Ventura Film Festival

What Ventura Film Festival does

The Ventura Film Festival is a nonprofit, open-genre international film festival headquartered in Ventura County, California, founded in 2004. The organization operates a single annual summer event screening over 200 films, supplemented by year-round free film and screenplay submissions accepted via email. Its mission explicitly couples cinematic programming with environmental advocacy, focusing on forest and ocean preservation and restoration. Notable programming has included the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story (2011) with Academy Award-winning cast members Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and Russ Tamblyn, as well as appearances by award-winning filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend and Ian Cairns, and four-time world champion MMA fighter Fabio Leopoldo.

The festival's customer base consists of independent filmmakers and screenwriters (primarily individuals/SMBs) who submit work without charge, with submissions prioritizing filmmakers who attend in person and world premieres. The organization does not pay screening fees under any circumstances and does not charge submission fees. There is no proprietary technology platform — operations rely on standard email-based submission intake and a WordPress-hosted website, with social media (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) serving as the primary engagement channels.

The revenue model is freemium with respect to submissions, but as a nonprofit the underlying economics rely on undisclosed sponsorships, donations, grants, and ancillary event revenue. With 11–50 employees and a single regional event footprint, the Ventura Film Festival functions as a small community-led cultural organization rather than a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

Ventura Film Festival

Legal name

Ventura Film Festival

Website

https://venturafilmfestival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ventura Film Festival is a nonprofit international film festival founded in 2004 and based in Ventura County, California. It hosts an annual summer event screening 200+ films, accepts free year-round submissions from filmmakers worldwide, and focuses on environmental themes such as forest and ocean preservation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH)

Keywords

• International film festival
• Independent film screenings
• Screenplay competition
• Environmental film programming
• Film submission services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Submissions: The festival accepts submissions free of charge year-round. Filmmakers submit work via email with links to content. Priority is given to filmmakers attending in person and world premieres. The festival does not pay screening fees under any circumstances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ventura Film Festival operates an annual in-person international film festival in Ventura County, California, screening over 200 films each summer with an explicit environmental mission focused on forest and ocean preservation and restoration. It supports this event with a free year-round submission service that accepts films and screenplays from creators worldwide via email, prioritizing filmmakers who attend in person and world premieres.

Product overview

The Ventura Film Festival is a single annual film festival event (not a platform) that operates as an open genre international film festival focused on environmental awareness. The organization offers two related services: the main annual film festival event that screens over 200 films each summer, and a free year-round film and screenplay submission service accessible via email. The festival was founded in 2004 and serves the international film community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ventura Film Festival (Annual Event) An annual in-person international film festival held in Ventura County, California, screening over 200 films each summer across open genres with an environmental focus on forest and ocean preservation and restoration. Aimed at independent filmmakers, screenwriters, and local audiences.
• Free Film and Screenplay Submissions A free, year-round submission service that accepts films and screenplays from creators worldwide via email, with priority consideration given to filmmakers/writers who attend in person and to world premieres. Available to independent filmmakers, screenwriters, and content creators.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Newport Beach Film Festival: California coastal film festival with a similar mix of independent and celebrity-driven programming. Comparable in community-driven positioning and target demographic of affluent coastal audiences.
• Palm Springs International Film Festival: Major Southern California film festival with strong awards-season celebrity programming. Closely comparable to Ventura in targeting filmmakers and audiences, though significantly larger in scale, budget, and institutional backing.
• Mill Valley Film Festival: Long-running Northern California film festival with a comparable mix of independent and prestige programming. Similar in community-based positioning and target independent film audience.
• Austin Film Festival: Established US film festival known for screenplay and independent film programming. Comparable in indie filmmaker focus and submission-driven model, though significantly larger in scale and institutional brand.
• San Luis Obispo International Film Festival: Central California international film festival of similar size and indie/independent programming orientation. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and target independent filmmaker community.
• San Diego Film Festival: Southern California film festival with a comparable mix of independent film programming and celebrity events. Similar audience targeting and community-driven model, though operating in a larger metropolitan market.
• Napa Valley Film Festival: California-based regional film festival with a similar community-driven model and indie programming focus. Comparable in scale, regional audience, and lifestyle/event positioning.
• Santa Barbara International Film Festival: Regional California film festival with a similar indie/awards-season programming focus and free or low-cost community model. Directly comparable in scale and target audience to the Ventura Film Festival, though operating in a larger and wealthier county.

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Film Festival: The dominant US independent film festival and the primary brand in the indie festival ecosystem. Operates as a broad incumbent that defines the category in which Ventura competes for filmmaker submissions and audience attention.
• Telluride Film Festival: Prestigious Colorado-based film festival known for awards-season premieres and A-list programming. A broad incumbent whose celebrity-driven brand sets the bar Ventura's high-profile programming is attempting to emulate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/venturafilmfest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/venturafilmfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/venturafilmfestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/venturafilmfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventura-film-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ventura Film Festival