Athena Film Festival

What Athena Film Festival does

The Athena Film Festival is a nonprofit film festival and year-round creative-development organization founded in 2011 and operated as a joint initiative between Barnard College's Athena Center for Leadership and the Women and Hollywood initiative founded by Melissa Silverstein. It hosts an annual in-person festival on the Barnard College campus in Morningside Heights, New York City, screening narrative features, documentaries, and short films centered on women's leadership, alongside panels, Q&A sessions, masterclasses, and industry networking events. The organization runs year-round Creative Development Programs including The Athena List (feature-length script competition), AFF Writers Labs (screenplay and episodic), the AFF Documentary Pitch Program, fellowships, and several named awards supporting women and nonbinary filmmakers with funding, mentorship, and industry access.

Core technology is thin and entirely third-party: Eventive handles ticketing and pass sales (aff26.eventive.org), Film Freeway processes short-film submissions, Mailchimp runs newsletter distribution, and WordPress powers the official site (athenafilmfestival.com). There are no proprietary systems, patents, trademarks, AI/ML assets, or app products disclosed; the festival is a curation, programming, and convening operation rather than a software company. Organizational structure consists of approximately 8 core staff members (Artistic Director, two Programming Directors, multiple Lab Directors, and a Programming Coordinator) supported by 200+ volunteers and a network of 100+ community partner organizations.

Revenue derives from four streams: festival pass and ticket sales (one-time), corporate and foundation sponsorships at published tiers of $5,000 to $200,000 (annual/recurring), film submission fees of $10-$65 per submission across three tracks (transactional), and individual tax-deductible donations. Financial partners include founding sponsor Artemis Rising Foundation (Regina K. Scully) plus corporate backers Netflix, AMC Networks, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Disney Studios Content, Loreen Arbus Foundation, Secret Sauce Media, and Illumine Service Foundation. To date the festival has screened 550+ films (over 90% directed by women or nonbinary individuals), supported 700+ filmmakers, and awarded $345,000 in direct grants to filmmakers including alumni writing for Riverdale, Ginny and Georgia, and Grey's Anatomy.

Name

Athena Film Festival

Legal name

Athena Film Festival

Website

https://athenafilmfestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Athena Film Festival is a nonprofit annual film festival at Barnard College in NYC, with year-round Creative Development Programs (script competition, writers labs, documentary pitch training, fellowships, awards) supporting women and nonbinary filmmakers through grants, mentorship, and industry access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival & Creative Development Programs

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH)

Keywords

• Film festival
• Women-centered cinema
• Filmmaker development
• Screenwriting labs
• Documentary pitch programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Passes and Tickets: Revenue generated from selling passes and individual tickets to the annual film festival screenings, panels, and events.
2. Sponsorships and Grants: Funding from corporate sponsors, foundations, and individual donors supporting the festival and creative development programs.
3. Film Submission Fees: Short film submissions charged $15 submission fee; Writers Lab submissions charged $65 fee; Documentary Pitch Program charged $10 submission fee.
4. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals supporting the festival and filmmakers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Athena Film Festival operates an annual film festival at Barnard College in New York City showcasing narrative features, documentaries, and short films celebrating women's leadership, with panels, Q&A sessions, and masterclasses. It also runs year-round Creative Development Programs including The Athena List script competition, Writers Labs, Documentary Pitch Program, fellowships, and grants, awarding more than $85,000 annually to emerging storytellers working on women-centric content.

Product overview

The Athena Film Festival is a film festival organization offering an annual showcase alongside year-round Creative Development Programs. The core offering is the Annual Film Festival featuring narrative, documentary, and short films celebrating women's leadership. The Creative Development Program extends this with strategic interventions including The Athena List (script competition), AFF Writers Labs (screenplay and episodic writing workshops), AFF Documentary Pitch Program, fellowships (Loreen Arbus, Alfred P. Sloan, AMC Networks), and awards (Breakthrough Award, Chinonye Chukwu Emerging Writer Award, Alfred P. Sloan Athena List Development Grant, Athena List Development Grant, Jaya Award). Additional offerings include the Programming Fellowship and Women & STEM Initiative. The organization awards over $85,000 annually to emerging storytellers working on women-centric content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Athena List: Annual feature-length script competition that selects exceptional scripts featuring women leaders at the heart of the story.
• AFF Writers Labs
• AFF Documentary Pitch Program
• Abortion Pipeline Project
• Athena Film Festival Programming Fellowship

Products and services

• Annual Film Festival An annual three-day showcase featuring narrative features, documentaries, and short films celebrating women's leadership, held at Barnard College in New York City, including panels, Q&A sessions, and industry conversations alongside film screenings.
• Creative Development Program A year-round suite of strategic programs supporting filmmakers working on women-centric projects with funding, skill-building opportunities, and industry networking. Includes The Athena List, Writers Labs, Documentary Pitch Program, fellowships, and grants.
• The Athena List Annual feature-length script competition that selects exceptional scripts featuring women leaders at the heart of the story, raising the profile of winning scripts and writers within the industry.
• AFF Writers Labs Three-phase workshop program for emerging film and television writers providing creative guidance, pitch training, industry access, and a supportive creative community. Includes screenplay and episodic labs.
• AFF Documentary Pitch Program Intensive pitch-training and storytelling-strengthening program for documentarians working on women-centric projects, culminating in a live pitch to industry representatives.
• Creative Development Fellowships Fellowship programs including the Loreen Arbus Fellowship for screenwriters with disabilities, Alfred P. Sloan Fellowships for women in STEM-themed projects, and AMC Networks Emerging Writers Fellowship for television writers.
• Programming Fellowship Learning and career development opportunity for individuals passionate about festival programming and women's leadership, involving film review, programming decisions, and industry networking.
• Women & STEM Initiative Partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation supporting stories about women in science through grants, lab fellowships, and panel discussions including the STEM Showcase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 550+ films screened with 70%+ women/nonbinary directors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Barnard CollegeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host institution and co-founder of the Athena Film Festival. Provides the campus venue in Morningside Heights, NYC for the annual festival. Founded in 1889, Barnard is a world-renowned women's college with all the academic resources of Columbia University.
• Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Co-founding organization of the Athena Film Festival. The Athena Center for Leadership is a hub for changemakers at Barnard College preparing students to lead change. The partnership advances new narratives about leadership through women-centered stories.
• Women and HollywoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Co-founding organization founded by Melissa Silverstein in 2007. Educates, advocates, and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and the global film industry. Sets the standard and defines the conversation on women filmmakers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DOC NYC: America's largest documentary festival, also held annually in New York City with a year-round programming component and industry-focused events, comparable in scale and geographic setting to Athena.
• Sarasota Film Festival: Regional festival with filmmaker development programming and a focus on curated independent cinema, comparable in scale and structure to Athena's annual festival + programs model.
• ReelAbilities Film Festival: Disability-focused film festival with year-round programming and filmmaker support initiatives; comparable as a mission-driven specialty festival that pairs its annual event with development programming.
• Montclair Film Festival: Mid-sized US film festival with year-round programming, education initiatives, and filmmaker development programs that overlap with Athena's creative development mission.
• New York Film Festival (Film at Lincoln Center): Annual New York City film festival operated by Film at Lincoln Center, comparable in venue prestige and audience profile to Athena's Barnard College setting, with a curated slate of narrative features and documentaries.
• Bentonville Film Festival: Founded by Geena Davis, Bentonville Film Festival is a dedicated festival for content by and about women and underrepresented voices, with a year-round inclusion program — the closest direct mission-aligned peer to Athena Film Festival.
• Hamptons International Film Festival: Long-running regional US film festival with a mission-driven programming slate including women-focused initiatives and industry mentorship programs, similar in scale to Athena.

Others

• Film Festival Alliance: Industry association for film festivals; comparable as an ecosystem participant supporting festival operations and best practices, where Athena's Programming Director previously served as Executive Director.

Emerging players

• New York Women in Film & Television: Industry organization supporting women in film and television through programming, networking, and advocacy; overlaps with Athena's filmmaker-support mission and partner ecosystem but focuses on year-round membership services rather than a single annual festival.
• Chicken & Egg Pictures: Nonprofit supporting women and nonbinary documentary filmmakers through grants, mentorship, and industry connections — comparable mission to Athena's creative development arm and co-founded by Athena's Doc Pitch Producer Judith Helfand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athena-film-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Athena Film Festival