Northwest Film Forum

What Northwest Film Forum does

Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit film and arts center founded in 1995 and headquartered at 1515 12th Ave in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The organization operates an 8,000 square foot, 1920s-era venue comprising two cinemas (Cinema 1 with 110 seats, Cinema 2 with 46 seats) and an 875 square foot lobby, with ground-floor wheelchair access. Its core activity is the curation, exhibition, and hosting of independent, experimental, international, and LGBTQ+ cinema through daily film screenings, 13+ recurring annual festivals (including the 28-year-old Local Sightings Film Festival, Free Forum, Engauge Experimental, Cadence Video Poetry, and Seattle Trans Underground), and themed programming series.

NWFF generates revenue across six streams: ticket sales ($15 general admission, with student/senior/member discounts), venue and equipment rentals, an annual membership program, youth animation summer camps ($375 per camper, ages 9-18), donor contributions framed as community-powered funding, and a 3-film series pass subscription. The organization also provides artist services including equipment rental, edit lab access, fiscal sponsorship for filmmakers, and named grant programs (Collective Power Fund, Lynn Shelton "Of a Certain Age" Grant). It reaches audiences through its website, email newsletter, social media, and ticketing platforms Eventive and Brown Paper Tickets, and co-presents programming with a network of community organizations including Seattle Film Society, Three Dollar Bill Cinema, Seattle Documentary Association, Scarecrow Video, Velocity Dance Center, Lifelong, and Langston/Seattle Black Film Festival. Target customer segments span film enthusiasts, Pacific Northwest filmmakers, youth and families, arts nonprofits, the LGBTQ+ community, and disabled audiences.

Name

Northwest Film Forum

Legal name

Northwest Film Forum

Website

https://nwfilmforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northwest Film Forum is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts center operating two cinemas (156 seats) that curates independent, experimental, and LGBTQ+ film programming, hosts 13+ annual festivals, runs youth animation camps and artist services, and serves regional filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and community organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Cinema and Film Arts Center

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH), Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Independent film exhibition
• Community cinema venue
• Film festival hosting
• Arts education programs
• Venue rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from film screenings and special events. General admission typically $15, with discounts for students, seniors, and members.
2. Venue Rentals: Cinema 1 (110 seats), Cinema 2 (46 seats), and Lobby available for private and corporate events, screenings, rehearsals, and fundraisers. Commercial and nonprofit rate structures.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership providing discounts on shows and rentals, plus access to special events.
4. Equipment Rentals: Rents equipment for shooting, recording, mixing, and editing projects to filmmakers.
5. Youth Summer Camps: Animation summer camps for youth ages 9-18, with tuition of $375 including materials.
6. Donations: Community donations support operations - tagline states 'We are powered by you, the people.'

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Northwest Film Forum operates a two-screen cinema venue in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, screening independent, experimental, international, documentary, and LGBTQ+ films through curated series and annual festivals. It also runs youth animation summer camps, media-making workshops, equipment rentals, and fiscal sponsorship for filmmakers, and rents its theaters and lobby to organizations for private and corporate events.

Product overview

Northwest Film Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization operating as a community cinema and cultural center in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The organization offers a unified portfolio of film exhibition services including daily film screenings across multiple curated series (such as Truth to Fiction and Animation Domination), major annual festivals (Local Sightings Film Festival, Free Forum, Seattle Trans Underground Film Festival), and venue rental of its two theaters. Complementary offerings include youth education through animation-focused summer camps and workshops taught by industry professionals, artist support services including equipment rental and nonprofit fiscal sponsorship, and a membership program providing access to special events and discounts. The organization generates revenue through ticket sales, venue rentals, memberships, and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Screenings Daily movie and event showtimes featuring independent, foreign, documentary, and locally-produced films across multiple genres and curated series, sold at $15 general admission.
• Film Festivals Annual and recurring film festivals hosted at the venue including Local Sightings Film Festival (28th year in 2025), Free Forum, Engauge Experimental Film Festival, Seattle Trans Underground Film Festival, Cadence Video Poetry Festival, and Travessias Brazilian Film Festival.
• Venue Rental Rental of Cinema 1 (110 seats), Cinema 2 (46 seats), and the lobby (875 sq ft) to organizations and individuals for private screenings, corporate events, meetings, fundraisers, and receptions. Weekday commercial rate $250/hr Cinema 1; nonprofit rate $200/hr.
• Youth Summer Animation Camps Multi-day animation-focused summer camps for youth ages 9-13 and 14-18, teaching animation techniques, stop motion, and film production skills. Financial scholarships available on request.
• Workshops and Events Educational workshops taught by local industry professionals covering various aspects of media-making, from introductory to advanced courses.
• Artist Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 28th annual Local Sightings Film Festival showcasing Pacific Northwest filmmakers

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Seattle Film SocietycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Seattle Film Society is a filmmaker-run project dedicated to organizing, cultivating, and celebrating the Greater Seattle filmmaking community. They present the monthly 'Locals Only' screening series at NWFF, showcasing Washington-made short films with filmmaker Q&As. Partnership includes co-presented events and cross-promotion.
• Seattle Documentary AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Seattle Documentary Association cultivates and supports an equitable and professional community of nonfiction storytellers. Co-presents documentary screenings with NWFF including Truth To Fiction series events.
• Three Dollar Bill CinemacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLGBTQ+ film organization that provides access to films by, for, and about LGBTQ+ people. Co-presents screenings at NWFF including Parting Glances.
• Scarecrow VideominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDedicated to preserving and making accessible the world's diverse cinematic cultural heritages through its collection and programs. Co-presented A Body To Live In screening.
• Velocity Dance CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDance organization co-presenting Daisies screening with NWFF, with related dance performance at 12th Ave Arts.
• LifelongminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization removing barriers to health with focus on HIV community. Co-presented Parting Glances screening at NWFF.
• Langston / Seattle Black Film FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for special Juneteenth edition of Locals Only screening, expanding reach into Seattle's Black film community.
• Cole Wilder (Program Curator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of Exhibition Cole Wilder curates special programming series including Reel to Real: Desire and Reality in Queer Adult Cinema.
• Seattle Office of Arts & CultureminorOthersGrant provider in partnership with Sensory Access for accessibility initiatives including sensory access documents and accessibility improvements.
• The BeaconminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for Twin Peaks: The Return screening series, with collaborative programming across Seattle cinemas.
• The Grand IllusionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for Twin Peaks: The Return screening series, with collaborative citywide programming.
• SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for Twin Peaks: The Return screening series, expanding access across multiple Seattle cinemas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival): Seattle's flagship film organization and festival operator. Directly comparable as a regional film exhibition and festival body, and an active co-presentation partner with NWFF.
• The Grand Illusion Cinema: Seattle-based nonprofit art-house cinema showing independent, repertory, and foreign films. Comparable as a small nonprofit cinema with a curated programming model and overlapping audience in the same metro.
• The Beacon Cinema: Independent Seattle cinema operator with repertory and special-event programming. Comparable as a neighborhood-level competitor and co-presentation partner on citywide screening series.
• Jacob Burns Film Center: New York-area nonprofit art-house cinema and education center. Closely comparable business model: curated independent film exhibition, festivals, youth education programs, and filmmaker support services at a single multi-screen venue.
• Brattle Theatre: Cambridge, MA nonprofit repertory cinema known for curated series and special events. Comparable as a single-screen nonprofit cinema with repertory programming, filmmaker engagement, and a mission-driven operating model.
• Coolidge Corner Theatre: Brookline, MA nonprofit art-house cinema with multiple screens, education programs, and a major film festival. Comparable in mission, multi-screen nonprofit structure, education programming, and community-festival portfolio.
• Metrograph: New York art-house cinema with curated independent, repertory, and international programming plus a restaurant/bar and bookstore. Comparable as a curated independent film venue, though operating at a larger commercial scale than NWFF.

Emerging players

• Scarecrow Video: Seattle nonprofit dedicated to preserving physical media and hosting special screenings. Comparable as a community-oriented film nonprofit that co-presents events with NWFF, with overlapping curatorial goals.

Broad incumbents

• IFC Center: New York-based independent film exhibition venue operated by AMC. Comparable as a curated independent/experimental cinema, though with corporate backing and a larger single-venue footprint than NWFF.
• BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music): Major multi-discipline performing arts and film presenter. Comparable in mission as a nonprofit presenter operating venues with curated programming, festivals, and education programs, though at a substantially larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nwfilmforum
• Facebookfacebook.com/nwfilmforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-film-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Northwest Film Forum