Cinespia
Cinespia is a Los Angeles-based outdoor and indoor film screening organization founded in 2002 by John Wyatt. It hosts 30-plus events annually at iconic LA venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Rose Bowl Stadium, and Greek Theatre, serving mass consumer audiences and corporate clients with private events, premieres, and concessions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cinespia does
Cinespia, founded in 2002 by John Wyatt, operates an outdoor and indoor film screening series based in Los Angeles. The organization hosts 30 or more events annually across iconic LA venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Rose Bowl Stadium, Greek Theatre, and Los Angeles State Historic Park, supplemented by year-round screenings at historic Art Deco movie palaces in Downtown Los Angeles. Since inception, Cinespia has screened more than 650 films to over one million attendees, drawing approximately 4,000 people per summer weekend event at the cemetery and positioning itself as the first and longest-running outdoor screening series in Los Angeles. Supporting experiential elements include live DJ sets, themed photo booths recreating scenes from featured films, food and beverage concessions, premium ticket tiers, and occasional celebrity appearances.
The business is event-driven with revenue generated across four streams: ticket sales via Ticketweb, on-site concessions and merchandise, corporate sponsorships and partnerships, and B2B private events such as fundraisers, concerts, and film premieres. The 2026 season is presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, a flagship partnership that also produced the Cinespia Channel, a curated Prime Video viewing guide linking classic films to the streaming platform. The organization operates without proprietary technology platforms, AI/ML systems, or external institutional funding, and appears to be founder-owned and bootstrapped. Its 51-100 headcount supports event production, venue logistics, marketing across Instagram and TikTok, earned media coverage in outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and Variety, and direct-to-consumer ticket distribution concentrated entirely in the Los Angeles market.
Cinespia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cinespia
- Legal name
- Cinespia
- Website
- https://cinespia.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cinespia is a Los Angeles-based outdoor and indoor film screening organization founded in 2002 by John Wyatt. It hosts 30-plus events annually at iconic LA venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Rose Bowl Stadium, and Greek Theatre, serving mass consumer audiences and corporate clients with private events, premieres, and concessions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cinespia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Cinema Events
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH), Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Cinespia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cinespia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to outdoor and indoor film screening events at multiple Los Angeles venues. Events include standard screenings as well as special events with fireworks. Tickets sold through Ticketweb platform.
- Concessions and Food & Beverage: On-site food and beverage sales including pre-packaged treats, sandwiches, nachos, hot dogs, vegetarian options, popcorn, kettle corn, candy, and alcoholic beverages at Beer and Wine Gardens. Merchandise and themed concessions available at events.
- Sponsorships and Partnerships: The 2026 season is presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, representing a significant sponsorship revenue stream. Sponsorship opportunities are available for partners interested in aligning with the Cinespia brand.
- Private Events and Premieres: Cinespia produces private screenings, fundraisers, concerts, television and film premieres year-round outdoors and at historic downtown Los Angeles Art Deco movie palaces. This represents a B2B revenue stream for corporate and private events.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cinespia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cinespia produces and hosts outdoor and indoor film screening events at iconic Los Angeles venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Rose Bowl Stadium, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles Historic Park, and historic downtown Art Deco movie palaces. The company curates classic film programming paired with live DJs, themed photo booths, food and beverage concessions, fireworks, and occasional celebrity appearances, and also produces private screenings, fundraisers, concerts, and film premieres.
Product overview
Cinespia is an event-based film screening organization offering outdoor movie experiences at iconic Los Angeles venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Greek Theatre, Rose Bowl Stadium, and Los Angeles Historic Park, plus year-round indoor events at historic Art Deco movie palaces downtown. The core product is the outdoor film screening series at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026. Supporting offerings include the Cinespia Channel (a Prime Video viewing guide), DJ sets and music, themed Photo Booths, and Premium Tickets. The company also produces private events including screenings, fundraisers, concerts, and premieres.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hollywood Forever Cemetery Screenings Outdoor film screening series at Hollywood Forever Cemetery featuring classic films under the stars with live DJs, themed photo booths, food vendors, and occasional celebrity appearances. Draws approximately 4,000 people on summer weekends.
- Movie Palace Events
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million total attendees since founding in 2002
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cinespia
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cinespia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Cinespia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Amazon MGM StudiosflagshipAmazon MGM Studios is the presenting partner for Cinespia's 2026 season, marking the 25th anniversary of the outdoor screening series. This is a flagship partnership providing significant brand visibility and marketing support. The partnership includes co-branding across event marketing materials and the company's digital presence.
- Prime VideoflagshipPrime Video is co-presenting partner for the 2026 season and hosts the Cinespia Channel, a curated viewing guide featuring recommended films available on the streaming platform. The partnership extends Cinespia's brand to Prime Video's global subscriber base.
- TicketwebcoreTicketweb serves as the primary ticketing platform for all Cinespia events. The platform handles ticket sales, distribution, and customer support for event admissions across all venues.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cinespia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Secret Cinema: Immersive cinema experience company that creates elaborate, themed live events around film screenings in pop-up venues. Comparable in treating film exhibition as a live, experiential product with significant production value and community engagement.
Regional players
- New York Rooftop Movies: Outdoor rooftop cinema event series operating in New York City with curated film lineups and F&B offerings. Comparable event-driven outdoor cinema model targeting similar experiential consumer demand, but operating in a different geography than Cinespia.
Broad incumbents
- Sundance Film Festival: Iconic annual film festival featuring curated screenings, premieres, and cultural programming. Comparable in organizing large-scale curated film event series with strong brand cachet, though Sundance operates as a multi-day festival rather than a recurring screening series.
- Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: National dine-in theater chain known for curated, repertory, and event-driven screenings with strict no-talking policies and themed programming. Comparable in its focus on film-as-event and curated repertory screenings, though it operates fixed brick-and-mortar theaters rather than outdoor venues.
- AMC Theatres: Largest U.S. movie theater chain operating thousands of screens. Comparable as a motion picture exhibitor serving general audiences, though AMC focuses on first-run multiplex exhibition rather than curated outdoor or repertory programming.
- Netflix: Global streaming platform that competes for the same consumer attention and increasingly runs live event programming. Comparable as a substitute for at-home classic film viewing, and a potential strategic partner or competitor for Cinespia's audience.
- Cinemark Holdings: Major U.S. movie theater chain operating hundreds of screens with a focus on theatrical exhibition. Comparable as a film exhibitor, though Cinemark focuses on first-run commercial releases in fixed theaters rather than outdoor or repertory events.
Direct peers
- Street Food Cinema: Los Angeles-based outdoor cinema event series that screens classic and cult films at parks and venues with live music, food vendors, and themed experiences. Closest direct competitor to Cinespia with similar consumer targeting, event format, and LA-centric operations.
- Rooftop Cinema Club: Outdoor and rooftop movie screening operator running seasonal cinema events across multiple U.S. cities with curated film lineups, headphones, food and beverage service, and premium seating. Directly comparable event-driven exhibition model targeting similar experiential consumer demand.
Others
- Eventbrite: Event ticketing and discovery platform used by thousands of experiential event operators including outdoor cinema series. Comparable as an enabling infrastructure provider for ticketed live events, though Cinespia currently uses Ticketweb as its primary platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cinespia social profiles
Digital presenceCinespia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cinespia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cinespia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cinespia 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 Cinespia
What does Cinespia do?
Cinespia produces and hosts outdoor and indoor film screening events at iconic Los Angeles venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Rose Bowl Stadium, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles Historic Park, and historic downtown Art Deco movie palaces. The company curates classic film programming paired with live DJs, themed photo booths, food and beverage concessions, fireworks, and occasional celebrity appearances, and also produces private screenings, fundraisers, concerts, and film premieres.
Is Cinespia a public or private company?
Cinespia is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cinespia founded?
Cinespia was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cinespia based?
Cinespia is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cinespia make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are concessions and Food & Beverage, sponsorships and Partnerships and private Events and Premieres.
Who are Cinespia's main competitors?
Secret Cinema is listed as an emerging player. New York Rooftop Movies is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Sundance Film Festival, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, AMC Theatres, Netflix and Cinemark Holdings. Direct peers are Street Food Cinema and Rooftop Cinema Club. Eventbrite is listed as an others.
Does Cinespia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cinespia.
What industry is Cinespia in?
Cinespia's product category is Outdoor Cinema Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAKAF, Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional), with a secondary code of MPADAKAH, Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers). Its NAICS code is 51213 and its SIC code is 7830.