The Brattle

What The Brattle does

The Brattle is a nonprofit repertory cinema located at 40 Brattle Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, operated by the Brattle Film Foundation (a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, EIN 043540992, transitioned to nonprofit status in 2001). Founded in 1953, the single-venue theatre screens classic, foreign, arthouse, and independent films for film enthusiasts, cinephiles, film students, and community audiences in the Greater Boston area. Its core product is repertory film programming organized into themed series (e.g., National Treasures, Noir City: Boston, the Frederick Wiseman Retrospective), special events with filmmaker Q&As, theatrical premieres, and approximately 30% of programming presented on 35mm film via dedicated projection capability maintained through the 35mm Film Fund.

The Brattle's revenue model is diversified across individual ticket sales (with tiered pricing for general admission, matinee, child, senior, student, member, double feature, and special event tickets ranging from roughly $10 to $19.50), an annual membership program providing priority access and discounts, tax-deductible donations through the Brattle Film Foundation (including the 35mm Film Fund and leadership giving at $1,000+), concessions, private venue rentals, and grant support (including from the Cambridge Arts Council). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the theatre's website (brattlefilm.org), the box office, and bundled series ticket packs. Marketing spans a website, email newsletter, a monthly podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Letterboxd, Bluesky), local press coverage, and an extensive network of co-presentation partnerships with film festivals and cultural organizations including the Film Noir Foundation, Screen Boston, IFFBoston, the Boston Underground Film Festival, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and others.

The organization is led by Executive Director Ivy Moylan, operates with 11-50 employees, and is governed as an independent nonprofit without parent or institutional investor ownership. Reinvestment is directed into programming and facility improvements, with a planned 10-day closure in late July 2026 for seat replacement, new carpeting, floor refurbishment, and aisle lighting. The venue shares Brattle Hall with Longfellow Bar and Alden & Harlow Restaurant and is one block from the MBTA Red Line, with two dedicated wheelchair positions and companion seating in the main auditorium.

Name

The Brattle

Legal name

Brattle Film Foundation

Website

https://brattlefilm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Brattle is a nonprofit repertory cinema in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA, operating since 1953 under the Brattle Film Foundation. It screens classic, foreign, arthouse, and independent films, including 35mm presentations, for cinephiles and cultural audiences in Greater Boston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Repertory 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-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL), Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE)

Keywords

• Repertory cinema
• Arthouse film screenings
• Classic film programming
• Independent film theatre
• Foreign cinema exhibition

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual screening tickets sold at box office and online. Pricing varies by ticket type (General Admission, Matinee, Child, Senior, Student, Member). Special events and premiere runs command different price points.
2. Memberships: Annual membership program providing benefits including advance ticket access, discounted tickets, calendar mailings, and donor recognition.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through the Brattle Film Foundation (501(c)3). Includes general annual fund, 35mm Film Fund, seat naming opportunities, and planned giving programs. Leadership giving at $1,000+ annually.
4. Concessions: Food and beverage sales at the theatre venue.
5. Private Rentals: The theatre space is available for private event rentals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Brattle operates a single-screen repertory cinema in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA, screening classic, cutting-edge, foreign, and arthouse films. Programming is organized into themed series (National Treasures, Noir City: Boston, Friday Film Matinee, 35mm Screenings, Special Events, Theatrical Premieres) with approximately 30% of screenings presented on 35mm film. The theatre sells tickets at the box office and online, supplemented by memberships, concessions, gift cards, private rentals, and a podcast.

Product overview

The Brattle is a nonprofit cinema in Cambridge, MA, offering repertory film programming focused on classic, cutting edge, foreign, and arthouse films since 1953. The core offering consists of daily film screenings across multiple programming strands including repertory series, theatrical premieres, special events, and 35mm format presentations. Supporting offerings include The Brattle Film Podcast (available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify), membership programs, private rentals, gift cards, and the 35mm Film Fund for donor support of celluloid projection. The theatre is operated by The Brattle Film Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Screenings (Repertory Programming)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Film Noir FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Annual collaboration on Noir City: Boston festival, featuring classic film noir screenings with Foster Hirsch from the Film Noir Foundation. Includes special 35mm screenings of films like Gilda, To Have and Have Not.
• Screen BostoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presents the Friday Film Matinee program at The Brattle. Screen Boston serves as a guide to repertory listings and special screenings at Greater Boston independent theatres.
• Cambridge Arts CouncilminorOthersThe Brattle Film Foundation receives grant support from Cambridge Arts Council, a city agency, as part of its nonprofit funding.
• Boston Underground Film FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brattle serves as a venue host for the Boston Underground Film Festival, which runs March 18-22, 2026 at the Brattle and Coolidge Corner Theatre.
• Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brattle hosts IFFBoston Fall Focus screenings, bringing festival circuit films to Cambridge audiences.
• Cambridge DayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal press coverage and reviews of Brattle programming through Cambridge Day film critic Oscar Goff.
• STArt Film StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresents special premiere screenings including Living the Land and Cui Hu with director Q&As.
• Chinese Wushu Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bow Sim Mark's school for the 50th anniversary screenings featuring Donnie Yen films and live martial arts performances.
• GRRL HAUS CinemaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational screening program dedicated to independent films by women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers. GRRL HAUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Massachusetts and Berlin.
• Boston Palestine Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brattle serves as a venue host for Boston Palestine Film Festival screenings.
• Massachusetts Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Boston on Film programming exploring how Boston is depicted in movies.
• Do It Your Damn Self National Youth Film Festival (DIYDS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth film festival screening its yearly showcase at the Brattle, focused on teen filmmakers and diverse representation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coolidge Corner Theatre: Independent nonprofit arthouse/repertory cinema in Brookline, MA, screening classic, independent, and foreign films with similar community-supported funding model and overlapping audience with The Brattle in Greater Boston. Co-presents programming including the Frederick Wiseman Retrospective.
• The Somerville Theatre: Historic single-screen cinema in nearby Somerville, MA, programming repertory films, cult classics, and special events to a similar Greater Boston cinephile audience. Comparable in scale, programming philosophy, and geographic catchment.
• Museum of Fine Arts Boston (Film Program): Boston cultural institution that screens classic, foreign, and arthouse cinema as part of its programming, including retrospective series and filmmaker events. Collaborates with The Brattle on initiatives like the Frederick Wiseman Retrospective and competes for the same cinephile audience.
• IFC Center: Independent nonprofit-adjacent arthouse cinema in New York City specializing in independent, foreign, and repertory programming. Closely comparable in curatorial mission, special-event programming, and filmmaker engagement model.
• Film Forum: Nonprofit repertory cinema in New York City operating three screens dedicated to independent, foreign, classic, and documentary films. Most direct functional comparable to The Brattle in terms of nonprofit status, repertory focus, and curator-driven programming.
• Belcourt Theatre: Nonprofit arthouse cinema in Nashville, TN, programming independent, classic, and foreign films with similar community-supported mission and event-driven curatorial approach to The Brattle.

Broad incumbents

• Landmark Theatres: Largest U.S. chain specializing in independent and arthouse cinema with locations nationwide. Offers overlapping repertory and indie programming at commercial scale rather than community-nonprofit scale.
• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: National dine-in cinema chain with curated repertory programming, special events, and themed series that overlap with The Brattle's event-driven approach, though operating at commercial scale rather than nonprofit.

Emerging players

• The Brattle is uniquely tied to Harvard Square, so comparable theater neighbors include the Harvard Film Archive: Nonprofit repertory cinema located on the Harvard University campus, programming classic, silent, and archival film screenings to an overlapping intellectual/cinephile audience in Cambridge, MA.

Regional players

• American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.): Adjacent Harvard Square arts institution offering live performance programming; not a cinema peer, but shares the Cambridge cultural ecosystem, donor base, and audience overlap relevant for benchmarking nonprofit arts operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/brattletheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/brattletheatre
• Xx.com/brattletheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brattle-film-foundation

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 The Brattle