New Media Film Festival

What New Media Film Festival does

New Media Film Festival is a privately held, for-profit organization founded in 2009–2010 by Susan Johnston and based in Los Angeles. It operates a single annual film festival dedicated to innovation at the intersection of film, art, music, science, and immersive media. The 17th edition, held June 3–4, 2026, presents 80 projects from filmmakers in 20 countries, including 58 premieres (35 world, 5 U.S., and 18 Los Angeles premieres). The organization runs with 1–10 employees and has no disclosed subsidiaries, institutional investors, or parent company.

The festival's core product is the annual event itself, delivered through a hybrid model: a day of global online screenings, panels, and creator Q&As, followed by an in-person day at The Culver Theater in Los Angeles. Programming spans narrative films, documentaries, science-driven projects, music culture collaborations, and immersive media. A judging panel including representatives from major entertainment organizations provides curatorial credibility.

The business model is not publicly disclosed in available sources, and no revenue figures, pricing, or sponsorship structure are stated. Marketing is conducted primarily through press releases distributed to news outlets. The customer base consists of international independent filmmakers and content creators, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B contracts. No patents, certifications, formal partnerships, or funding rounds are documented in the source material.

Name

New Media Film Festival

Legal name

New Media Film Festival

Website

https://newmediafilmfestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Media Film Festival is a Los Angeles-based annual event founded in 2009–2010 by Susan Johnston that showcases 80 innovative film, art, music, and immersive media projects from international independent creators through a hybrid online and in-person format.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival & Media Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Community Festivals & Cultural Events (Online Celebrations) (MPAGAOAK)

Keywords

• Film festival events
• New media showcase
• Immersive media screening
• Creator competition
• Documentary film festival

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

New Media Film Festival is an annual film festival that screens and awards narrative films, documentaries, science-driven projects, music culture collaborations, and immersive media from international creators. The event operates as a hybrid showcase, with online screenings on June 3 followed by in-person screenings on June 4 at The Culver Theater in Los Angeles, featuring creator Q&As and panels.

Product overview

The New Media Film Festival operates as a single unified annual event rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The festival showcases 80 new media projects including narrative films, documentaries, science-driven projects, music culture collaborations, and immersive media from international filmmakers. The event runs over two days: an online portion featuring global screenings, panels, and creator Q&As, followed by in-person events at The Culver Theater in Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Media Film Festival (Annual Festival) An annual new media film festival that screens, premieres, and awards narrative films, documentaries, science-driven projects, music culture collaborations, and immersive media from international filmmakers and content creators. The event includes online global screenings, creator Q&As, panels, and an in-person showcase at The Culver Theater in Los Angeles.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sundance Film Festival: The leading U.S. independent film festival, comparable as a curator-driven annual showcase of independent and innovative storytelling. Both festivals compete for independent filmmakers and industry attention, though Sundance operates at materially greater scale and brand recognition.
• Tribeca Festival: A major annual film and storytelling festival in New York. Comparable as a multi-day hybrid event showcasing narrative, documentary, and immersive work, and competing for filmmaker submissions, sponsor dollars, and press coverage.
• SXSW (South by Southwest): Austin-based festival and conference explicitly bridging film, music, and emerging technology — directly overlapping with New Media Film Festival's film/music/tech positioning. Both serve as discovery venues for cross-media creators.
• Slamdance Film Festival: Independent film festival running parallel to Sundance, focused on emerging and self-financed filmmakers. Comparable scale and indie-creator focus, positioning it as a direct competitor for independent new-media submissions.
• Raindance Film Festival: U.K.-based independent film festival and filmmaker training organization. Comparable as an indie-focused annual showcase that supports emerging voices, with overlapping audience of independent and first-time filmmakers.
• Hot Docs: North America's largest documentary festival. Comparable as a curated annual documentary showcase that competes for international documentary premieres, a category that overlaps with New Media Film Festival's documentary programming.
• Aspen Shortsfest: Internationally recognized short film festival curated annually. Comparable as a curated, juried showcase focused on short-form and innovative work, directly overlapping with the format and curation philosophy of New Media Film Festival.

Regional players

• AFI FEST: American Film Institute's annual Los Angeles festival. Comparable as an LA-based film event with international programming, providing local market overlap with New Media Film Festival for both filmmakers and audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF): One of the world's most prestigious film festivals, with broad programming across narrative, documentary, and immersive work. Overlaps with New Media Film Festival's positioning as a global launchpad for new media projects, though at vastly greater scale.
• Venice Film Festival: Historic international film festival with an expanding immersive and VR-focused sidebar. Overlaps with New Media Film Festival's immersive media programming, and both compete globally for prestige film premieres.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NewMediaFF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 New Media Film Festival