Cinema Tropical
Cinema Tropical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2001 in New York City that presents and distributes Latin American cinema in the United States through theatrical series, streaming, educational programming, and partnerships with major cultural institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cinema Tropical does
Cinema Tropical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in New York City, positioned as the leading presenter of Latin American cinema in the United States. The organization curates, programs, and distributes Latin American and U.S. Latinx films through theatrical releases, recurring screening series, a streaming platform, and educational programming. Its core product surface includes co-presented series such as Lost & Found (Anthology Film Archives), Las Premieres (Museum of the Moving Image), Latin Wave (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 19th edition), Cinema Tucsón (Fox Tucson Theatre), Music+Film: Brazil, and TropiChat; the Tropical on Demand streaming service launched in 2020; theatrical distribution partnerships with MUBI (including the 25th anniversary 4K re-release of AMORES PERROS in 2026) and Kino Lorber (THE CURRENTS); and dedicated educational and non-theatrical catalogs serving academic institutions.
The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of donations and charitable contributions (prominently solicited on the website), ticket sales (e.g., $10 general admission at Fox Tucson Theatre), and public and private grants from funders including the New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Vilcek Foundation, and Color Congress. It serves three primary customer segments: film enthusiasts and cultural audiences (individuals), educational institutions (schools and universities using the educational catalog), and cultural institutions/museums seeking co-presentation programming. Distribution is multi-channel — theatrical screenings in New York and other U.S. cities, streaming via Tropical on Demand (global), special-event screenings with filmmaker Q&As, and institutional/educational licensing.
Cinema Tropical has no proprietary technology platform; its competitive position rests on 25+ years of curatorial reputation, deep co-presentation partnerships with major U.S. cultural institutions, and relationships across the Latin American filmmaking community. It is led by co-founder and Executive Director Carlos A. Gutiérrez, with co-founder Monika Wagenberg. The organization is privately held as a non-profit, is not VC- or PE-backed, and operates without disclosed revenue figures.
Cinema Tropical firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cinema Tropical
- Legal name
- Cinema Tropical Inc.
- Website
- https://cinematropical.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cinema Tropical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2001 in New York City that presents and distributes Latin American cinema in the United States through theatrical series, streaming, educational programming, and partnerships with major cultural institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cinema Tropical industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Film Programming and Exhibition
- NAICS
- Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community) (MPADAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Cinema Tropical is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cinema Tropical business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Cinema Tropical relies on donations from individuals and organizations. The website prominently features a donate button.
- Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from admission fees to film screenings, with General Admission priced at $10 per screening at venues like the Fox Tucson Theatre.
- Public and Private Grants: Funding from government arts councils including New York State Council on the Arts and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, plus private foundations like the Vilcek Foundation and Color Congress.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission tickets |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cinema Tropical product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cinema Tropical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that curates, programs, and distributes Latin American and U.S. Latinx cinema across U.S. audiences. Its core activity involves theatrical exhibition of new releases and anniversary restorations at partner venues (Anthology Film Archives, Museum of the Moving Image, MoMA, Fox Tucson Theatre), recurring branded screening series (Lost & Found, Las Premieres, Latin Wave, Cinema Tucson, Music+Film: Brazil, TropiChat), and the Tropical on Demand streaming catalog.
Product overview
Cinema Tropical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the leading presenter of Latin American cinema in the United States. The organization operates as a multi-platform film distribution and exhibition organization offering theatrical releases, the Tropical on Demand streaming service, and numerous screening series programs (Lost & Found, Las Premieres, Latin Wave, Cinema Tucsón, Music+Film: Brazil, TropiChat, TropiChat 20). The portfolio also includes curated lists (Best Films of the Decade), educational programs, and a theatrical/non-theatrical distribution catalog. The organization partners with venues including Anthology Film Archives, Museum of the Moving Image, MoMA, and Fox Tucson Theatre to present Latin American and U.S. Latinx films to audiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lost & Found: Cine(ma)s Latinoamericanos Re-Unidos Ongoing monthly screening series at Anthology Film Archives co-presented with Cinema Tropical, featuring remarkable Latin American films making their New York premiere; programmed by Matías Piñeiro and Carlos A. Gutiérrez.
- Las Premieres Sneak preview series at Museum of the Moving Image offering pre-theatrical screenings of upcoming Latin American and U.S. Latinx film releases for New York audiences.
- Latin Wave Annual showcase of new Latin American cinema presented at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in its 19th edition; brings curated Latin American films to Houston audiences.
- Cinema Tucson Monthly Mexican cinema screening series at the Fox Tucson Theatre featuring classic films, B movies, and new Mexican cinema with filmmakers and special guests from Mexico; general admission $10 per screening.
- Music+Film: Brazil Special initiative presenting documentary films featuring Brazilian music, co-presented with partners including the Consulate General of Brazil in New York City and Brasil Summerfest.
- TropiChat Multi-platform project combining interactive public events with television programming and web content, featuring conversations with Latin American filmmakers presented in collaboration with New York's cultural institutions including the New Museum, Americas Society, King Juan Carlos I Center at NYU, and MoMA.
- TropiChat 20 Special 20th anniversary series of twenty weekly conversations with key Latin American and U.S. Latinx directors and film professionals, in partnership with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at NYU (CLACS).
- Tropical on Demand Subscription streaming service providing online access to the Cinema Tropical catalog of Latin American films, giving voice to new directors from Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia and elsewhere; also features daily recommendations.
- Educational Distribution Program Educational distribution and screening programs serving schools, universities, and academic programs seeking Latin American film content for curriculum support and academic research.
- Theatrical and Non-Theatrical Distribution Catalog Catalog of Latin American films available for theatrical and non-theatrical (institutional, educational) distribution, representing the rights-holding distribution arm of Cinema Tropical.
Companies that use Cinema Tropical
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cinema Tropical technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cinema Tropical partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Anthology Film ArchivescoreCo-presents the ongoing 'Lost & Found: Cine(ma)s Latinoamericanos Re-Unidos' series featuring monthly screenings of remarkable Latin American films. Series programmed by Matías Piñeiro and Carlos A. Gutiérrez.
- Consulate General of Brazil in New York CityminorInitiated Janeiro in New York special initiative in 2008, presenting Brazilian music documentaries through Music+Film: Brazil program.
- Museum of the Moving ImagecoreCo-presents 'Las Premieres' series offering sneak previews of upcoming Latin American and U.S. Latinx film releases before theatrical or streaming availability.
- Fox Tucson TheatrecoreHost venue for Cinema Tucsón monthly screenings of Mexican and Latin American films in Tucson, Arizona.
- UA Center for Latin American StudiesminorAcademic partner for Cinema Tucsón programming, bringing university collaboration to Mexican cinema presentations.
- Consulate General of Mexico in TucsonminorConsular partnership supporting Mexican cinema programming at Cinema Tucsón.
- Brasil SummerfestminorPartnership for Music+Film: Brazil programming, co-presenting Brazilian documentary films.
- New MuseumminorCultural institution partner for TropiChat conversations with Latin American filmmakers.
- Americas SocietyminorPartner for TropiChat filmmaker conversation series.
- King Juan Carlos I Center at NYUminorAcademic partner for TropiChat programming at New York University.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)minorPrestigious cultural institution partner for TropiChat filmmaker conversations.
- Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at NYU (CLACS)minorAcademic partner for TropiChat 20 series of conversations with Latin American filmmakers.
- Pirotecnia FilmsminorContent partner powering TropiChat 20 series production.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cinema Tropical competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Janus Films: Pioneering US distributor of foreign and classic cinema, affiliated with the Criterion Collection. Comparable in curating and distributing international art-house cinema theatrically in the US, including Latin American classics.
- Cohen Media Group: Independent theatrical distributor and production company focused on prestige and international cinema. Comparable in the theatrical distribution of world cinema to US audiences, including Latin American titles.
- MUBI: Global streaming and theatrical distributor that partnered with Cinema Tropical on the Amores Perros 25th anniversary re-release. Overlaps in curatorial world cinema distribution and streaming, but operates at vastly larger scale as a commercial entity.
- The Criterion Collection: Premium home-video and streaming distributor of classic and contemporary world cinema. Recently covered Ninón Sevilla Mexican cinema content via Cinema Tropical's blog. Comparable in curatorial authority for international art-house cinema, though at much larger commercial scale.
Direct peers
- Grasshopper Film: US distributor specializing in international and documentary cinema. Comparable as a niche independent distributor curating and theatrically releasing foreign-language and Latin American films in the US.
- Icarus Films: Distributor of documentary, international, and avant-garde films to educational and theatrical markets. Comparable with Cinema Tropical's educational catalog distribution function and curated international film programming.
- Film at Lincoln Center: Major NYC film presenting non-profit that co-presents Cinema Tropical's Neighboring Scenes series and overlapping Latin American/world cinema programming. Comparable as a non-profit cultural presenter with similar curatorial mission and institutional venue partnerships.
- Kino Lorber: US theatrical and home-video distributor of art-house and world cinema. Distributes films Cinema Tropical presents (The Currents). Comparable in the theatrical distribution function for Latin American and international cinema in the US market.
- Oscilloscope Laboratories: Independent US film distributor focused on curated, director-driven releases. Comparable as a mid-sized independent distributor operating in similar theatrical and home-video channels for art-house and international films.
Emerging players
- Argot Pictures: US-based independent distributor focused on Latin American and Spanish-language cinema. Closest direct head-to-head peer in the theatrical distribution niche for Latin American films in US markets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cinema Tropical social profiles
Digital presenceCinema Tropical financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cinema Tropical leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cinema Tropical funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cinema Tropical M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cinema Tropical
What does Cinema Tropical do?
Cinema Tropical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that curates, programs, and distributes Latin American and U.S. Latinx cinema across U.S. audiences. Its core activity involves theatrical exhibition of new releases and anniversary restorations at partner venues (Anthology Film Archives, Museum of the Moving Image, MoMA, Fox Tucson Theatre), recurring branded screening series (Lost & Found, Las Premieres, Latin Wave, Cinema Tucson, Music+Film: Brazil, TropiChat), and the Tropical on Demand streaming catalog.
Is Cinema Tropical a public or private company?
Cinema Tropical is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cinema Tropical founded?
Cinema Tropical was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cinema Tropical based?
Cinema Tropical is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cinema Tropical make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales and public and Private Grants.
Who are Cinema Tropical's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Janus Films, Cohen Media Group, MUBI and The Criterion Collection. Direct peers are Grasshopper Film, Icarus Films, Film at Lincoln Center, Kino Lorber and Oscilloscope Laboratories. Argot Pictures is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cinema Tropical have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cinema Tropical.
What industry is Cinema Tropical in?
Cinema Tropical's product category is Cultural Film Programming and Exhibition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAKAB, Independent & Art-house Cinemas, with a secondary code of MPADAJAJ, Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community). Its NAICS code is 512131 and its SIC code is 7830.