Pablo Larrain’s Pijama Seals MK2, Alpha Violet, Visit Film Deals

Pijama, the TVOD platform just launched by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín, director and producer of “Jackie,” “Spencer” and “Maria,” has cut its first major commercial deals with MK2, Alpha Violet, Visit Films, Les Films du Losange, Electric Shadow and Utopia Films.

Pijama’s idea is to offer producers of any film which doesn’t sell worldwide – and how many do? – a worldwide distribution platform. 

Launching Jan. 25 as a website, with 25 titles from the back library of the Larrains’ own production house Fabula, Pijama added distribution on IOS and Android in April and Roku, FireTV, LG and Samsung this month.

Pijama will sign next week with two broadcasters, said Juan de Dios Larraín.

Now, via first-phase deals with sales agents Pijama is gaining critical mass, tying down non-exclusive – and very often geo-blocked rights – to iconic titles such as, from MK2, Mike Leigh’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Secrets and Lies,” made available in early May, plus Sally Potter’s “Orlando,” Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “The Double Life of Veronique” and Michael Haneke’s “The Piano Teacher,” which audiences simply can’t watch now in parts of the world.  

Alpha Violet Pijama features take in fest hits “Drowning Dry” from Laurynas Bareisa and “The Tribe” from Slaboshpytskiy Myroslav. 

Pijama also boasts 24 titles from Fabula, the Larrains’ own production company, including “Neruda,” one of Pablo Larrain’s greatest films, and Oscar winner “A Fantastic Woman.”

20 films were added to Pijama in one day alone last week. 

Now gaining critical weight, Pijama offers at least one solution for the times, ones of ever contracting sales. Its rationale, to form the basis of a marketing campaign, rings all too true. 80% of the films made never find distribution. Even streaming giants can only buy a fraction of productions. 

If your film isn’t acquired by a conventional streaming service, it may struggle to find an audience simply because there’s nowhere for people to watch it. This scenario deprives producers, sales agents, and distributors of global monetization opportunities across all types of films, while frustrating audiences who discover these titles but can’t watch them.

Enter Pijama which can open up audience access and returns to rights-holders.  

Also rights lapse fast. Another MK2 title on Pijama, extraordinary as it may seem, is Justine Triet’s 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or and original screenplay Oscar winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” which now can’t be seen in parts of Africa and Australasia.

Pijama was born from a sense of frustration. Sebastian Lelio ’s Cannes Premiere title “The Wave,” never closed a distribution deal in the U.K. 

“We couldn’t believe it. So we looked for some system which would allow access to the film – TVOD, VOD, whatever – and we just couldn’t find one,” Juan de Dios Larraín recalled. “We couldn’t believe that in the year 2025 there wasn’t any system which allowed a producer to upload his film directly, select a territory, fix a rental price, and make the film available. 

Our reaction was, well, ‘Let’s make one ourselves.’ We had to bring something to the conversation when most films just aren’t seen.”   

“Just because a film doesn’t have distribution doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an audience, however little it may be. The idea is to offer it to every producer, sales agent, distributor and studio around the world,” Larraín added.

From May 10, Pijama offered just over 100 films. It aims for a curated lineup of some 100-200 films at a time, recommended by Pijama to users, tapped from around 10 sales agents and select producers and distributors. 

“Sales agents have the same problem. They want to be able to say to their clients that their films can be seen worldwide,” Larraín said.  

But outside the recommendations, other producers are free to upload their films, select territories available, and tap 80% of revenues.

Many producers at this year’s Cannes, where 10-15 films may sell worldwide, might well consider that option.

Pijama executive Yira Vilaro is at Cannes. Juan de Dios Larraín will attend Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Toronto, San Sebastián and Cairo. “The films we’re looking for are for the curated list,” says Larraín. “But we’re inviting any producer to use Pijama.”   

The company will very shortly launch two marketing campaigns, one for producers and another, in late May and June, for users. After making a major play for audiences, the Larraíns will evaluate early results, and the next steps forward.

“It could take time for us to a large critical mass of films and users, but I have no doubt we’re going to get there,” Larraín concluded.