Outfest
Outfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that operates LGBTQ+ film festivals, year-round screenings, and artist development programs in Los Angeles, serving queer filmmakers, audiences, and corporate sponsors while preserving 47,000+ LGBTQ+ films.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Outfest does
Outfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 by UCLA students and headquartered in Los Angeles, focused on LGBTQ+ film programming, artist development, and cultural preservation. It operates the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, the Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival, the multi-day OutfestNEXT screening series, and the new year-round Outfest Cinema Series. The organization also runs three artist development programs — the Screenwriting Lab, the Producers Lab (launching September 2026), and OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project for ages 16–24 — and administers the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the world's only program exclusively dedicated to preserving LGBTQ+ moving images, with 47,000+ films archived at UCLA.
The organization's business model is diversified nonprofit revenue across six streams: individual membership/donation tiers ($250–$10,000+ annually), corporate sponsorships (HBO Max as Presenting Sponsor, plus Delta, Eventive, Sony, SAGIndie, Art & Rev, The Film Collaborative), foundation grants (David Bohnett Foundation), government arts grants (LA County and City Departments of Cultural Affairs), ticket sales through the Eventive platform, and FilmFreeway submission fees from filmmakers. Distribution is anchored at the LA LGBT Center's Renberg and Davidson/Valenti Theaters, with secondary venues at LOOK Cinema Glendale and Landmark Theatres Sunset.
Following a 2023 financial crisis and a full programming pause in 2024, Outfest returned to active programming in November 2025 with a new Board of Directors and rehired core staff. In 2026, the organization is expanding its product surface with the year-round Cinema Series, the inaugural Producers Lab, the second edition of OutfestNEXT in July, and the planned return of the flagship LA festival. Outfest has voluntarily recognized the Queer Filmworkers United union as part of its rebuild. Headcount is described as 'small but mighty' (11–50 employees); no financial figures are publicly disclosed.
Outfest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outfest
- Legal name
- Outfest
- Website
- https://outfest.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Outfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that operates LGBTQ+ film festivals, year-round screenings, and artist development programs in Los Angeles, serving queer filmmakers, audiences, and corporate sponsors while preserving 47,000+ LGBTQ+ films.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outfest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- LGBTQ+ Film Festivals and Artist Development
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
Keywords
Where Outfest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Outfest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Memberships and Donations: Annual membership donations at multiple tiers from Friend ($250+) to Champion ($10,000+). Individual donors at Vanguard, Champion, Benefactor, Patron, Advocate, and Supporter levels. Funding is described as primarily non-restricted and allocated across all programs.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors including HBO Max (Presenting Sponsor), Delta Air Lines, Eventive, Sony, SAGIndie, Art & Rev, and The Film Collaborative. Sponsors receive brand activation opportunities at festivals and events, direct engagement with tens of thousands of community members, and naming opportunities for artist development programs.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Grants from foundations (The David Bohnett Foundation) and government funders (Los Angeles County Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs). Funding supports specific programs and initiatives.
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual screening and festival tickets sold through Eventive platform and at physical venues. Members receive discounted or complimentary tickets based on giving level.
- Festival Submissions: Film submission fees through FilmFreeway platform for filmmakers seeking to have work screened at Outfest festivals and programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Friend: $250+ annually - Basic supporter level with website recognition, screening invitations, early ticket access |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporter: $500+ annually - Mid-level donor with program recognition and complimentary tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Advocate: $1,000+ annually - Major donor with on-screen recognition and priority access |
| Subscription | Annual | Patron: $2,500+ annually - High-value donor with reserved seating and curatorial previews |
| Subscription | Annual | Benefactor: $5,000+ annually - Leadership donor with VIP benefits and program naming |
| Subscription | Annual | Champion: $10,000+ annually - Top-tier donor with executive access and vision input |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Outfest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit LGBTQ+ arts organization that produces film festivals, year-round screening programs, filmmaker development labs, an annual awards ceremony, and the only program in the world dedicated exclusively to preserving LGBTQ+ moving images. Its offering spans the full film life cycle — from artist development through production support, public exhibition, and archival preservation — anchored in the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community and presented in partnership with the LA LGBT Center and UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Product overview
Outfest is a nonprofit organization operating as a year-round ecosystem for LGBTQ+ filmmaking support. The organization offers film festivals (Outfest Los Angeles, Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival), screening series (OutfestNEXT, Outfest Cinema Series), and artist development programs (Screenwriting Lab, Producers Lab, OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project), plus the Legacy Awards ceremony and the UCLA Legacy Project for film preservation. No other LGBTQ+ organization supports the entire film lifecycle from development and production to distribution and archiving.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OutfestNEXT A four-day screening series featuring independent queer cinema, filmmaker workshops, panels, and community events celebrating LGBTQ+ storytelling. Aimed at LGBTQ+ community members, filmmakers, and allies.
- Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival The flagship annual film festival showcasing diverse LGBTQ+ narratives to audiences, founded in 1982 and targeted at LGBTQ+ community members, filmmakers, and allies.
- Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival Film festival founded in 2004 to spotlight queer and trans filmmakers of color, directly addressing systemic access gaps for LGBTQ+ people of color in the industry.
- Outfest Cinema Series Year-round screening series featuring queer stories, including receptions, screenings, and filmmaker Q&As at venues like the Renberg Theater. Targeted at LGBTQ+ community members year-round between marquee festivals.
- Legacy Awards Annual awards ceremony honoring visionary leaders, companies, and emerging talent in LGBTQ+ filmmaking. For LGBTQ+ industry recognition and audience celebration.
- Outfest UCLA Legacy Project Preservation program dedicated to safeguarding and restoring significant LGBTQ+ films in collaboration with the UCLA Film and Television Archive, housing over 47,000 films and videos. Serves filmmakers, historians, and the broader LGBTQ+ cultural record.
- Producers Lab Five-day intensive program for emerging LGBTQ+ producers focused on career sustainability, creative innovation, and industry impact through workshops and mentorship. Targeted at emerging LGBTQ+ producers.
- OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project
Quantifiable outcome
- Preserved 47,000+ LGBTQ+ moving images
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Outfest
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Outfest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Outfest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- HBO MaxflagshipPresenting Sponsor for OutfestNEXT November 2025 event. Returning partner described as 'decades long partner' supporting Outfest's mission to champion LGBTQ+ filmmakers and stories. HBO Max is the premier global streaming platform from Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Queer Filmworkers United (QFU)coreUnion representing former and current Outfest staff. Outfest has voluntarily recognized the union and is collaborating closely with QFU to ensure team members are supported by union guidance on creating a world-class work environment. QFU expressed excitement about Outfest's return and fresh approach.
- EventivecoreCorporate sponsor providing ticketing and event platform technology for Outfest screenings and festivals.
- Delta Air LinescoreCorporate sponsor for OutfestNEXT July 2026 event.
- Art & RevcoreCorporate sponsor providing complementary canned and craft cocktails for receptions at OutfestNEXT events.
- LA LGBT CenterflagshipHost venue for OutfestNEXT screenings and year-round programming. Provides Renberg and Davidson/Valenti Theaters at Village at Ed Gould Plaza for film screenings and community events.
- UCLA Film and Television ArchiveflagshipPartner for the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project—the only program in the world exclusively dedicated to preserving LGBTQ+ moving images. Houses the largest publicly accessible collection of LGBTQ+ moving images. Partnership established in 2009.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Outfest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Frameline: San Francisco-based LGBTQ+ film festival and media arts nonprofit. Directly comparable: same mission (LGBTQ+ film exhibition and filmmaker development), membership/donation-driven nonprofit model, comparable festival scale.
- NewFest: New York City's LGBTQ+ film festival and filmmaker organization. Directly comparable as an LGBTQ+ festival operator with year-round programming, filmmaker development programs, and similar sponsor/donation revenue model.
- Inside Out: Toronto-based LGBTQ+ film festival. Directly comparable: full-year LGBTQ+ film programming, filmmaker development labs, and similar nonprofit funding model, though with a Canadian audience base.
- QFest (Austin): Texas-based LGBTQ+ film festival. Directly comparable as a smaller LGBTQ+ film festival with similar programming, filmmaker showcase, and nonprofit operations.
Regional players
- BFI Flare: London's LGBTQ+ film festival operated by the British Film Institute. Comparable as an LGBTQ+ film festival, but operates in the UK and is backed by a much larger institutional parent.
Broad incumbents
- Sundance Film Festival: Largest US independent film festival operated by a nonprofit institute. Comparable as a festival organizer with filmmaker development programs, but vastly larger scale and broader (non-LGBTQ+ specific) programming.
- Tribeca Festival: Major New York-based film festival with filmmaker programming and corporate sponsorships. Comparable as a large-scale film festival operator with brand activation model, though broader in scope.
- SXSW Film & TV: Major Austin-based multi-track festival with film programming. Comparable as a festival operator with substantial corporate sponsor relationships, though not LGBTQ+-focused.
Others
- GLAAD: National LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization. Adjacent: shares the LGBTQ+ media visibility mission and engages corporate partners for LGBTQ+ inclusion, but focuses on advocacy rather than film exhibition.
- Lambda Literary: National LGBTQ+ literary arts nonprofit. Adjacent peer in the LGBTQ+ cultural nonprofit space with similar donation/sponsor funding model, though focused on literature rather than film.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Outfest social profiles
Digital presenceOutfest compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Outfest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outfest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Outfest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outfest 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 Outfest
What does Outfest do?
Outfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit LGBTQ+ arts organization that produces film festivals, year-round screening programs, filmmaker development labs, an annual awards ceremony, and the only program in the world dedicated exclusively to preserving LGBTQ+ moving images. Its offering spans the full film life cycle — from artist development through production support, public exhibition, and archival preservation — anchored in the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community and presented in partnership with the LA LGBT Center and UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Is Outfest a public or private company?
Outfest is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Outfest founded?
Outfest was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Outfest based?
Outfest is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Outfest make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Memberships and Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, foundation and Government Grants, ticket Sales and festival Submissions.
Who are Outfest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Frameline, NewFest, Inside Out and QFest (Austin). BFI Flare is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Festival and SXSW Film & TV. Others are GLAAD and Lambda Literary.
Does Outfest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outfest.
What industry is Outfest in?
Outfest's product category is LGBTQ+ Film Festivals and Artist Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAKAD, Film Festivals & Festival Organizers, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations. Its NAICS code is 711320 and its SIC code is 7900.