Cottonwood Media Goes Independent Again

The company behind Find Me in Paris is breaking out on its own again.

David Michel is buying Federation Studios' entire stake in Cottonwood Media, the Paris-based kids and family producer he co-founded. The deal returns Cottonwood to full independence after 11 years inside Federation, Deadline reported on 1 October 2026.

Michel will lead the independent company with partners Cécile Laurenson and Zoé Carrera Allaix. Michel is the former boss of Zodiak Kids and a co-founder of Federation alongside Pascal Breton and Lionel Uzan, where he oversaw kids and family content.

Federation is not cutting ties completely. Its sales arm, Federation International, will remain as distributor of Cottonwood's catalogue, meaning it will keep selling existing shows to broadcasters and platforms. Federation will also hold a first look on future Cottonwood projects, which gives it the first chance to come on board before others are approached.

Cottonwood has made more than 120 hours of programming across 13 international series. Its catalogue includes the mystery series The Lady Grace Mysteries, the ballet drama Spellbound and the time-travel ballet series Find Me in Paris.

The company joined Federation Entertainment in 2015, the year it was founded. Since then its credits have spanned co-productions across Europe and beyond, including Find Me in Paris, which ran for three seasons with ZDF and the Paris Opera Ballet School, and The Ollie and Moon Show, which involved France TV and Netflix and sold into more than 160 countries, according to Cottonwood Media.

The recent slate shows that cross-border mix. The Lady Grace Mysteries, co-produced with Coolabi Productions and commissioned by ZDF Studios and BBC Children's and Education, wrapped filming on its second season in the United Kingdom. Cottonwood was also in production on the CGI dramedy 20 Dance Street for France Télévisions and ZDF, while its feature Around the World in 80 Days, distributed by StudioCanal, was the No.1 French movie at the international box office in 2021.

Looking ahead, Cottonwood plans to co-produce programmes aimed at young adults in the 16-25 and 18-29 age brackets. That stretches beyond its core kids slate.

For viewers, little changes in the short term. The same team stays in charge, old shows keep the same seller, and new ideas get a clear path to market.