CinemAsia Film Festival

What CinemAsia Film Festival does

CinemAsia Film Festival is a Dutch cultural foundation (Stichting Cinema Asia, ANBI status) founded in 2003 and operating since at least 2006, headquartered in Amsterdam. Its flagship product is an annual Asian cinema festival in Amsterdam that combines film screenings across multiple curated sections (Film programme, New Visions, Horizons, Pioneers, Short Films) with industry programming (CinemAsia PRO), a dedicated LGBTQ+ strand (Queer Nongkrong / CinemAsia LGBTQ+), an accompanying Food Market, Karaoke, and the FilmLAB development initiative supporting Dutch-Asian filmmakers. The organisation serves three primary customer segments: Asian diaspora and general film audiences in the Netherlands, film industry professionals seeking exhibition and networking opportunities, and the Dutch-Asian and queer-Asian community segments.

Beyond the main Amsterdam festival, CinemAsia distributes content through a touring programme ("On Tour") to cinema venues in Filmhuis Den Haag, Kino Rotterdam, Lumière Maastricht, and Forum Groningen, and through an online streaming partnership with Mubi. The revenue model is multi-stream and project-based: ticket sales, sponsorships, individual donations, and periodic crowdfunding (notably a 2022 crowdfunding round that funded Fair Practice freelance rates). Operations are run primarily with freelance labour and an unpaid volunteer board comprising a Chair, Secretary (Chaoyang HE), Treasurer (Tao MA), and general members. The foundation does not operate proprietary technology platforms and does not disclose pricing for festival tickets; no mobile app, API, or AI/ML capabilities are evident in the available data.

Name

CinemAsia Film Festival

Legal name

Stichting Cinema Asia

Website

https://cinemasia.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CinemAsia Film Festival is a Dutch non-profit foundation that runs an annual Asian cinema festival in Amsterdam, with touring screenings across Dutch cities and sub-programmes supporting Dutch-Asian filmmakers, LGBTQ+ audiences, and film industry professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Film Festival

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPADAKAE

Special Event Screenings & Pop-up Cinemas

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPADAKAF

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Asian film festival
• Cultural film programming
• Independent cinema events
• Film industry networking
• Community film screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Operations: Annual film festival generates revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations. The organization relies on visitor numbers, sponsors, and funds for compensation of freelancers. In 2022, crowdfunding enabled fair practice rates for all freelancers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CinemAsia Film Festival operates an annual Asian cinema film festival in Amsterdam, featuring film screenings, industry events, food markets, karaoke, and LGBTQ+ focused programming. The festival is supplemented by 'CinemAsia On Tour' screenings at partner cinemas in other Dutch cities, and by support programs including FilmLAB (filmmaker development for Dutch-Asians), CinemAsia PRO (industry programming), and an online distribution partnership with Mubi.

Product overview

CinemAsia Film Festival operates as a multi-component cultural organization with its core annual Film Festival as the flagship product, supplemented by specialized programs. The portfolio includes the main Film Festival (annual flagship event with film screenings and Q&As), FilmLAB (film development initiative for Asian-Dutch filmmakers), CinemAsia PRO (industry programming), Food Market (culinary companion event), Queer Nongkrong (LGBTQ+ cinema focus), On Tour (regional expansion program), and Karaoke (community activity). The organization is structured under Stichting Cinema Asia and holds ANBI (public benefit institution) status in the Netherlands, with an archive spanning from 2006 to present.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CinemAsia FilmLAB: Filmmaker development program supporting stories from Dutch people with Asian backgrounds
• CinemAsia LGBTQ+
• CinemAsia PRO
• CinemAsia Food Market

Products and services

• CinemAsia Film Festival The primary annual film festival showcasing Asian cinema in the Netherlands, featuring film screenings across multiple sections (Film programme, New Visions, Horizons, Pioneers, Short Films), industry events, and cultural programming across venues in Amsterdam.
• FilmLAB A film development program that supports filmmakers of Asian descent in the Netherlands, helping them tell their stories through the medium of film.
• CinemAsia PRO Industry-focused programming including talks, panels, and networking events for film professionals, filmmakers, and industry guests.
• CinemAsia Food Market A food market accompanying the festival celebrating Asian cuisine and culinary culture, supporting local Asian food vendors.
• Queer Nongkrong A dedicated program segment celebrating queer voices and stories within Asian cinema, featuring screenings and community events.
• On Tour A touring program bringing festival favorites and newly programmed films to cinemas across the Netherlands, including Filmhuis Den Haag, Kino Rotterdam, Lumière Maastricht, and Forum Groningen.
• Karaoke Festival activity featuring karaoke events as part of the broader cultural experience accompanying the festival.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kino RotterdamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinema venue partner for CinemAsia On Tour 2025/2026 screenings in Rotterdam.
• Lumière MaastrichtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinema venue partner for CinemAsia On Tour screenings in Maastricht.
• Forum GroningencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinema venue partner for CinemAsia On Tour screenings in Groningen.
• Filmhuis Den HaagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinema venue partner for CinemAsia On Tour screenings in The Hague.
• MubiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline streaming platform partnership for extended accessibility of festival films.
• Spotlight TaiwanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor supporting Taiwanese cinema visibility at the festival.
• Nederlands Film Festival (NFF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner film festival in the Netherlands for collaborative programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Far East Film Festival (FEFF): Udine, Italy-based festival dedicated to popular Asian cinema, organized by Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche. Strong peer given similar European focus on Asian film exhibition, dedicated market component, and comparable scale to CinemAsia.
• New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF): Long-running North American showcase for Asian cinema operated in partnership with Subway Cinema and Film at Lincoln Center. Directly comparable in festival scope, audience (Asian film enthusiasts and diaspora), and event-driven programming model.
• Asian Film Festival Barcelona (AFFB): Barcelona's dedicated Asian cinema festival, operating with similar scope to CinemAsia in another European market. Comparable in event-driven programming, multi-section format, and focus on visibility for Asian filmmakers reaching European audiences.
• CAAMFest (Center for Asian American Media Fest): San Francisco-based annual Asian American film festival, the closest direct peer in mission and structure: dedicated Asian cinema exhibition with industry programs, food and cultural components, and diaspora community engagement—parallel to CinemAsia's Amsterdam model.
• Five Flavours Film Festival: Warsaw-based annual Asian film festival, one of Europe's longest-running dedicated Asian cinema events. Highly comparable in mission (promoting Asian cinema visibility in Europe), scale, and event-driven model targeting both Asian diaspora and general audiences.

Broad incumbents

• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): Major Dutch film festival with significantly broader scope but overlapping arthouse audience. IFFR's CineMart market component also overlaps with CinemAsia PRO's industry programming, making it a broad incumbent in the same geography.

Regional players

• London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF): UK-based annual Asian cinema festival. Operates in adjacent Western European geography with similar niche focus, making it a strong regional comparable rather than direct competitor given the distinct national markets served.
• Berlin Asian Film Festival: Berlin's dedicated Asian cinema showcase, comparable in mission and structure but operating in Germany rather than the Netherlands. A regional peer with similar event-driven exhibition model targeting Asian cinema enthusiasts.

Others

• Mubi: Global streaming platform that is both a CinemAsia partner and an adjacent distribution channel for arthouse/Asian cinema. Listed as OTHERS because it is an enabler/distributor rather than a competing festival, but materially relevant to CinemAsia's audience reach.

Emerging players

• Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival: Independent film festival with industry programs and indie filmmaker development components, paralleling CinemAsia FilmLAB and PRO. Comparable in combining festival exhibition with filmmaker support programming, though broader than Asian-only focus.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@cinemasia
• Xx.com/cinemasia_nl
• Facebookfacebook.com/CinemAsiaAmsterdam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinemasia-filmfestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 CinemAsia Film Festival