Bergen International Film Festival

Name

Bergen International Film Festival

Legal name

Bergen internasjonale filmfestival

Website

https://biff.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

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

SECONDARYMPADAKAH

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers)

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

SECONDARYMPADAJAJ

Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Distribution (Theatrical, Home Entertainment, International Sales)

Keywords

• International film festival
• Documentary film screenings
• Film streaming service
• Educational film programs
• Film industry events

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to festival screenings, regular cinema showings at Bergen Kino, and special events
2. Accreditation/Badge Fees: Industry accreditation fees for film professionals attending the festival (bransjeakkreditering)
3. Film Submission Fees: Filmpåmelding - fees collected from filmmakers submitting films for festival consideration
4. BIFF+ Streaming Subscription: Streaming service offering access to festival films and selected titles year-round
5. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Support from sponsors including Bergen Kino, VG+, Norsk filminstitutt, Bergen kommune, Vestland fylkeskommune, Sparebanken Norge, Fritt Ord, Universitetet i Bergen and other cultural institutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) operates an annual nine-day international film festival in Bergen, Norway, each October, screening 100+ international fiction films, documentaries, and Norwegian productions across multiple competitive sections. Year-round, BIFF runs the BIFF+ streaming platform, BIFF Kino cinema programming in partnership with Bergen Kino, and educational and outreach programs (BIFF Skole, BIFF Lokal, BIFF Ung, Cine Latino). The festival is anchored by membership in the Human Rights Film Network and partnerships with the Norwegian Film Institute, University of Bergen, and municipal authorities.

Product overview

Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) operates as a multi-platform film festival organization offering both an annual in-person film festival and year-round digital access through its streaming service BIFF+. The organization is structured around its core festival event (held annually in October) supplemented by specialized programs including BIFF Skole (educational screenings for schools), BIFF Lokal (local community outreach), BIFF Ung (youth programming), and Cine Latino (Latin American cinema focus). The festival features multiple competitive sections including Cinema Extraordinaire (international fiction), Documentaire Extraordinaire (international documentary), Checkpoints (human rights documentaries), Gulluglen (research documentaries), and Klimafestivalen (climate films). All film catalog and ticket services are powered by the Filmgrail platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BIFF+: Streaming service for films from the festival archive
• Cine Latino
• BIFF Kino
• BIFF Skole
• BIFF Lokal
• BIFF Ung
• Klimafestivalen

Products and services

• Bergen International Film Festival (Annual Festival) The annual nine-day film festival held in October at venues across Bergen (notably Bergen Kino), screening 100+ international fiction films, documentaries, and Norwegian productions across multiple competition and themed sections. It is open to the general public via ticket purchase.
• BIFF+ Streaming Service Subscription-based streaming platform offering on-demand access to festival films and selected titles from BIFF's archive, accessible globally via se.biff.no.
• BIFF Kino Year-round cinema programming at Bergen Kino featuring curated festival films and special selections for general audiences in Bergen.
• BIFF Skole School screening program offering age-appropriate documentary films and educational materials for barneskoler (primary), ungdomsskoler (lower secondary), and videregående skole (upper secondary) in Norway, with post-screening discussions.
• BIFF Lokal Local outreach program bringing BIFF films and events to communities across the Bergen region via screenings at local venues and community spaces.
• BIFF Ung Youth-focused film program where films are selected by the BIFF Ung advisory board, featuring content relevant to young film enthusiasts, including a cultural job program for ages 16-19.
• Cine Latino A dedicated program section focused on Latin American cinema, co-presented with the Cine Latino festival, featuring films from Latin American countries.

Named customers4 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

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Bergen KinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary cinema venue partner for BIFF Kino year-round screenings and festival screenings at Bergen Kino locations throughout Bergen.
• Norsk filminstitutt (NFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational film institute supporting Norwegian film and the Norwegian film industry at the festival, including Norwegian documentary and short film competitions.
• Universitetet i BergencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for student screenings, outdoor cinema events, panel discussions, and collaboration on climate and social issues programming.
• Human Rights Film NetworkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIFF is a member of the Human Rights Film Network, contributing to the Checkpoints human rights documentary program and sharing programming values.
• Vestnorsk filmsenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film center supporting Western Norway film production, co-presenting Norwegian music video programming with Vill Vill Vest.
• Bergen kommunecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCity of Bergen as municipal sponsor providing support for festival operations and cultural programming.
• Vestland fylkeskommunecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVestland County Municipality supporting regional cultural events and film festival activities.
• The Rafto FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman rights organization co-presenting content and panel discussions on human rights topics.
• FilmgrailcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical solution provider for biff.no website, ticket management system, and festival operations platform.
• VG+minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing coverage and visibility for festival programming.
• Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek (BOB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBergen Public Library co-presenting Monday film screenings as warm-up to the main festival.
• Kulturhuset i BergenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCultural venue hosting festival panel discussions, screenings, and special events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tromsø International Film Festival: Norway's other major international film festival, held annually in Tromsø with a focus on international and documentary cinema. Directly comparable as a Norwegian film festival competing for the same audience, filmmaker submissions, and Norwegian cultural funding pool.
• CPH:DOX: Copenhagen's leading documentary film festival and a major Nordic documentary showcase. Closely comparable thematic overlap with BIFF's Documentaire Extraordinaire and Checkpoints programs, and a model for Nordic documentary festival scale and audience development.
• Movies That Matter: Amsterdam-based international film and human rights festival, also a member of the Human Rights Film Network. Directly comparable niche positioning in human rights documentary programming and festival-driven advocacy impact.
• Hot Docs: Toronto-based documentary festival and a leading North American documentary showcase. Comparable thematic focus on documentary competition and industry programming, sharing BIFF's emphasis on competition sections for international documentary work.
• Thessaloniki Documentary Festival: One of Europe's leading documentary festivals with an industry market and competitive sections. Comparable as an international documentary festival with competition programming and filmmaker Q&A infrastructure similar to BIFF.
• Sheffield DocFest: UK-based documentary and digital storytelling festival with competition, industry, and public programming. Comparable mix of international documentary competition, filmmaker events, and year-round industry engagement analogous to BIFF's structure.

Broad incumbents

• International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): The world's largest documentary film festival, based in the Netherlands. Comparable as a documentary festival anchor in the same thematic category as BIFF's Documentaire Extraordinaire, but operating at significantly larger scale and global prestige.
• Filmfest Hamburg: Established German international film festival with mixed fiction and documentary programming. Comparable as a European festival competitor for film premieres and audience share, though operating at larger scale and broader thematic scope than BIFF.

Regional players

• Kosmorama Trondheim International Film Festival: Norwegian film festival based in Trondheim with international programming. Comparable as a Norwegian film festival competing for similar regional audiences, festival-goers, and Norwegian public funding, though operating in a different city.

Emerging players

• This Is England (Rencontres Cinéma de Gérardmer): European documentary and auteur film festival with a thematic specialization similar to BIFF's documentary focus. Comparable as a mid-sized European documentary festival with thematic competition sections and festival-driven impact programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Bergen International Film Festival