The Nickelodeon

What The Nickelodeon does

The Nickelodeon Theatre is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arthouse cinema operating under the legal entity Columbia Film Society, founded in 1979 and headquartered in a two-screen facility (99 seats downstairs, 119 seats upstairs) inside the historic former Fox Theater at 1607 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina. It is the only downtown cinema in the Midlands region and the only nonprofit arthouse in the state, drawing 35,000+ attendees annually to first-run independent, documentary, foreign-language, and curated mainstream film programming across its dual auditoriums. Revenue is generated across six streams: ticket sales ($7-$12 per ticket), multi-tier individual memberships ($25 Student through $1,100 Producer), corporate memberships ($1,500-$30,000 Diamond), Palmetto Society major donor tiers ($2,500-$10,000+), facility rentals ($150-$300/hour or $7,500 all-day), and concessions, supplemented by foundation grants and tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations including the Ford Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The company's go-to-market is community-led, anchored by a deep partnership network with the University of South Carolina, Benedict College, and roughly two dozen local nonprofits (Harriet Hancock Center, SC Pride Movement, NOW, LRADAC, SC Humanities, Brookland Foundation, Trustus Theatre), which co-program ReelTalk docuseries, Community Impact screenings, Femme Film Fest, Camp Cinema (Kids Summer Movies), and Fresh Docs work-in-progress showcases. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via on-site box office and online ticketing through nickelodeon.org, with weekly email newsletters as the primary marketing channel and an Art House Convergence reciprocal-membership program extending national reach to traveling indie-film patrons. There is no proprietary technology product; the operation is a physical cinema venue supported by a standard event-management and ticketing stack.

Governance is via a member-elected Board of Directors led (as of November 2024) by Board President Tiffany Adams and Treasurer David Palkovitz, with an 11-50 person staff under Executive Director Sumner Bender, who has guided the organization since June 2022 through a post-pandemic turnaround that included board reconstitution, adoption of a formal DEI Living Statement of Values, and rebalancing of arthouse and mainstream programming. Subsidiary brands include Indie Grits Labs (media literacy) and the dormant Helen Hill Media Education Center, which is slated for revival.

Name

The Nickelodeon

Legal name

Columbia Film Society

Website

https://nickelodeon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nickelodeon Theatre (Columbia Film Society) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arthouse cinema in downtown Columbia, SC, operating two screens with 218 total seats inside the historic former Fox Theater and drawing 35,000+ annual attendees across independent, documentary, foreign, and curated mainstream film programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arthouse Cinema / Independent Film Exhibition

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAF

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional)

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

SECONDARYMPADAKAL

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services

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

SECONDARYMPADAKAH

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers)

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

SECONDARYMPADAKAJ

Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties)

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

Keywords

• Arthouse cinema
• Independent film exhibition
• Nonprofit movie theater
• Film series and festivals
• Theater rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual ticket purchases for film screenings and special events. Ticket prices range from $7 for Kids Summer Movies matinees to $11-12 for evening showings, with members receiving $3 discount.
2. Memberships: Annual membership tiers ranging from $25 (Student) to $1,100 (Producer) for individuals, providing discounted tickets, free popcorn, complimentary screenings, and other perks. Corporate memberships range from $1,500 (Friends) to $30,000 (Diamond). Palmetto Society tiers for major donors at $2,500-$9,999+.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Received $75,000 major gift in memory of Dr. Suzan Boyd. Also receives grants from foundations including Ford Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, South Carolina Arts Commission, and others.
4. Concessions: Sales of popcorn, candy, beverages, and other concessions during screenings. Pricing kept intentionally affordable as part of mission to make movies accessible.
5. Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting theaters for private events. Downstairs theater: $150/hr before 3pm, $250/hr after 3pm. Upstairs theater: $200/hr before 3pm, $300/hr after 3pm. Both theaters all-day rental: $7,500.
6. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate membership tiers and sponsorships from local businesses and organizations at various levels providing advertising, event access, and recognition benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Nickelodeon operates a two-screen nonprofit arthouse cinema in downtown Columbia, SC, exhibiting first-run independent, documentary, foreign, and curated mainstream films. It complements theatrical screenings with subscription-based individual and corporate membership programs, theater rentals for private events, concessions, gift certificates, and community-engaged film series such as ReelTalk, Kids Summer Movies, and the Indie Grits Film Festival.

Product overview

The Nickelodeon is a nonprofit arthouse cinema offering a portfolio of film exhibition and community engagement products. Its core offering is first-run theatrical film screenings across two screens (downstairs with 99 seats and upstairs with 119 seats). The theater complements this with curated film series (ReelTalk), a Kids Summer Movies series (Camp Cinema), community partner screenings, and the Indie Grits Film Festival (currently paused). Revenue is generated through individual and corporate membership tiers, theater rentals, concessions, and gift certificates. The Helen Hill Media Education Center formerly provided media literacy programs for youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Indie Grits Labs: Media literacy programming designated in 2016, focusing on media education and production skills for young people.
• Helen Hill Media Education Center

Products and services

• Film Screenings First-run theatrical film exhibition across two screens (99 seats downstairs, 119 seats upstairs), showing independent, documentary, foreign, and curated mainstream films for Columbia-area film enthusiasts and the general public.
• ReelTalk Film Series Curated film series including Docuseries (documentaries with post-film discussions), Foreign Films, Classics, ReelTalk: Book Club (with All Good Books), and Community Impact screenings that spark dialogue on diverse perspectives and local issues.
• Kids Summer Movies (Camp Cinema) Family-friendly summer movie series featuring animated and live-action classics every Wednesday and Saturday morning, themed as Camp Cinema, with films like Matilda, Paddington, Ernest & Celestine, and The Muppet Movie, priced at $7 per person.
• Community Partners Series Partnership screenings where community organizations request specific documentaries and organize expert panel discussions post-film, enabling dialogue on social issues.
• Individual Memberships Annual membership tiers for individuals ranging from Student ($25/year) to Producer ($1,100/year), offering perks such as discounted tickets, complimentary screenings, free popcorn, and member-only events.
• Corporate Memberships Business sponsorship tiers including Friends of the Nick ($1,500), Iron ($2,500), Bronze ($5,000), Silver ($10,000), Platinum ($20,000), and Diamond ($30,000), offering advertising placement, rental discounts, employee membership discounts, and event sponsorship opportunities.
• Palmetto Society Legacy donor recognition program for annual contributions of $2,500 or more, with Step 1 ($2,500-$4,999), Step 2 ($5,000-$9,999), and Step 3 ($10,000+) tiers offering exclusive events, Red Carpet Party access, private screenings, and pre-show recognition.
• Theater Rentals Private event rentals of one or both theaters for occasions, with hourly rates ($150-$300 depending on theater and time) and all-day options ($7,500 for both theaters), including optional add-ons for film copyright assistance and marquee listing.
• Concessions Food and beverage offerings including popcorn, candy, and drinks available for purchase on-site during screenings, with pricing kept intentionally affordable as part of the theater's accessibility mission.
• Gift Certificates Digital gift certificates available in $15, $25, $50, $75, and $100 denominations, redeemable for tickets, concessions, merchandise, or memberships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ annual attendees
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SouthernGaugecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Partnership for second annual Femme Film Fest: Taking Up Space, a four-day celebration of women directors. SouthernGauge brings new, independent, and experimental films to Columbia audiences.
• South Carolina Pride MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2023Pride Night celebration screening of Paris Is Burning as part of Famously Hot SC Pride events
• National Organization for Women (NOW) Columbia ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2023ReelTalk Docuseries screening of Bella! documentary on Bella Abzug with panel moderated by SC Representative and Vice President of Nick's Board
• Southern Documentary FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 July 2022Fresh Docs series hosting in-progress documentary screenings for community feedback, featuring Emily Harrold's work including 'In the Bubble with Jaime' and 'Meltdown in Dixie'
• All Good BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local bookstore for ReelTalk: Book Club series - patrons read books, watch film adaptations at The Nick, and participate in post-screening discussions on storytelling across media
• Curing Kids CancerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerToy drive partnership during Kids Summer Movies series (Camp Cinema), collecting new unwrapped toys and stuffed animals for children in cancer treatment
• SCADPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtual Book Club partnership for screening of Prisoner by Choice: The Frankie San Story with panel discussion on prison chaplain's life and death penalty work in South Carolina
• SC Christian Action CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presenter of Virtual Book Club event for Prisoner by Choice screening
• Harriet Hancock CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScreening partnership for I Saw the TV Glow psychological horror film
• LRADACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored ReelTalk: Community Impact screening of 'Stay Awake' on addiction recovery with panel discussion including filmmaker, counselors, and recovery coaches
• Helen Hill Media Education CentercoreOthersNamed in memory of innovative filmmaker and educator Helen Hill; established to empower young people with media literacy and production skills through afterschool and summer programs (currently inactive but being revived)
• University of South CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience on Screen panelists from USC including professors of Film, Geophysics, and Astrophysics; Women's and Gender Studies sponsorship for Spooky Spawn series; Honors College students creating marketing materials
• Brookland FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with development director Kristopher Jones serving on Nick's Board of Directors; food drive partnership benefiting Brookland Community Food Bank
• Brookland Community Food BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood drive partnership offering 10% off film tickets to patrons who donate non-perishable food items; serves over 500 families monthly
• Art House ConvergencecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisiting Members Program - reciprocal membership with participating indie theaters nationwide, granting Nick members discounts and perks at partner cinemas across the country
• Benedict CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community engagement, staff recruitment outreach, and potential summer arts courses
• Columbia Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Sumner Bender serves on The Contemporaries affinity board at the museum
• Trustus TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional live theater company in Columbia; Executive Director previously served as board president; long-standing arts community partnership
• Sierra ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored screening of Oppenheimer as environmental programming partnership
• Project63minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Juneteenth documentary screening of 'After Sherman' with filmmaker Jon-Sesrie Goff

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Angelika Film Center:

Broad incumbents

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: National dine-in cinema chain combining film exhibition with food/beverage service. Comparable in operating food service alongside screenings and curating specialty programming, but at much larger commercial scale.
• Landmark Theatres: Largest US arthouse cinema chain (now part of Cohen Media Group). Broader incumbent with overlapping indie/arthouse exhibition focus but commercial chain operations and far greater scale.

Direct peers

• Ragtag Cinema: Nonprofit independent cinema in Columbia, Missouri, similarly sized and mission-driven, offering independent and documentary film with community partnerships. Closely comparable in scale, single-location nonprofit arthouse model in a mid-sized college town.
• The Carolina Theatre: Historic nonprofit theater in Durham, NC operating multiple screens with mixed film and live programming. Comparable regional nonprofit model combining arthouse cinema with community programming in a mid-sized Southeast city.
• IFC Center: Independent arthouse cinema in Greenwich Village, NYC, operated by IFC Films. Directly comparable as a curated indie/arthouse venue with repertory programming and member benefits, though commercially operated.
• Brattle Theatre: Independent nonprofit cinema in Cambridge, MA specializing in repertory, indie, and foreign film programming. Directly comparable nonprofit arthouse operating model with curated film series and member support.
• Austin Film Society: Nonprofit film organization in Austin, TX operating cinema programming, educational initiatives, and community events. Comparable nonprofit arthouse model with educational programming and foundation support.
• Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation: Nonprofit arthouse cinema in Brookline, MA that administers the Science on Screen grant program The Nickelodeon participates in. Operates as a multi-screen community cinema with comparable educational programming, foundation funding model, and member-supported operations.

Regional players

• Trustus Theatre: Professional nonprofit live theater company in Columbia, SC. Not a cinema but a direct cultural partner in the same city, with overlapping audience base and board leadership crossover (Sumner Bender previously board president). Useful comparable for local arts nonprofit scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nicktheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/nickelodeontheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nickelodeon-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 The Nickelodeon