Visions of the Real
Visions du Réel is a Swiss non-profit foundation operating one of Europe's leading international documentary film festivals in Nyon since 1969, serving filmmakers, industry professionals, and general audiences through an annual curated showcase plus year-round touring, educational, and industry programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersNyon, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Visions of the Real does
Visions du Réel is a Swiss non-profit foundation that operates one of Europe's longest-running international documentary film festivals, held annually in Nyon since 1969. The festival's core product is a 10-day curated showcase — the 57th edition in April 2026 featured 164 films selected from approximately 3,700 submissions across 75 countries — supported by parallel industry and audience-development programs including VdR-Industry (pitching, rough cut labs, development labs, co-production awards), VdR on Tour (year-round traveling screenings at venues such as Istituto Svizzero in Rome, Cinélux Geneva, and cinéma Spoutnik), VdR at School (educational outreach), VdR Kids and VdR Next Gen (youth programming), and accessibility-focused screenings (audiodescription, SDH subtitles, French sign language, relaxed sessions).
The technology footprint is deliberately modest: a multilingual website, a mobile application launched for the 57th edition, Eventival for accreditation management, RTS broadcasting partnership, and geo-localized VOD partner platforms for online streaming of 50+ films. A 2026 online pass is priced at CHF 25 with individual titles at CHF 3-4.50 and reduced CHF 5 tickets for Carte Culture holders, positioning ticketing as a participation lever rather than a primary revenue driver.
Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a publicly subsidized cultural foundation rather than a commercial enterprise: institutional support from the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Canton of Vaud, and City of Nyon anchors the budget, with La Mobilière as main corporate partner, supplemented by ticket sales, industry accreditation fees, the Cercle des mécènes patron program, and merchandise via the festival boutique. The organization served a multi-sided audience of filmmakers, industry professionals, general cinema-goers, schools, seniors, and accessibility communities, and as of 2025-2026 is undergoing a coordinated leadership transition under incoming artistic director Anne Delseth and foundation board president Philippe Bischof.
Visions of the Real firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Visions of the Real
- Legal name
- Fondation Visions du Réel
- Website
- https://visionsdureel.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Visions du Réel is a Swiss non-profit foundation operating one of Europe's leading international documentary film festivals in Nyon since 1969, serving filmmakers, industry professionals, and general audiences through an annual curated showcase plus year-round touring, educational, and industry programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Visions of the Real industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Film Festival
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)
Keywords
Where Visions of the Real is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nyon
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Visions of the Real business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One-time | Online pass for streaming 50+ films |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual film tickets |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Reduced tickets for Carte Culture holders |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Visions of the Real product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Visions du Réel is a Swiss non-profit foundation that produces an annual international documentary film festival in Nyon, Switzerland. Beyond the main April event, it runs a professional industry program for filmmakers and producers, traveling screenings across Switzerland and abroad, school-based educational screenings, and youth-focused programming. Selected films are also made available through an online streaming service for audiences who cannot attend in person.
Product overview
Visions du Réel is a single unified film festival product centered on the annual international documentary cinema event held in Nyon, Switzerland. The festival's portfolio consists of the core film festival (featuring competitive sections, special screenings, and retrospectives), supplemented by extended offerings including VdR–Industry (professional industry program with pitching and labs), VdR on Tour (traveling screenings), VdR at School (educational outreach), a mobile application for the 57th edition, and an online streaming platform. The 57th edition featured 164 films from 75 countries with dates April 9-18, 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VdR-Industry: Professional industry program of Visions du Réel for film industry professionals, including pitching sessions, workshops, and networking events
- VdR on Tour
- VdR at School
- VdR Kids
- VdR Next Gen
Products and services
- Visions du Réel Festival
Quantifiable outcome
- 164 films selected from approximately 3700 submissions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Visions of the Real
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Visions of the Real technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Visions of the Real partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Visions of the Real competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CPH:DOX: Copenhagen-based international documentary film festival with strong industry platform (CPH:INDUSTRY) and similar hybrid screening model. Closely comparable programming, scale, and industry focus.
- Sheffield DocFest: UK-based international documentary festival with prominent industry program (DocFest Exchange/Ruth Draws Doc). Direct competitor in the European documentary festival market for projects and industry delegates.
- Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Leading North American documentary festival based in Toronto with comparable industry programs, pitching forums and educational outreach. Direct peer operating at similar prestige and scale to Visions du Réel.
- DOK Leipzig: Germany's leading documentary and animated film festival with industry programs and comparable curatorial depth. Strong European documentary peer with similar festival-industry hybrid structure.
- IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam: The world's largest documentary film festival, held annually in Amsterdam. Directly comparable to Visions du Réel as a curated international documentary festival with an associated industry/cinemart program for documentary filmmakers.
- Thessaloniki Documentary Festival: One of the oldest documentary festivals in Europe, held annually in Thessaloniki, Greece. Closely aligned with Visions du Réel in scope, programming approach and European documentary festival positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Tribeca Festival: New York-based general film festival with documentary programming and industry components. Comparable in industry/event design but broader and larger scope than Visions du Réel.
- Sundance Film Festival: Premier independent film festival in the US with significant documentary programming and industry presence. Broader incumbent than Visions du Réel since it is a general indie festival with a documentary strand, but competes for high-profile documentary premieres.
Emerging players
- True/False Film Festival: US-based documentary festival known for programmed curatorial risk-taking and filmmaker relationships. Comparable as a prestige-leaning documentary festival, though smaller and more US-focused than Visions du Réel.
- DocLisboa - Lisbon International Film Festival: Portuguese documentary-focused festival with strong European documentary community ties. Comparable scale to Visions du Réel, with parallel curatorial ambitions but smaller resource base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Visions of the Real social profiles
Digital presenceVisions of the Real financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Visions of the Real leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Visions of the Real funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Visions of the Real 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 Visions of the Real
What does Visions of the Real do?
Visions du Réel is a Swiss non-profit foundation that produces an annual international documentary film festival in Nyon, Switzerland. Beyond the main April event, it runs a professional industry program for filmmakers and producers, traveling screenings across Switzerland and abroad, school-based educational screenings, and youth-focused programming. Selected films are also made available through an online streaming service for audiences who cannot attend in person.
Is Visions of the Real a public or private company?
Visions of the Real is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Visions of the Real founded?
Visions of the Real was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Visions of the Real based?
Visions of the Real is headquartered in Nyon, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
Who are Visions of the Real's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CPH:DOX, Sheffield DocFest, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, DOK Leipzig, IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. Broad incumbents are Tribeca Festival and Sundance Film Festival. Emerging players are True/False Film Festival and DocLisboa - Lisbon International Film Festival.
Does Visions of the Real have an API?
No public API is recorded for Visions of the Real.
What industry is Visions of the Real in?
Visions of the Real's product category is Documentary Film Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAKAD, Film Festivals & Festival Organizers, with a secondary code of MPADADAI, Arts & Culture Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 51213 and its SIC code is 7830.