Catalytic Films Launches at American Film Market
Independent company Catalytic Films debuted at the 2026 American Film Market with a four-feature sales slate and a strategic alliance with Visual Narrative Films.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Film — General
Milena Rimassa launched Catalytic Films, an independent production, financing, and sales company, at the 2026 American Film Market. The company presented a four-feature sales slate and formed a strategic alliance with Visual Narrative Films (VNF).
Why it matters
The launch adds a new independent sales and financing company to the film market, with Catalytic Films overseeing global distribution and international sales for VNF's productions. The alliance links two independent producers in a single structure for handling financing and sales across international territories.
The sales slate consists of four features, with the source extraction providing no box office, streaming viewership, or budget figures for any title. Details on commercial performance for the slate and for the new company are not yet available.
The players
Milena Rimassa
Rimassa launched Catalytic Films and serves as executive producer across the slate of Visual Narrative Films under the alliance.
Visual Narrative Films (VNF)
VNF is an independent film company led by Unni Rav that formed a strategic alliance with Catalytic Films.
Joel Harber
Harber wrote and directed the supernatural horror thriller Something's In There.
The details
Catalytic Films presented four features at the 2026 American Film Market, including the supernatural horror thriller Something's In There, written and directed by Joel Harber and starring James Franco, Peter Gold, and Elsie Hewitt. Other titles include Boundaries, directed by Kirandeep Karnati, Paper Flowers, directed by Mahesh Pailoor and produced by Asit Vyas and available to North American viewers on the Angel Studios streaming service, and We Are Never Alone, directed and scored by Michel Pascal and produced by Stephen Powers.
Timeline
2026 American Film Market: Catalytic Films launched and presented its four-feature sales slate.
Industry Dynamics
The launch comes at the American Film Market, where independent producers present sales slates to buyers for global distribution. Alliances such as the one between Catalytic Films and Visual Narrative Films reflect independent companies pooling financing and international sales capacity.
Audiences seeking the new slate can currently find Paper Flowers on the Angel Studios streaming service for North American viewers. Release platforms and dates for the other three titles are not specified in the source extraction.
The takeaway
Independent films presented at major markets often depend on sales alliances to reach international buyers, so the terms of partnerships like this one shape which titles reach audiences. Readers following the slate should watch for distribution announcements, since the source extraction does not include them.
Further reading
Explore more independent Film — General coverage for context on how sales companies like this one operate.
