KCL Film Society

What KCL Film Society does

KCL Film Society is referenced in the source material as a student media activity group within KCLSU (King's College London Students' Union), the official students' union for King's College London. KCLSU operates as a registered charity (Number 1136729) and company limited by guarantee (Number 05762196), independent of the university, governed by elected Student Officers and trustees, and serving approximately 30,000 student members across five London campuses (Bush House, Guy's, Strand, Waterloo, and Denmark Hill). Its service portfolio spans 400+ student groups and societies, advice and wellbeing services, representation via 1,000+ student representatives, sports clubs, and Student Media (print, radio, TV, and film — including the Film Festival referenced as a product).

Revenue is generated through multiple channels: student-owned venues (Guy's Bar, The Vault, Guy's Café, The Shack) generating F&B sales; ticketed events distributed via Fatsoma with a 70p per-ticket booking fee; advertising and sponsorship packages sold through agency partner Imprinted; associate memberships for alumni, staff, and external students (with TOTUM discount card access); and venue/room hire for private events with a 10% alumni discount. Digital infrastructure is modest: a web platform with SSO authentication via the King's College Shibboleth ID and event integration with Fatsoma; no mobile app, no public API, and no AI/ML features are documented.

The Film Society/Film Festival is one activity among 400+ student groups; it does not operate as a standalone commercial entity, and financials are reported only at the parent union level (not publicly disclosed). The organisation is affiliated with the National Union of Students and held Best Bar None Gold Accreditation for its venues in 2025.

Name

KCL Film Society

Legal name

King's College London Students' Union

Website

https://kclsu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KCL Film Society is a student media activity group operating within KCLSU, the official students' union of King's College London, serving the university's 30,000 students through film festivals and broader student media, advice, and events programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Venue Sales (Bars & Cafes): Revenue from on-campus bars (Guy's Bar, The Vault) and cafes (Guy's Café, The Shack) serving food and drinks to students. Student-owned venues mean profits support student services.
2. Event Tickets: Ticket sales for nightlife events and social activities with 70p booking fee per ticket. Events organized by student groups with profits supporting activities.
3. Advertising & Sponsorship: Advertising packages, campus activations, Welcome Week sponsorships, digital and on-campus advertising. Partnered with Imprinted agency for commercial delivery.
4. Associate Membership: Annual fee for alumni, staff, and external students to access Union services, facilities, and student discount cards (TOTUM).
5. Venue & Room Hire: Hire fees for private events at bars, cafes, and meeting rooms across campuses. Alumni receive 10% discount on private hire.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KCL Film Society is a student-run film society operating under the KCLSU Student Media umbrella. It organizes film-related activities for King's College London students, including a recurring film festival showcasing student and curated cinema.

Product overview

KCLSU (King's College London Students' Union) operates as a platform providing student groups, activities, events, venues, advice services, and representation for King's College London students. The organization does not offer a traditional product portfolio but instead provides a suite of student services including over 400 societies and activity groups, sports clubs, student media, venues (bars and cafes), advice and wellbeing services, volunteering programs, and campaign initiatives. The Film Festival is a student media activity offered under the Student Media umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Leaders Hub: A resource center for student group leaders providing planning tools, resources, and templates.
• Liberation Networks
• KCLSU Student Media
• KCLSU Venues
• Future Leaders
• KCLSU Advertising & Media

Products and services

• KCL Film Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• Free, confidential academic advice service for all students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ImprintedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDedicated media sales agency supporting commercial delivery of brand partnerships and advertising across campus. Works closely with KCLSU team throughout academic year delivering Welcome campaigns, sponsorships, sampling, and on-campus advertising.
• Lower Case EventscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvents partnership for nightlife programming including MOTION Mondays and Insomnia London club nights. Events ticketed through Fatsoma platform. Profits support student activities.
• FatsomacoreTechnology or IntegrationEvent ticketing platform for KCLSU events. Used for nightlife events, club nights, and social activities. Handles ticket sales and booking confirmations.
• TOTUM CardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStudent discount card program offered through KCLSU. Provides access to 42,000+ UK and international discounts for associate members.
• LovespaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent storage service partner offering discounts through Student Deals section. Collects, stores, and delivers student belongings.
• Oche (London)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial darts venue on The Strand offering student deals. Partner in Student Deals program for entertainment discounts.
• TEDI-LondonminorOthersThe Engineering and Design Institute London - KCLSU Advice caseworkers provide support and guidance to TEDI-London students alongside KCL students.
• The Pure Food Co.minorOthersFood supplier at The Shack and Guy's Cafe focused on sustainable, planet-friendly meal options. Aligned with KCLSU ethical policy.
• Too Good To GominorOthersFood waste reduction partner. KCLSU venues participate in app to sell surplus food at discounted prices.
• Karma ColaminorOthersEthical beverage brand stocked at The Shack as part of conscious consumer offering. Supports fair trade values aligned with KCLSU ethical policy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Union of Students (NUS): NUS is the broader national umbrella organization for UK students' unions that KCLSU is affiliated with. Provides shared services, advocacy, and discount programs (TOTUM) used by KCLSU's associate members.

Direct peers

• UCL Students' Union: UCLSU is the direct peer for KCLSU - another London university students' union with similar scope of services, venue operations, advice provision, and representation activities. Both serve Russell Group London student populations with comparable scale.
• University of Bristol Students' Union: Bristol SU is a comparable UK students' union with broad service offering including venues, societies, advice, and events. Comparable operating scale and revenue model.
• Imperial College Union: Imperial College Union is a direct peer London students' union running bars, clubs, events, advice services, and student groups for a similar Russell Group London student population. Comparable in scale, governance model, and revenue mix.
• University of Edinburgh Students' Association: Edinburgh EUSA is a directly comparable students' association with venues, advice services, clubs/societies, and representation functions. Similar scale and charitable structure to KCLSU.
• University of Manchester Students' Union: One of the largest UK students' unions with comparable service breadth including venues, advice, representation, and 400+ societies. Direct peer in operating model and scale, though at a different geographic market.
• QMUL Students' Union (Queen Mary): QMUL Students' Union is a London peer students' union operating venues, advice services, and student groups for a similar London university population. Directly comparable in operating model and scale.
• London School of Economics Students' Union (LSESU): LSESU is a direct peer London students' union operating venues, events, and student services. Comparable in operating model, single-institution focus, and central London footprint.

Others

• Imprinted: Imprinted is KCLSU's dedicated media sales agency partner for advertising and brand activations. Acts as a commercial delivery partner rather than a direct competitor, but is relevant as the channel through which KCLSU monetizes its advertising inventory.

Emerging players

• Fatsoma: Fatsoma is KCLSU's event ticketing platform partner for nightlife events including MOTION Mondays and Insomnia London. Adjacent technology provider in the student events ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kclfilmsoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/kclsuguysbar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kclsu
• Instagraminstagram.com/kclsuevents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 KCL Film Society