Nightlight Cinema

What Nightlight Cinema does

Nightlight Cinema is an independent, nonprofit movie theater founded in 2014 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The organization explicitly frames its mission as "advancing cinema and community in tandem," indicating a hybrid programming and community-engagement model rather than a pure commercial exhibitor. Its primary products are film screenings and related community/cultural programming tied to a single physical venue, with revenue mechanics likely drawn from a mix of ticket sales, concessions, memberships/donations, and possibly grants or event rentals typical for small nonprofit cinemas. The firm operates with a small team (11-50 employees) and runs a consumer-facing website at nightlightcinema.com.

No technology stack, distribution platform, or proprietary ticketing system is disclosed in the available data. The company carries no app, no named AI features, no patents or certifications, and no disclosed partnerships. The only external capital signal is a single $200,000 funding round dated December 18, 2020, with investors and lead investor undisclosed. There is no information on management team, board composition, or governance structure in the supplied source material.

Given the limited public footprint and absence of operating disclosures (no revenue, no headcount trend, no programmatic detail), the available data supports a conservative read of Nightlight Cinema as a small, single-site nonprofit cultural institution operating in a mid-sized U.S. metro market. Any assessment of scale, financials, or strategic momentum beyond this baseline should be treated as speculative.

Name

Nightlight Cinema

Website

https://nightlightcinema.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nightlight Cinema is an independent, nonprofit movie theater founded in 2014 in Akron, Ohio, that programs film screenings and community-oriented cultural events for local audiences under a "cinema and community" mission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Cinema

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAF

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPADAKAB

Independent & Art-house Cinemas

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Independent movie theater
• Nonprofit cinema
• Film screenings
• Arthouse films
• Community cinema

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

Nightlight Cinema is an independent, nonprofit movie theater that screens films for the public from a physical venue in Akron, Ohio. Its stated mission is to advance cinema and community in tandem, indicating a focus on curated film programming combined with community-oriented programming.

Product overview

No specific product information available. The source content is limited to a homepage title and loading image with no detailed product descriptions, feature listings, or named offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent Film Screenings In-person screenings of independent and curated films shown to the public at the Nightlight Cinema venue in Akron, Ohio, serving local residents and arts patrons.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Wexner Center for the Arts: Nonprofit arts center at Ohio State University in Columbus presenting independent, foreign, and experimental film programming alongside broader visual arts programming. Comparable to Nightlight on the nonprofit arts-cinema axis and operating within the same state.

Direct peers

• The Brattle Theatre: Nonprofit independent cinema in Cambridge, MA, specializing in repertory, classic, and art-house programming with a mission-driven model nearly identical to Nightlight Cinema's community-and-cinema focus.
• Coolidge Corner Theatre: Independent nonprofit art-house cinema in Brookline, MA, operating with a comparable mission of advancing film culture and community engagement through curated programming, special events, and educational initiatives.
• IFC Center: Independent nonprofit art-house cinema in New York City focused on independent, documentary, and foreign-language film exhibition, serving as a cultural anchor for cinephile communities in its market.
• The Loft Cinema: Nonprofit independent cinema in Tucson, AZ, dedicated to screening independent, foreign, and classic films while serving as a community arts and education hub, structurally and operationally similar to Nightlight.
• The Belcourt Theatre: Nonprofit art-house cinema and education center in Nashville, TN, presenting independent, foreign, and repertory films with a nonprofit mission parallel to Nightlight Cinema's community-focused model.
• AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center: Nonprofit cultural cinema in Silver Spring, MD, presenting independent, foreign, and repertory film programming with a strong community and educational programming emphasis.
• Ragtag Cinema: Nonprofit independent art-house cinema in Columbia, MO, operating as part of the Ragtag Film Society to present curated, independent, and documentary film programming with community programming.

Broad incumbents

• Angelika Film Center: Established art-house cinema chain operating in multiple major U.S. markets, screening independent and foreign films. Larger and more commercial than Nightlight but operating in the same independent cinema category.
• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Specialty cinema chain with a strong independent, repertory, and event-driven programming focus across multiple U.S. locations. Operates at significantly greater scale than Nightlight but competes for the same cinephile audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nightlightakron
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-nightlight-cinema

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Nightlight Cinema