What CHEYNI does

CHEYNI (Paris, France; founded 2021) operates a curated streaming and submissions platform for independent cinema, built on web-based streaming infrastructure backed by Stripe for payments, HTTPS encryption, and role-based access for festival screeners. The platform combines three integrated surfaces: a community streaming catalogue (CHEYNI Streaming Platform), a film festival submissions marketplace (currently hosting 13 festivals including AI Movie Cinemadrom, GLOW International, Ekurhuleni, Shoestring Filmmakers, and 2YKFF), and a curator-driven open-call and collections system (limited to 1,618 global curator seats with 16+ active curators running themed open calls such as Transformation, AI Shorts from Turkey, Costume Body & Scenography, and Encoded Souls). Proprietary features include a Producer Dashboard for filmmakers, a gated premiere-safe screening model (registered viewers first, then PRO subscribers) that protects filmmaker premiere status, and a view-based royalty system paying $1.5 to the filmmaker and $0.5 to the festival per 1,000 views for hosted festivals and $2 per 1,000 views for CHEYNI selections, with a 10,000-view minimum payout threshold.

CHEYNI serves four interconnected customer segments: independent filmmakers (the primary monetized persona), film curators, film festival organizers, and film audiences/cinephiles (65,000+ network of film lovers referenced in festival royalty context). Revenue is generated across five streams: filmmaker membership subscriptions (Free at €0/mo, PRO at €9.90/mo, PRO+ at €19.90/mo with annual billing at 20% discount), a one-time €490 Curator Network fee, festival and open-call submission transaction fees (€10-30 range, with CHEYNI retaining 20% on hosted festivals), streaming revenue royalties (view-based), and optional streaming add-ons (€5). Watch-to-Earn rewards supplement subscriptions with fiat or crypto (AIM Token) withdrawal for PRO members. Founder Can Eren leads the company, which has raised a disclosed $59,184 in June 2023 plus non-dilutive support from Fuelarts and Tezos, operates with 1-10 employees, and is governed under French law from its 58 Rue de Monceau, 75008 Paris headquarters.

Name

CHEYNI

Legal name

CHEYNI

Website

https://cheyni.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CHEYNI is a Paris-based curated streaming and submissions platform for independent cinema, serving independent filmmakers, curators, and film festivals via subscription memberships, submission fees, and view-based streaming royalties across a 65,000+ global viewer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Streaming and Distribution Platform

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual & Hybrid Event Registration & Streaming Access Platforms (THAHAFAM), Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)

Keywords

• Independent film streaming
• Film festival submissions
• Curator open calls
• Indie film distribution
• Creator streaming royalties

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Filmmaker Membership Subscriptions: Three-tier subscription model: Free (€0/mo), PRO (€9.90/mo), and PRO+ (€19.90/mo). PRO tiers offer unlimited film portfolios, prioritized visibility, promo code support, and monthly highlighted slots. PRO+ adds curator application eligibility and early access to open calls. Annual billing available at 20% discount.
2. Curator Network Fee: One-time €490 network fee for curator seat activation. Covers onboarding, platform tools, and network access. No monthly subscription for curators. Limited to 1,618 global seats.
3. Festival Submission Fees: CHEYNI hosts third-party film festivals that set their own submission fees (e.g., €10-30 for CHEYNI selections, €15 for AI Movie Cinemadrom, €10-20 for other festivals). CHEYNI retains 20% of submission fees, 80% goes to the festival.
4. Streaming Revenue Royalties: View-based royalty model sharing streaming revenue: 1,000 views yields $1.50 to filmmaker and $0.50 to festival/collection owner. Minimum payout threshold: 10,000 views. PRO members can withdraw accumulated royalties; free accounts accumulate but cannot withdraw.
5. Curator Open Call Submission Fees: Curators can set free or paid submission fees for their open calls. Paid calls process through Stripe checkout. Some calls include optional streaming add-ons (€5 listed, occasionally free).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CHEYNI operates a curated streaming and submissions platform for independent cinema that connects filmmakers with festivals and curators, accepts entries, showcases selections, and rewards audiences through a view-based royalty system. The platform bundles a streaming catalogue, festival submission infrastructure, curator open calls, and curated collections, supported by tiered filmmaker memberships and a limited, paid curator network.

Product overview

CHEYNI is a curated streaming and submissions platform for independent cinema, operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering combines a streaming platform (CHEYNI Streaming Platform) with a festival submission marketplace (Festival Submissions) and a curator discovery system (Curator Open Calls and Collections). These are supported by tiered filmmaker memberships (Free, PRO, PRO+), a limited Curator Network with one-time onboarding fees, and supplementary features including a Producer Dashboard, Watch-to-Earn Rewards, and educational content (Insider Guides). The platform connects filmmakers with festivals and curators, accepts entries, showcases selections, and rewards audiences through a gated community streaming model. Filmmakers retain ownership of their work while granting CHEYNI streaming rights upon selection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHEYNI Streaming Platform A curated streaming platform for independent cinema that allows audiences to watch festival films and curated selections, using a gated community model where films are accessible to registered viewers first and then to PRO subscribers.
• Festival Submissions A film submission platform connecting filmmakers with international festivals, allowing submissions to multiple festivals through a single dashboard, status tracking, and access to festival-specific fee schedules.
• Curator Open Calls A service enabling vetted curators to publish themed open calls for film submissions; curators review submissions and publish curated collections, offering filmmakers a direct pathway to visibility through programmatic selection.
• Collections Curator-assembled themed programs of selected films published on CHEYNI that function as digital seasons with curator context, running for a defined lifecycle before archiving.
• PRO Membership A subscription tier at €9.90/month (€7.92/month billed annually) offering unlimited films in portfolio, unlimited open-call submissions, prioritized profile visibility, promo code support, a monthly highlighted slot, and double Watch-to-Earn rewards with fiat or crypto withdrawal.
• PRO+ Membership A premium subscription tier at €19.90/month (€15.92/month billed annually) including everything in PRO plus curator application eligibility, early access to new open calls, priority customer support, and a dedicated profile badge.
• Curator Network A limited, invitation-only network of global tastemakers who run open calls, review submissions, and publish curated collections; access requires a one-time €490 network fee, capped globally at 1,618 seats, with curators earning up to 80% commission on invited films and $0.5 per 1,000 views.
• CHEYNI Selections CHEYNI's own festival accepting short and feature films worldwide (produced 2010 or later) for curated selection; selected films earn $2 per 1,000 views and reach CHEYNI's network of 65,000+ film lovers.
• Insider Guides A library of practical, SEO-targeted guides covering festival strategy, premiere status, curator open calls, film curation, indie distribution, and platform onboarding for filmmakers new to CHEYNI and the wider ecosystem.
• Producer Dashboard A filmmaker dashboard for managing uploads, tracking submission status across films, viewing submission counts, and receiving recommended open calls, with email notifications when curators update application status.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2 per 1,000 views for filmmakers in CHEYNI selections
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CINEMADROMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCINEMADROM partners with CHEYNI to host the AI Movie Cinemadrom Festival on the platform. The festival celebrates innovation in filmmaking bridging classic storytelling with AI-powered cinema. Selected films stream on CHEYNI and CINEMADROM's online events. Awards include AIM Token rewards issued as AirDrop to nomination winners. Festival location: Geneva, Switzerland.
• International 2 Sides Short Film Festival (2YKFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner2YKFF establishes Izmir as its constant shore and collaborates annually with a film initiative from a different city around the world. Edition 6 partners with The Film Gallery in Paris. The festival focuses on animation, documentary, experimental, and fiction shorts. CHEYNI hosts submissions and streaming. Free submission window available.
• Glow International Film FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLOW is Cape Town's premier boutique rooftop film festival founded by award-winning Pakistani-South African actor/filmmaker Natasha Mayet. Partner festivals include ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival (Paris) and Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival (USA). Submissions €20, short films under 20 minutes. Festival streams on CHEYNI reaching 65,000+ global viewers.
• Ekurhuleni International Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African film festival formed from the Siyafunda Programme in partnership with Ekurhuleni's Department of SRAC: Performing Arts division. Focus on empowering unemployed youth with filmmaking skills. Festival streams on CHEYNI with €10 submission fee. Earn $2 per 1,000 views for selected films.
• Shoestring Filmmakers In Reel Life Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm festival celebrating low-budget independent films under $25,000. Accepts shorts under 20 minutes and features up to 90 minutes. Monthly online screenings on CHEYNI with yearly full collection presentation. €10 submission fee with discount codes available.
• ÉCU - The European Independent Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉCU is a partner festival of GLOW International Film Festival, offering winning films extended reach to Europe's premier indie festival scene. Listed as international pathway partner in GLOW festival materials.
• Atlanta Sci-Fi Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as international partner festival for GLOW International Film Festival winners, providing pathway to USA genre film innovation hub.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe processes all payments on CHEYNI including memberships, open call submission fees, streaming add-ons, and curator network fees. Provides secure checkout with 256-bit SSL encryption. CHEYNI does not store card details.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• The Film Collaborative: Non-profit providing distribution strategy and services to independent filmmakers, including festival placement support. Operates as a complementary services provider in the same indie filmmaker ecosystem.
• Film Shortage: Curated short film directory and showcase platform with submission-based discovery. Adjacent to CHEYNI's curator and open call model for short film visibility.

Direct peers

• Eventive: Provides virtual screening, ticketing, and festival streaming infrastructure for independent cinemas and festivals. Comparable to CHEYNI's festival hosting and gated streaming capabilities.
• FilmFreeway: The dominant global film festival submission platform used by the vast majority of independent filmmakers. CHEYNI explicitly positions against FilmFreeway by bundling streaming, curator open calls, and royalties in addition to submissions.
• IndieFlix: Subscription-based indie film streaming service offering curated independent films to global audiences. Closely comparable streaming model and audience positioning to CHEYNI's curated VOD offering.
• Seed&Spark: Indie film crowdfunding and distribution platform serving independent filmmakers with audience building and revenue tools. Overlaps with CHEYNI's indie filmmaker focus and direct-to-audience streaming mission.

Broad incumbents

• Vimeo OTT: Enterprise-grade video platform with OTT subscription and streaming capabilities used by many content creators and distributors. Represents the broader professional video infrastructure category CHEYNI operates within.
• MUBI: Established curated streaming service for arthouse and independent cinema with a daily-film programming model. Represents a much larger incumbent in the curated indie streaming category CHEYNI targets.
• Sundance Film Festival (digital initiatives): Premier independent film festival with growing digital distribution platforms. Represents an established festival brand that could expand into the curated streaming and submission infrastructure space CHEYNI targets.

Emerging players

• Short of the Week: Curated short film discovery platform that highlights independent short films to cinephile audiences. Comparable curated-discovery positioning within the independent short film niche CHEYNI serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CHEYNI