Lighthouse International Film Festival

What Lighthouse International Film Festival does

Lighthouse International Film Festival (LIFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces an annual five-day independent film festival on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, complemented by year-round programming through its Lighthouse Film Society subsidiary. Founded around 2008-2009, the festival curates narrative features, documentaries, shorts, episodics, darkhouse, and surf films, many acquired fresh from Tribeca, Cannes, Sundance, and SXSW, and serves independent filmmakers seeking distribution exposure, cinephile audiences seeking a beachside festival setting, and the Long Beach Island community. Revenue is generated through tiered festival passes (All Access and Films Only), Film Society memberships ($35-$99/year), corporate sponsorship tiers ($150-$10,000), tax-deductible donations, and paid masterclass programs.

The festival operates on a lightweight technology stack rather than proprietary infrastructure: a Wix-hosted content website (lighthouseff.com), FilmFreeway for global film submission management, and Eventive for ticketing, passes, and virtual screenings. Physical operations are distributed across multiple partner venues on Long Beach Island, including Surflight Theatre (primary screening venue), the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Surf City Firehouse, and Bird & Betty's, with festival headquarters hosted at Keller Williams Preferred Properties. Distribution and marketing rely on FilmFreeway's filmmaker reach, earned media coverage in IndieWire, MovieMaker Magazine, and Deadline, plus organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads) and an email newsletter.

The organization is led by Executive Director Christine Rooney and Artistic Director Amir Bogen, with Founder/Deputy Executive Director Charlie Prince, a senior programming team, an Advisory Board that includes Jason Alexander and Nina Tassler, and a nine-member Board of Directors. It functions as a mission-driven cultural nonprofit rather than a venture-backed enterprise, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or parent company.

Name

Lighthouse International Film Festival

Legal name

Lighthouse International Film Festival

Website

https://lighthouseff.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lighthouse International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a five-day annual independent film festival on Long Beach Island, NJ, plus year-round Film Society screenings, serving filmmakers, cinephile audiences, and the local Jersey Shore community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH), Hybrid Conferences & Conventions (In-Person + Streamed) (MPAGAOAC)

Keywords

• Independent film festival
• Film society programming
• Filmmaker showcase services
• Film submission platform
• Film festival events

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Island City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Festival Passes and Tickets: All Access Passes and Films Only Passes sold through Eventive platform, along with individual ticket sales for screenings.
2. Film Society Memberships: Annual membership program offering free screenings, discounts, and advance festival access. Tiers include Member ($35), Dual ($50), and Patron ($99).
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship program with multiple tiers from Fan ($150) to Studio Head ($10,000), offering website listing, venue screen recognition, program ads, and All Access Passes.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the non-profit festival's mission to showcase independent filmmakers.
5. Masterclass Fees: Acting masterclass program with $45 submission fee and $100 registration fee upon acceptance, taught by industry professionals like Jason Alexander.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

LIFF organizes and operates an annual five-day independent film festival on Long Beach Island, NJ, featuring film screenings, panels, Q&A sessions, masterclasses, networking events, and beachside parties. The festival curates and exhibits independent films often fresh from major festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, and SXSW, alongside year-round Film Society screenings and a tiered membership program. Additional offerings include film submission services via FilmFreeway, corporate sponsorship packages, and specialized actor masterclass programs taught by industry professionals.

Product overview

Lighthouse International Film Festival operates a portfolio of film festival products and services centered around its annual flagship event and year-round Film Society programming. The core offerings include the annual five-day Lighthouse International Film Festival (LIFF) featuring films from global festivals, supported by tiered pass systems (All Access and Films Only). The Film Society membership provides year-round engagement through regular screenings and advance festival access. Additional offerings include actor masterclass programs with industry professionals and digital program guides. Film submissions are managed via FilmFreeway integration. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to showcasing independent filmmakers and fostering the next generation of filmmakers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lighthouse Film Society: Year-round sister organization providing ongoing film screenings and community engagement outside of the annual festival.

Products and services

• Lighthouse International Film Festival Annual Festival
• Film Society Memberships
• Festival Passes
• Film Submission Services
• Actor Masterclass Programs
• Online and In-Person Film Screenings
• Corporate Sponsorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 17+ consecutive annual festivals showcasing Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated films
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• FilmFreewaycoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial film submission platform for the festival, enabling filmmakers worldwide to submit their work for consideration through FilmFreeway's industry-standard submission system.
• EventivecoreTechnology or IntegrationTicketing and event management platform powering pass sales, individual ticket purchases, and virtual screening access for the festival.
• Surflight TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary screening venue - the historic Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven serves as the main venue for festival screenings and filmmaker events.
• Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey screening venue and community partner in Loveladies, NJ for films, workshops, and year-round Film Society programming.
• Surf City FirehousesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent venue for festival screenings and volunteer meetings, serving as a community gathering space during the festival.
• WBNJ 91.9 FMsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio partner providing coverage and promotion of festival events to the local community.
• WJRZ 100.1 FMsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio partner broadcasting festival updates and coverage to New Jersey audiences.
• Keller Williams Preferred PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival headquarters and welcome center location, providing the primary point of operation for the festival on Long Beach Island.
• Hot Buttered MediasecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing and branding partner responsible for festival's visual identity and promotional materials.
• AvidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology sponsor supporting festival editing and production capabilities.
• Jason AlexandercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmmy Award-winning actor and Seinfeld star served as 2025 Keynote Speaker and masterclass instructor, bringing significant media attention and prestige to the festival.
• Tony ShalhoubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAward-winning actor (Monk, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) served as 2026 special guest for onstage conversations and festival events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• FilmFreeway: Core technology platform partner for film submissions across thousands of festivals, including LIFF. Not a competitor but a key infrastructure provider and ecosystem participant that defines the indie film festival marketplace.

Direct peers

• Nantucket Film Festival: Coastal-island indie film festival with a similar boutique, beachside positioning, small staff, and curated slate of prestige indies. Highly comparable in scale, branding, and audience demographic to LIFF.
• Sidewalk Film Festival: Mid-sized, regional indie film festival with comparable volunteer-driven nonprofit structure, pass-based ticketing, and year-round community programming. Similar operational scale to LIFF.
• Heartland Film Festival: Established US regional indie film festival with a similar nonprofit model, tiered pass system, filmmaker programming, and educational/outreach components. Operates at a comparable scale and audience profile.
• Provincetown International Film Festival: Regional coastal indie film festival known for celebrity attendance and a curated independent slate. Operates at a similar scale and audience profile as LIFF.
• Woodstock Film Festival: Northeast regional indie film festival with established industry reputation, filmmaker programming, and a similar mixed pass/sponsorship/donation revenue model. Comparable in mission and operational structure to LIFF.
• Hamptons International Film Festival: Long-running, regional, East Coast indie film festival with a comparable scale profile, similar mix of celebrity guests, year-round programming, and a coastal/beach community branding. Closest direct comparable to LIFF in geography, audience, and operational model.

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Film Festival: The leading US independent film festival and a primary source of headline content for LIFF. Far larger in scale and budget, but shares the indie-film mission and serves overlapping filmmaker and distributor audiences.
• Tribeca Festival: Major New York-based film festival and exhibitor where many of LIFF's films premiere first. Operates as a feeder/talent source for LIFF and serves overlapping filmmaker and sponsor audiences, but at substantially larger scale.

Peers

• Middleburg Film Festival: Regional US indie film festival with strong celebrity connections and curated programming, serving a similar role as a destination festival for filmmakers and cinephile audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lighthousefilm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPuEaIIseS4wNFa-jYv_6FA/videos?view=0&sort=p
• Facebookfacebook.com/LIFFofLBI
• Instagraminstagram.com/lighthouseinternationalfilm/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles33 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Lighthouse International Film Festival