported, educational, airline, festival or another defined use.
- Exclusivity: exclusive, non-exclusive, shared or subject to a holdback.
- Term: start date, end date and any renewal or option.
- Status: available, reserved, licensed, pending approval or unknown.
The International Documentary Association’s distributor guide uses “Worldwide,” “English Language” and “US and Canada Only” as examples of how rights can be divided. That guide dates from 2002, so treat those examples as a way to understand the concept, not as current contract language. Confirm the wording in signed agreements and with the responsible sales representative or buyer.
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Translate the grid into buyer-facing wording
Write only what the records support. Examples include:
- “Worldwide educational rights available; United Kingdom television rights licensed through 30 June 2028.”
- “English-language rights available outside the territories listed below; confirm media and term with the rights holder.”
- “US and Canada theatrical rights available; streaming status pending confirmation.”
If a territory or use has not been checked, say “not stated” or “to be confirmed” rather than treating silence as availability. A rights statement should also name the contact who can confirm a current offer.
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Before sharing a screener, listing a title or negotiating a territory, establish who owns or controls the film and whether every third-party element is cleared for the intended use. This is broader than confirming that the production company commissioned the documentary.
Film elements to verify
- Underlying story, life-rights or access agreements where they are relevant to the production.
- Music licences, including composition, recording and territory or term limits.
- Archive footage, photographs, artwork, logos and news material.
- Contributor releases and permissions for identifiable people or private locations where required.
- Translations, subtitles, voice-over recordings and commissioned graphics.
- Stills, poster art, trailer footage and other promotional assets.
Cannes Classics guidance states that the submitter guarantees ownership of, or authorisation for, the reproduction and diffusion rights needed for screening. IDFA separately requires rights clearance for the film and accompanying materials. These programme examples show why a catalogue entry and a screener must be backed by a documented rights file; they do not replace a full legal review of your production and contracts.
Separate screening rights from promotional rights
A licence that permits a screening may not automatically permit a market to display a still, trailer or excerpt online. Record permissions for the catalogue itself, the market’s platform, private buyer access and public promotion. If a still is cleared only for press use, do not place it in a buyer portal without confirming the additional use.
Prepare the supporting materials buyers actually request
List the materials that are ready and identify the format or status without inventing technical standards. The sources reviewed do not establish universal codec, artwork-dimension, metadata-schema or screener-delivery requirements. Ask the target market, buyer or sales agent for its current specifications.
Typical catalogue references
- Completed screener or a clearly labelled work-in-progress link, if the route permits it.
- English version or other required language version.
- Trailer, teaser or approved excerpt.
- Production stills and caption information.
- Poster or key art where requested.
- Press notes, director statement and selected credits.
- Dialogue list, subtitle file or transcript when requested.
For each item, record whether it is complete, who may access it, how long the link remains valid and whether the image, music or footage is cleared for the proposed use. A catalogue can say “trailer available on request” when a public link would exceed the permission granted.
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Design the entry for rapid scanning
Put decision-critical information above the fold, then let the reader go deeper. A practical order is:
- Header: title, format, country, year, runtime and completion status.
- One-line logline: the central story and point of view.
- Synopsis: a compact narrative description.
- Language and version: original language, English-version status and subtitle information.
- Credits: director, producer and relevant creative roles.
- Rights box: territory, language, media, exclusivity, term and contact.
- Materials box: screener, trailer, stills and any delivery notes that are confirmed.
- Contact action: one named person or sales route with a response method.
Use the same labels and order throughout the catalogue. If a buyer opens a second entry, they should know where to find rights and materials immediately. Avoid burying availability in a paragraph of synopsis.
Choose markets and buyers strategically
Do not submit the same catalogue blindly to every event. Compare the route against the film and the rights you can actually offer.
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| Decision factor | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Audience and territory | Which countries, language groups and buyer types are represented, and do they match the rights you control? |
| Documentary focus | Does the market specialise in documentaries, a subject area, a format or a stage of completion relevant to the film? |
| Eligibility | Must the film be complete, have an English version, premiere in a territory or meet another edition-specific condition? |
| Catalogue visibility | Who can search the listing, for how long, and under what accreditation or access rules? |
| Materials and permissions | What must be delivered, and are the film and promotional assets cleared for those uses? |
| Route to deal | Is this self-submission, agent representation, meetings, or a combination? |
The Festival de Cannes 2026 catalogue reports 15,000 Marché du Film professionals from more than 140 countries, more than 600 exhibitors, 4,000 films and projects and 1,500 screenings. These are figures reported by the festival organiser, not an independent audit, but they illustrate why a clear entry matters in a large market. A large attendance number is not itself a guarantee of a buyer, so target meetings and rights rather than collecting listings.
Submission workflow: from master file to live listing
- Freeze the factual record. Confirm the title, runtime, credits, countries, language and completion status against the latest approved version.
- Audit rights. Compare each proposed territory, language and media claim with signed licences, reservations, holdbacks and expiry dates.
- Audit permissions. Check screening, screener, still, trailer, excerpt and catalogue-display permissions separately.
- Check the edition rules. Verify current eligibility, English-version requirements, deadlines, access period and requested materials for the specific market.
- Write and edit the entry. Test the logline and synopsis with someone who has not seen the film; remove claims they cannot substantiate.
- Prepare controlled access. Give each screener and asset the appropriate privacy setting, expiry date and password, and record who received it.
- Submit or brief the representative. Send the catalogue entry, rights grid and materials through the route specified by the market or agent.
- Log every change. Record submissions, buyer requests, licences, holds, expiry dates and the person authorised to update availability.
Use meetings to turn catalogue interest into a rights conversation
A catalogue earns attention; a meeting should resolve fit and next steps. Before a market, rank titles by the territories and rights that are genuinely open. For each priority buyer, prepare a short explanation of the audience, comparable editorial context without unsupported performance claims, available language versions and the material they can review immediately.
Ask practical questions: Which territory and media are under consideration? Is the buyer seeking exclusivity? What term and delivery date are required? Does the buyer need a local-language version, and who pays for it? Are there censorship, legal or broadcaster standards that affect the cut? Record answers in the rights log rather than relying on memory.
After the meeting, send the promised screener or materials only under the permissions you have. A request for a “worldwide” offer is not an agreement to grant worldwide rights; it is a prompt to check the grid and negotiate scope.
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Maintain the catalogue after publication
International availability changes. A licence may close one territory while leaving another open; a subtitle version may be completed; a trailer may be replaced; a market’s access period may end. Assign one person to own the master catalogue and set review points for rights, links and contact details.
- Update availability immediately after a signed licence, option, hold or expiry.
- Replace obsolete screeners and remove links that no longer have permission.
- Keep a dated version number and change log.
- Check that the published runtime and completion status still match the deliverable.
- Reconfirm market-specific access rules before each new edition or submission.
- Archive superseded versions so a buyer can be shown what was offered at a particular date.
When a title is selected for a market, note how long accredited professionals can access the official listing. IDFA Docs for Sale 2026 stated a one-year catalogue availability period for selected titles; another edition or programme may use a different period.
Common catalogue failures and their fixes
Vague or inflated rights language
Failure: “All rights worldwide” appears beside a film with existing festival, television or language commitments.
Fix: break the offer into territory, language, media, exclusivity and term, and mark anything unconfirmed.
Confusing a finished film with a work in progress
Failure: a rough cut is presented as complete, or a planned subtitle version is described as delivered.
Fix: label the cut and version honestly and check whether the target programme accepts it. IDFA Docs for Sale 2026 required a fully finished film.
Assuming screening permission covers marketing
Failure: a still, trailer or archive excerpt is placed in a catalogue without a permission for that display.
Fix: track promotional-material clearance separately from screening rights.
Using one generic entry everywhere
Failure: an entry omits the English version, local-language status or rights dimensions that matter to a particular buyer.
Fix: keep one factual master and adapt the emphasis and required fields to each current market.
Inventing technical standards
Failure: the catalogue promises a codec, artwork size or metadata format that the market did not request.
Fix: ask the target market, buyer or sales agent for current delivery specifications and publish only confirmed requirements.
Making the contact route ambiguous
Failure: several companies or personal addresses appear with no indication of who can license the film.
Fix: name the authorised rights holder or representative and state what that contact handles.
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Use this structure as an editorial template, then adjust fields to the market’s form. It is a framework, not a substitute for that market’s current requirements.
- Title: [exact approved title]
- Format / year / runtime: [feature, short or series] / [completion year] / [confirmed length]
- Country and original language: [country or countries] / [language]
- Status: [finished, picture lock, work in progress, or other precise status]
- Logline: [one or two sentences stating the story and point of view]
- Synopsis: [concise narrative description]
- Director and producer: [names and relevant credits]
- English version: [completed, type and date; or clearly marked status]
- Rights available: [territory, language, media, exclusivity and term]
- Materials: [screener, trailer, stills and permissions status]
- Rights contact: [authorised person, company and response route]
Before publication, read the entry as a buyer would: can they identify the film, assess its fit, understand what can be licensed and request the next material without sending a series of clarification emails? If not, fix the entry rather than adding promotional language.
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