FEST

What FEST does

FEST - Associação Cultural is a Portuguese non-profit cultural association founded in 2004 and headquartered in Espinho, Portugal, that operates the FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival, an annual 8-9 day international film festival focused on discovering and promoting first- and second-time directors. The organization runs two core offerings: the annual festival (with its 22nd edition scheduled for June 20-28, 2026) featuring competitive sections (Grande Prémio Nacional for Portuguese talent, Lince de Prata for animation and experimental shorts), industry programming (Training Ground masterclasses, Pitching Forum, Sound and Music Hub), and FESTinha children's programming; and FEST Film Lab, a year-round educational platform delivering professional workshops in European cities including Lisbon, Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Valencia, and Madrid. FEST generates revenue through festival accreditations, individual screening tickets, film submission fees (€50-80 tiered by deadline), and workshop enrollments (€349-599 per workshop, with early-bird discounts). The organization partners with Cineclube de Espinho (founding body), FILMIN (exclusive 20-year catalog streaming), Creative Europe Media Desk Portugal, and the Portuguese Film Institute (ICA), and serves emerging filmmakers, film students, industry professionals (producers, distributors, investors, programmers), and Portuguese directors.

Name

FEST

Legal name

FEST - ASSOCIAÇÃO CULTURAL

Website

https://fest.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FEST is a Portuguese non-profit cultural association operating an annual international film festival for emerging directors in Espinho, Portugal, complemented by year-round FEST Film Lab workshops in seven European cities, serving filmmakers, students, and industry professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Cinema Education

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ), Festival & Event Producers/Organizers (MPAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Film festival
• Cinema education
• Filmmaker workshops
• Short film competition
• Project pitching forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Espinho

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Festival Accreditations: Sale of festival passes and accreditations granting access to screenings, industry events, and networking activities during the annual festival
2. Film Submissions: Fees charged for filmmakers to submit films and projects to competitive sections (Early Bird: 50€, Normal: 60€, Late: 80€)
3. Workshop Fees: Professional development workshops priced at 599EUR standard with early registration discounts (349-429EUR). Includes occasional bundled FEST-PRO badges.
4. Ticket Sales: Individual screening tickets and venue access for festival attendees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FEST operates an annual international film festival in Espinho, Portugal focused on discovering and promoting new directing talent through competitive film sections, industry programming (Training Ground masterclasses, Pitching Forum), and educational programs. FEST Film Lab extends the offering year-round through professional workshops on cinematography, editing, directing, producing, sound, and AI in filmmaking held across European cities. Revenue is generated through festival accreditations, ticket sales, film submission fees (€50-€80), and workshop registrations (€349-€599).

Product overview

FEST (Festival Novos Realizadores | Novo Cinema) is a film festival focused on discovering new directing talent. The organization operates two core offerings: the annual FEST Festival featuring competitive cinema sections (Grande Prémio Nacional, Lince de Prata for animation and experimental shorts), an Industry program with Training Ground masterclasses, Pitching Forum for project financing, and specialized Hubs for directors and actors; and FEST Film Lab, a year-round educational platform offering professional workshops in cinematography, editing, directing, producing, AI in filmmaking, and other film disciplines. Additional programs include FESTinha for children's cinema, Music Walk With Me for music-film crossovers, and Festival Village as the community gathering space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FEST FILM LAB: Training structure offering workshops for filmmakers in cinematography, directing, editing, sound, production design, casting, intimacy coordination, and other aspects of cinema and audiovisual production

Products and services

• FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival Annual international film festival held over 8-9 days in Espinho, Portugal, focused on discovering and promoting new directing talent through competitive sections for feature films and short films across fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental categories.
• FEST Film Lab

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 projects have been presented at Pitching Forum, with many finding international partners and premiering at major festivals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FILMINcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 August 2024Exclusive catalog partnership with FILMIN streaming platform. FEST celebrates two decades of programming with an exclusive catalog featuring curated selections from the festival's history.
• Creative Europe Media Desk PortugalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint discussions on opportunities for cinema and audiovisual in Europe as part of FEST PRO programming.
• Creative Europe Desk Basque Country (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border collaboration on European cinema opportunities discussion during FEST PRO 2023.
• Partner Schools (Escolas Parceiras)minorOthersNetwork of educational institutions collaborating with FEST's student programs including the NEXXT academic competition.
• Cineclube de EspinhocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding organization of FEST. Cineclube de Espinho is the cultural association that established and runs the festival.
• Portuguese Film Institute (ICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernmental film institute supporting FEST Film Lab workshops through scholarships for Portuguese filmmakers.
• Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology (Berlin)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVenue partner for FEST Film Lab workshops held in Berlin, Germany.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): Dutch festival renowned for supporting emerging talent, debut features, and experimental work, with industry programs akin to FEST's Pitching Forum and Training Ground.
• IndieLisboa: Portuguese festival dedicated to independent and new-director cinema, the closest geographic and curatorial peer to FEST within the Iberian market.
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: World's leading short film festival with competitive sections across animation, documentary, and fiction, directly comparable to FEST's Lince de Prata short film competitions.
• Locarno Film Festival: Swiss festival long focused on emerging directors, auteur cinema, and competition sections for new voices. Highly comparable to FEST's new-directors positioning and competitive film programming.
• Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival: Portuguese festival focused on short film with competitive programming, directly comparable to FEST's Lince de Prata short film categories and Iberian new-talent positioning.
• Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: Central European festival with a dedicated competition for debut and second features (Crystal Globe) and industry market (Industry Days), paralleling FEST's new-directors and Pitching Forum focus.
• Sarajevo Film Festival: Regional European festival with a strong industry platform (CineLink) for emerging filmmakers, comparable in scale, mission, and industry-program structure to FEST.
• Semaine de la Critique (Critics' Week, Cannes): Parallel Cannes section exclusively dedicated to first and second feature films, the benchmark for FEST's Lince de Ouro competition in mission and target filmmaker profile.
• Torino Film Festival: Italian festival historically focused on emerging directors and independent cinema, comparable in programming philosophy and European regional positioning to FEST.

Broad incumbents

• BFI London Film Festival: Larger, established UK festival with broader programming and deeper industry resources; offers similar filmmaker development and competition functions to FEST but at substantially greater scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFy8ZqduE0lWRkvAUreMmlw
• Facebookfacebook.com/FESTNewDirectorsNewFilmsFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/festfilmfestival
• Xx.com/festfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fest-new-directors-new-films

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 FEST