Interfilm Berlin

What Interfilm Berlin does

Interfilm Berlin is a Berlin-based short film festival organization and distribution agency founded in 1999, operating from Straßburger Str. 55 in the Prenzlauer Berg district. It runs two annual short film festivals — the INTERFILM International Short Film Festival (now in its 41st edition, attracting 21,000 visitors and 400 international guests across 60+ programs and events) and the KUKI Festival for children and youth — alongside a multi-channel distribution business. The distribution arm is structured into three divisions: Kinoverleih (cinema distribution to German cinemas and event organizers with film rentals, pre-film subscriptions, and themed program packages), Weltvertrieb (international world sales mediating between filmmakers and global buyers), and Festivaldistribution (services for the international festival circuit). The company also operates Shorts Attack, a monthly themed short film program shown in over 20 German cities, maintains a catalog of 482+ short films organized into 27+ curated program collections, and runs Shorts+Connect as a digital platform for film culture, education, and networking.

The underlying technology stack consists of a bilingual (German/English) website with searchable film catalog functionality, filmmaker submission portals, and separate customer login portals for Kinoverleih and Weltvertrieb customers, plus a YouTube channel for monthly Kurzfilm Freitag content. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: cinema distribution transaction fees, international and festival licensing royalties, and festival operations (tickets, submissions, awards, and Script Pitch). The company serves three primary enterprise and institutional segments — German cinemas and event organizers, international film festivals, and German schools/kindergartens via educational programming — plus a long-tail consumer audience. Core strategic partnerships include the Festival de Cannes, Sundance Film Festival, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, giving Interfilm access to Oscar-nominated, Cannes, and Sundance short films for German theatrical distribution.

Name

Interfilm Berlin

Legal name

Interfilm Berlin

Website

https://interfilm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Interfilm Berlin is a Berlin-based short film festival organization and distribution agency operating the INTERFILM and KUKI festivals, three distribution channels (Kinoverleih, Weltvertrieb, Festivaldistribution), and Shorts Attack monthly programming in 20+ German cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Distribution and Festival Management

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Short film distribution
• Film festival management
• Cinema distribution services
• International film sales
• Short film curation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cinema Distribution (Kinoverleih): Distribution of short films to cinemas and event organizers across Germany, with services including film rentals, short film programs, pre-film subscriptions, and program packages.
2. World Sales (Weltvertrieb): International short film distribution to film professionals and festivals worldwide, mediating between filmmakers and international buyers.
3. Festival Distribution: Distribution services specifically for film festivals, providing curated short film packages and individual titles.
4. Festival Operations: Revenue from festival ticket sales, submissions, and associated events including the Script Pitch competition and awards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Interfilm Berlin is a short film festival operator and distribution agency that runs two annual Berlin-based festivals (INTERFILM International Short Film Festival and KUKI Festival for children and youth) and provides short film distribution through three channels: Kinoverleih for German cinemas and event organizers, Weltvertrieb for international world sales, and Festivaldistribution for the festival circuit. The company also operates the Shorts Attack monthly program in 20+ German cities, distributes a catalog of 482+ films with 27+ themed program packages, and runs the Script Pitch platform for filmmakers.

Product overview

Interfilm Berlin is a short film organization based in Berlin operating a multi-faceted short film business consisting of two annual festivals (interfilm Festival and KUKI Festival), three distribution channels (Kinoverleih for German cinema distribution, Weltvertrieb for international distribution, and Festivaldistribution for festival circuit), plus the branded monthly program Shorts Attack. The company also offers a video platform (Shorts+Connect), an agency service for project collaborations, and maintains a catalog of 482+ films with 27+ themed program collections. The core offering is the interfilm Festival, which serves as the flagship event, while the distribution services (Kinoverleih, Weltvertrieb, Festivaldistribution) and Shorts Attack program represent the commercial distribution infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KUKI Festival: Short film festival for children and youth audiences
• Shorts Attack
• interfilm Festival
• Shorts+Connect
• Script Pitch

Products and services

• INTERFILM International Short Film Festival Annual international short film festival held in Berlin featuring competitions, awards, industry events, and curated programs across 60+ screenings and events.
• KUKI Festival Short film festival for children and youth offering programming for kindergartens and schools, workshops, and family-friendly screenings.
• Kinoverleih (Short Film Cinema Distribution) Cinema and event distribution service renting short films to cinemas and event organizers throughout Germany, including pre-film subscriptions and themed program packages.
• Weltvertrieb (World Distribution) International world distribution service connecting short films with industry professionals, festivals, and distributors worldwide through global sales representation.
• Festivaldistribution (Festival Distribution) Distribution service specifically targeting the international film festival circuit, providing curated short film packages and individual titles for festival programming.
• Shorts Attack Monthly themed short film programs shown in partner cinemas across more than 20 German cities, featuring curated collections under various themes.
• interfilm Agentur (Agency) Project-based agency service collaborating with partners to realize special projects and initiatives in the film and cultural education space.
• Script Pitch Script development and pitching platform where filmmakers present short film projects as part of the INTERFILM Festival.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Interfilm Berlin distributes Oscar-nominated short films including Live Action and Animation categories for the 2026 awards. They offer theatrical distribution of Academy Award-nominated short films in Germany.
• Festival de CannescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Interfilm Berlin distributes Cannes Shorts, including the Golden Palm winning short film. They have a direct relationship with the Cannes Film Festival for short film competition selections, featuring Cannes winners in their distribution catalog and festival programming.
• Sundance Film FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Interfilm Berlin distributes Sundance Shorts, featuring award-winning short films from the Sundance Film Festival in their catalog. Sundance Shorts 2025 program includes 7 award-winning short films.
• Partner FestivalscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInterfilm Berlin maintains a network of partner festivals for film exchange, co-programming, and collaborative events. The festival section lists Partner-Festivals as a dedicated page. These partnerships facilitate film circulation and festival programming collaborations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• International Short Film Festival Oberhausen: One of the oldest short film festivals in the world, also based in Germany. Both organizations run annual curated competitions, industry programs, and a distribution/archive component for short film in the German cultural landscape.
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: The world's leading short film festival, holding an annual competitive festival plus a major industry market for short film sales. It is the most direct comparator to Interfilm's combined festival + distribution + world sales model, operating at a larger scale with a similarly curated international competition.
• Aspen Shortsfest: US competitive short film festival with curated programs and international selections. Directly comparable to Interfilm in festival curation, themed programs, and Oscar-qualifying competition status.
• National Film Board of Canada: Public Canadian agency producing and distributing short films worldwide with a large free catalog. Comparable to Interfilm as a curated short film library with theatrical distribution, festival presence, and educational programming.
• Tampere Film Festival: Finnish short film festival with competitive programming and a festival distribution/agency arm. Compares closely to Interfilm's festival + curated program + industry outreach structure, serving as a Northern European parallel.
• Uppsala Short Film Festival: Swedish competitive short film festival with international programming. Comparable to Interfilm as a mid-sized European short film festival with industry and curated program components.
• Hamburg International Short Film Festival: German short film festival operating an annual competition and distribution activities through its affiliated agency. Directly comparable to Interfilm in combining festival programming with commercial short film distribution for German audiences.

Others

• AG Kurzfilm: German umbrella association for short film that promotes short film culture and supports German short film distribution. Adjacent to Interfilm as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same German short film value chain.

Broad incumbents

• MUBI: Global streaming and theatrical distributor specializing in curated arthouse and short films. Comparable as a broader incumbent in curated short/arthouse distribution with both cinema programming and digital channels.

Regional players

• German Films: National information and distribution office for German cinema. While focused on features rather than shorts, it is comparable as a German-headquartered film distribution and promotion agency with international market access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/interfilmBerlin
• Xx.com/interfilm_Bln

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 Interfilm Berlin