Cinenova

What Cinenova does

Cinenova is a UK-registered charitable non-profit (Charity no. 1035742; Company no. 1730697) founded in 1991 through the merger of two earlier feminist film distributors, Circles and Cinema of Women (each formed in 1979). The organisation preserves and distributes an archive of over 300 titles of feminist film and video work spanning the 1910s to early 2000s, covering artists' moving image, experimental film, narrative features, documentaries, and educational videos directed by womxn, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender non-binary makers. Thematic focus includes oppositional histories, post- and de-colonial struggles, and the representation of gender, race, and sexuality.

The organisation is volunteer-led, with approximately 9-10 active members organised into a Working Group (founded 2010), a Coordinator (Reman Sadani), and a Digital Access Team. Core operations consist of preservation across analog (16mm, VHS, Umatic) and digital (HD/2K, DCP, SD) formats, an online Preview Collection, a public events programme, and an archive of resource materials. Cinenova's technology stack is centred on moving image preservation and digitisation rather than software platforms.

Revenue is generated via licensing fees for educational, cultural, and community screenings, supplemented by heritage grants (notably the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage Fund) and donations. Distribution is handled on a per-screening basis via direct enquiries, festival partnerships (FILMFEST Dresden, Open City Documentary Festival), and cultural institution collaborations (Site Gallery Sheffield, Glasgow Women's Library, Rijksakademie, The Showroom Gallery). Cinenova is recognised as a key resource in the UK independent film distribution sector with international reach.

Name

Cinenova

Legal name

Cinenova

Website

https://cinenova.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cinenova is a UK volunteer-led charitable non-profit that preserves and distributes over 300 feminist film and video titles (1910s-2000s) to educational, cultural, and community organisations through licensing, screenings, and heritage-funded preservation work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Distribution and Archival Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Access & Distribution for Archives (Restored Masters, DCP Creation, Screening Deliverables) (MPADAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Archiving & Asset Management (MAM/DAM, Cataloging, QC) (MPADAMAG), Format Migration & Media Refresh (Tape-to-File, File-to-File, LTO Refresh) (MPADAMAH), Archival Preservation & Conservation (Handling, Storage, Environmental Controls) (MPADAMAF), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Feminist film distribution
• Moving image archive
• Film preservation services
• Film licensing services
• Independent film distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Distribution Services: Cinenova provides access to its archive of over 300 feminist film and video titles. As a registered charity (Charity no. 1035742), the organization likely generates revenue through licensing fees for screenings, educational use, and distribution rights.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cinenova preserves and distributes an archive of over 300 titles of feminist film and video work spanning from the 1910s to the early 2000s, including artists' moving image, experimental film, narrative features, documentaries and educational videos. The organisation licenses these works to educational, cultural and community organisations through direct enquiry, supports preservation and digitisation of analog formats, and runs an events program of screenings, Q&As and exhibitions.

Product overview

Cinenova is a volunteer-led organization offering a unified film distribution service for feminist and independent moving image work. The organization distributes over 300 titles across multiple formats spanning from the 1910s to early 2000s, organized through its Films collection, Preview Collection, Events Program, and Resource Materials archive. Founded in 1991 from the merger of Circles and Cinema of Women, Cinenova provides access to works by womxn, transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary filmmakers, covering thematic areas including oppositional histories, post and de-colonial struggles, representation of gender, race, sexuality, and the alliances between different social struggles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Distribution Services Cinenova's core distribution service, providing licensed access to over 300 titles of feminist film and video work spanning from the 1910s to early 2000s, including artists' moving image, experimental film, narrative features, documentaries, and educational videos, for educational, cultural, and community organisations.
• Preview Collection An online preview collection providing access to preview films available from Cinenova's distribution catalog, allowing prospective licensees to review works before arranging screenings.
• Events Program A program of screening events, film festivals, Q&As, and exhibitions showcasing feminist and independent film work from the Cinenova collection, often in partnership with galleries and cultural institutions.
• Resource Materials An archive of resource materials including posters, flyers, photographs, publicity materials, and information sheets related to films in the Cinenova collection, supporting researchers, programmers, and educators.
• Archive Access Access to Cinenova's extensive archive of moving image work directed by womxn, transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary makers, with thematic focus on oppositional histories, post and de-colonial struggles, and representation of gender, race, and sexuality, provided to researchers and partner organisations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Light Cone: Paris-based distributor and archive of experimental cinema. Comparable in preserving and distributing avant-garde film on 16mm and digital formats, with a similar festival and institutional programming footprint.
• Video Data Bank: School of the Art Institute of Chicago-affiliated distribution and archive of video and media art. Comparable in its role as a non-profit resource serving artists, curators, and educational institutions with a deep catalogue of artists' moving image.
• Canyon Cinema: San Francisco-based distributor and archive of experimental and avant-garde cinema. Comparable in its preservation of 16mm and other legacy formats and its distribution model to festivals, educational institutions, and programmers.
• Women Make Movies: US-based non-profit distributor of independent and feminist film and video with a large catalogue of titles by and about women. Closely mirrors Cinenova's mission of preserving and distributing feminist moving image work through institutional licensing.
• Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC): Toronto-based non-profit distributor of independent and experimental film. Comparable as a longstanding artist-film distribution organisation with a catalogue of Canadian and international titles distributed to educational and cultural clients.
• LUX: UK-based organisation supporting and distributing experimental and artists' moving image. Operates a rental and sales distribution model for the London-area artist film community, with overlap in experimental and feminist work similar to Cinenova's collection.
• Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI): New York-based non-profit that distributes video and media art. Comparable to Cinenova as a specialist distributor of artist-moving-image work with a deep catalogue, licensing model, and educational focus.
• Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art: Berlin-based distributor and archive of experimental, essay, and political film and video. Comparable as a non-profit that preserves and distributes artist cinema internationally, with similar acquisition, restoration, and licensing activities.

Broad incumbents

• British Film Institute (BFI): UK national body for film and moving image and a key Cinenova funder. While not a direct competitor, BFI operates broader preservation, distribution, and exhibition functions and represents the larger institutional ecosystem in which Cinenova operates.
• Independent Cinema Office (ICO): UK-wide organisation supporting independent film exhibition and programming. Comparable as a UK-based enabler of independent film distribution to cultural and educational venues, with overlap in institutional audience development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cinenovadistribution/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinenova

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Cinenova