UK distributor Dogwoof, known for its innovative release plans for socially conscious films, is now branching out to offer international sales consultation.

The first film Dogwoof is representing for international sales is Girl Model, which is premiering here at TIFF (the P&I screening is today).

With Girl Model, which was funded partly by POV and CBC, and the first two deals Dogwoof has done on the film are UK TV rights to BBC Storyville and Danish TV rights to DR.

There are discussions now with distributors in Europe and Australia.

“We’ve found recently that more and more filmmakers are asking us to help with with international plans,” Dogwoof Head of Distribution Oli Harbottle told Screen. “We’re not positioning ourselves as traditional sales agents, its more consulting. [Filmmakers] can retain rights and approve every deal, but we can help them secure those deals. We’ll take on a handful of films per year on a commission-only consultancy.”

To grow this side of the business, Dogwoof has now hired Vesna Cudic (ex-Taskovski Films), who works more on acquistions and broadcast sales, Ana Vicente (ex-EastWest Filmdistribution), who will concentrate on theatrical, non-theatrical, VOD, DVD and festival work.

Girl Model is a US production from David Redmon & Ashley Sabin, yet Harbottle notes that working with emerging UK talents is also a priority. “As we take on more films on this level, we’d like to focus on British documentary and emerging talents,” Harbottle said. Two new UK projects are expected to join the sales service by the end of September.

More unofficially, Dogwoof had previously offered international consulting on How Much Does Your Building Weight, Mr. Foster? by Norberto Lopez Amado & Carlos Carcas.

Girl Model, playing here in Real to Reel, is about Russian girls being scouted to model in Japan.

“It’s an expose of the dark side of modeling industry,” Harbottle said. “I talked to the filmmakers at HotDocs and I could see the potential, it’s an international story that is character driven.”

Dogwoof plans to launch the project theatrically in the UK timed to London Fashion Week in February 2012.

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