It will be our aim to ensure that every film we back is properly supported at every stage of production in order to give each project the best chance of being both financially as well as artistically SUCCESSFUL.

Our name comes from a Spanish expression, common in Argentina -- "hijos del rigor" -- which translates literally to "sons of rigor" and refers to the tendency we have as humans to learn everything the hard way. 

In the context of filmmaking, this concept can be applied to the ability to deliver highly-polished results under tight scheduling and budget constraints. All supported by a rewarding team effort.  

Sons of Rigor’s founder & principal

Douglas Choi

Douglas Choi is a British-American cinephile with years of experience structuring and negotiating financing transactions, and as an angel investor, attorney and/or advisor for multiple successful private companies representing billions of dollars in market capitalization.  As an investor, Doug’s approach has always been to back smart, talented, easy-to-get-along-with people (the No Assholes Rule is an underlying principle here), and then let them work their magic without meddling.  He has often been the very first backer of a project.  Doug has served, or is serving, as an executive producer on over 10 feature-length fiction and documentary film projects to-date (including The Starling Girl - Sundance and SXSW 2023 and Pay or Die - SXSW 2023), traveled to over 80 countries from Antarctica (okay, not really a country) to Zambia, studied classical French cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu, and has lived in North America, South America and Europe.

Martina Bassenger

Martina works as the Creative Executive for Sons of Rigor Films. Martina sources and evaluates projects based on their creative and financial potential, as well as their suitability for Sons of Rigor. Her knowledge of the industry helps her support those projects further with key insights and strategies to ensure the films are able to maximize their potential. She studied film and theatre criticism and holds a BA from Reading University in English Literature and Film and Theatre.  Martina heads the day-to-day operations at Sons of Rigor and is based in London, UK.

Creative Analyst / Producer

Séverine Tibi

Séverine works as the Creative Analyst for Sons of Rigor Films. She scouts, identifies, and assesses projects through both a creative and commercial lens, ensuring alignment with the company’s goals and values. Séverine is also a Producer who co-founded the Cannes-based production company Sevana Films. She has produced films in several countries, which have screened at festivals including Locarno, Palm Springs, Toronto and SXSW London, and she is a Sundance Producers Summit, Rotterdam Lab and Zurich Film Festival Academy alumna. She previously worked at the British Film Institute as a Business Partnerships Coordinator in London. Séverine is based in Los Angeles, US.