SIFF

What SIFF does

SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1976 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, that operates an annual film festival and a year-round cinema circuit across three dedicated venues: SIFF Cinema Downtown (the former Cinerama theater purchased in 2023 for approximately $5 million), SIFF Cinema Uptown (a three-screen arthouse venue with 150, 250, and 450 seats), and SIFF Film Center (a 90-seat boutique cinema on the Seattle Center campus). Its core product is curated film exhibition, with the 51st annual festival screening approximately 203 films over 11 days across both in-person and virtual programming, supplemented by year-round repertory, special events, education programs (SIFF Filmmaking Camps, SIFF Education), and community screenings. SIFF serves film enthusiasts, filmmakers, students and educators, and corporate partners, and holds Oscar-qualifying status from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for short films across three categories.

SIFF generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit mix including ticket sales (regular $18, matinee $15, $7 Movie Tuesdays), annual memberships ($6 discount per ticket, 12-month validity), concessions (popcorn, beverages, beer, wine, cocktails), charitable donations, corporate sponsorships across Platinum/Marquee/Premier/In-Kind tiers, gift cards, venue rentals, and education program fees. The technology stack is relatively lightweight: the siff.net website is powered by Ingeniux Corporation's CMS, supported by online ticketing, mobile applications, and barcoded ticketing for attendance tracking. There is no public-facing API or developer platform; AI/ML capabilities are limited to commodity auto-generated captioning for virtual programming.

SIFF's go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, anchored by the annual festival and sustained by year-round cinema programming. Marketing is executed through the website, email newsletter, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, Flickr, YouTube, Letterboxd), complemented by a volunteer program, press center, and membership drives. Key partners include Platinum-tier funders 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Paul G. Allen Foundation Family, and Wyncote Foundation, alongside technology and in-kind partners Ingeniux, Shiftboard, Seattle Center, and media partner The Seattle Times. The organization is led by Artistic Director Beth Barrett (since 2016), Associate Director of Festival Programming Stan Shields, Community Engagement Manager Hannah Baek, and Director of Development Jeanne Nickelsburg. Recent disclosures indicate financial difficulties and staff layoffs attributed in part to underperformance of the SIFF Cinema Downtown venue relative to post-acquisition projections.

Name

SIFF

Legal name

Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)

Website

https://siff.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SIFF is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that operates an annual international film festival and three year-round cinema venues, serving film enthusiasts, filmmakers, students, and corporate partners through curated arthouse programming, education programs, memberships, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Exhibition and Festival Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Film festival
• Arthouse cinema
• Film exhibition
• Cinema operations
• Film education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to year-round cinema screenings and the annual Seattle International Film Festival. Tickets are available online through SIFF Web Services and at venue box offices. Passes for festival and year-round access are also sold.
2. Memberships: SIFF offers annual memberships ($12 member discount on tickets) valid for 12 months from purchase date. Memberships provide benefits including discounted tickets and special access.
3. Concessions: Food and beverage sales including popcorn, drinks, beer, wine, and snacks at SIFF cinema venues.
4. Donations: SIFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization (Tax ID 91-1489660) that accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from platinum, marquee, premier, and in-kind partner tiers support the organization year-round and during the festival.
6. Gift Cards: SIFF sells gift cards that can be used online or at the Box Office for Tickets, Passes, Memberships, and other items. Gift cards are not redeemable for concessions sales.
7. Venue Rentals: SIFF Cinema venues are available for group sales and private rentals.
8. Education Programs: Revenue from SIFF Filmmaking Camps, SIFF Education classes, and other educational events and workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SIFF operates three dedicated cinema venues in Seattle and presents the annual Seattle International Film Festival, screening approximately 203 international and independent films across an 11-day festival period. The organization also delivers year-round arthouse cinema programming, film education programs (such as SIFF Filmmaking Camps), community screenings, and venue rental services, all supported by ticketing, concessions, memberships, sponsorships, and donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization.

Product overview

SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization operating a multi-venue cinema circuit and annual film festival. The core offering consists of three cinema venues: SIFF Cinema Downtown (a historic theater formerly known as Cinerama), SIFF Cinema Uptown (a three-screen arthouse cinema), and SIFF Film Center (a 90-seat boutique cinema at Seattle Center). SIFF presents the annual Seattle International Film Festival featuring approximately 203 films over 11 days, supplemented by year-round programming including film series (Cold War Summer, Talking Pictures), education programs (SIFF Filmmaking Camps), and community screenings. Supporting services include SIFF Memberships (annual subscriptions with discounted tickets), Festival and Year-Round Passes, Gift Cards, Concessions, and Venue Rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIFF Cinema Downtown A historic cinema venue (formerly Cinerama Theatre) located at 2100 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, offering year-round film screenings and special presentations including 70mm film presentations for individual film enthusiasts and the general public.
• SIFF Cinema Uptown Arthouse cinema venue at 511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 with three auditoriums (150, 250, and 450 seats) featuring 2K digital projection and archival 35mm capabilities for individual film enthusiasts.
• SIFF Film Center A 90-seat state-of-the-art cinema at 167 Republican St, Seattle Center Campus featuring boutique arthouse hits, repertory runs, National Theater Live, and SIFF Education programming for individual film enthusiasts and students.
• Seattle International Film Festival Annual multi-day film festival featuring approximately 203 films across 11 days, with both in-person screenings and online programming, offering juried and audience competition awards. Targeted at individual film enthusiasts, filmmakers, and industry guests.
• SIFF Membership Annual membership program offering benefits such as discounted tickets ($6 off regular price), special screenings, and member-only events. Memberships are valid for 12 months from purchase date for individual film enthusiasts.
• SIFF Cinema Passes Festival Passes for the annual film festival and Year-Round Passes for regular-priced screenings at SIFF Cinema venues, sold to individual film enthusiasts.
• SIFF Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable online or at the Box Office for tickets, passes, memberships, and other items. Non-refundable, do not expire, and cannot be used for concessions.
• SIFF Filmmaking Camps Educational programs for aspiring filmmakers, part of SIFF's broader arts education initiatives for students and youth.
• SIFF Education Film education programs including SIFF Filmmaking Camps, community screenings, and virtual programming with auto-generated captioning for students, educators, and community audiences.
• SIFF Concessions Food and beverage offerings at SIFF Cinema venues including popcorn, snacks, drinks, beer, wine, and cocktails at Uptown and Film Center locations, sold to cinema patrons.
• Venue Rentals Rental options for SIFF cinema venues for private events, group screenings, and corporate functions.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIFF 2026 screened 203 films across an 11-day festival period
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• 4CulturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing cultural funding support to SIFF's year-round cinema operations and programs.
• Seattle Office of Arts & CulturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing municipal arts funding support to SIFF's nonprofit arts programming.
• Paul G. Allen Foundation FamilycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing philanthropy support to SIFF's cultural and educational programming.
• Wyncote FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner supporting SIFF's film programming and arts education initiatives.
• ArtsFundsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMarquee Partner providing arts organization funding support.
• Satterberg FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMarquee Partner providing foundation grant support for arts and cultural programs.
• MirabellasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner and Open Caption Sponsor. Retirement community providing sponsorship support.
• Norcliffe FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner providing foundation grant support.
• BECUsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner providing credit union sponsorship support.
• Ingeniux CorporationsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIn-Kind Partner providing content management system technology for SIFF's website operations.
• Seattle CentersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-Kind Partner providing venue hosting for SIFF Film Center located on the Seattle Center campus.
• ScarecrowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-Kind Partner providing support through movie-related products or services.
• Staypineapple (Pineapple Hotel)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-Kind Partner offering hotel discounts for SIFF theater-goers at The Maxwell Hotel and Hotel FIVE.
• The Walls VineyardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-Kind Partner providing wine products for SIFF cinema concessions.
• The Seattle TimesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-Kind Partner providing media coverage and promotional support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IFC Center: New York-based nonprofit arthouse cinema operated by IFC Films. Direct peer in the year-round arthouse/repertory exhibition model SIFF runs across its three venues.
• Coolidge Corner Theatre: Nonprofit arthouse cinema in Brookline, MA with year-round repertory programming and education initiatives. Comparable to SIFF's Film Center and education programming.
• Chicago International Film Festival: One of the oldest competitive film festivals in North America with associated year-round cinema programming. Comparable to SIFF as a long-running US international film festival with civic sponsorship ties.
• Tribeca Festival: Major US film festival with strong nonprofit-style programming and partnerships. Comparable to SIFF in audience-festival scale and independent/arthouse film focus.
• Sundance Institute: Runs the Sundance Film Festival plus year-round artist labs and programs. Comparable as a nonprofit that pairs a flagship festival with deeper filmmaker-development and year-round programming infrastructure.
• SFFilm (San Francisco Film Festival): West Coast peer running the San Francisco International Film Festival and operating the historic Castro Theatre. Closely comparable to SIFF in geography, scale, and the festival-plus-venue model.
• TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival): Operates a major annual international film festival alongside the year-round TIFF Bell Lightbox cinema and programming complex. Direct comparison to SIFF on festival scale, year-round venue operations, and international film curation.
• BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music): Multi-venue performing arts and film presenter with year-round repertory cinema programming inside a larger cultural institution. Comparable hybrid performing-arts-plus-film model and nonprofit funding structure.
• Austin Film Society (AFS Cinema): Nonprofit that runs an annual festival program plus a year-round arthouse cinema (AFS Cinema). Closely comparable to SIFF's nonprofit+festival+venue hybrid model in a regional US market.

Broad incumbents

• Landmark Theatres: Largest US arthouse cinema chain. Overlaps with SIFF on arthouse exhibition but is a for-profit commercial chain rather than a nonprofit festival operator, making it a broader incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SIFFNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/SIFFNews
• Instagraminstagram.com/siffnews
• Xx.com/SIFFNews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 SIFF