Imagine Science Films

What Imagine Science Films does

Imagine Science Films is a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization founded in 2008 that operates the Science New Wave platform at the intersection of science and cinema. It serves two primary constituencies: independent filmmakers creating science-themed, documentary, and experimental works, and science-cinema audiences seeking curated access to that content. The organization runs the annual Science New Wave Festival, currently in its 19th edition, alongside a portfolio of recurring products including monthly themed film issues, an open-call submission program, an Originals content production track, a membership subscription, and an online store.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean. The Science New Wave website is hosted on Squarespace and serves as the central hub for programming information, while streaming delivery is handled by Labocine, which the organization explicitly cites as its distribution platform ('POWERED BY LABOCINE'). Film submissions are routed through FilmFreeway, a third-party festival-submission service. Curated monthly film issues such as 'Fields of Play' (July) are assembled manually by the small team and pushed to the Labocine audience.

Monetization comes from three revenue streams: film submission fees collected via FilmFreeway, recurring membership subscriptions granting access to curated issues and open calls, and one-time sales of films and merchandise through the Science New Wave store. A 7-person team executes the operation, with global reach via the Labocine streaming footprint and the international FilmFreeway submission channel. No funding rounds, equity investors, or enterprise customers are disclosed, consistent with a small non-profit operating model.

Name

Imagine Science Films

Legal name

Imagine Science Films

Website

https://imaginesciencefilms.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Imagine Science Films is a Brooklyn-based non-profit that runs the Science New Wave platform — an annual science-cinema festival, curated monthly film issues, an open-call submission program, an Originals production track, and a membership — serving independent science filmmakers and science-cinema audiences globally via the Labocine streaming partner.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Film Festival and Content Curation

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature, Science & Wildlife Documentaries (MPADADAF)

Keywords

• Science film festival
• Documentary film curation
• Film streaming platform
• Membership subscription
• Open call submissions

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and monthly membership programs providing access to curated film issues, open calls, and exclusive content.
2. Store Sales: Sale of films, merchandise, and science-cinema related products through the online store.
3. Film Submission Fees: Film submission fees collected through FilmFreeway platform for festival entry.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Imagine Science Films operates Science New Wave, a non-profit science cinema platform that curates and distributes science-themed films through an annual festival (currently in its 19th edition), themed monthly film issues, an open call submission program, original productions, and a subscription-based membership offering. Content is streamed via a partnership with Labocine, while filmmakers submit work through FilmFreeway, and the organization sells related merchandise and films through its own online store.

Product overview

Imagine Science Films operates as a science cinema organization offering a portfolio of interconnected products. The core offering is the Science New Wave Festival (19th edition), an annual celebration of science-themed cinema. Content is distributed through Labocin, the organization's streaming platform. The Open Calls program invites filmmakers to submit themed submissions (March-July 2026 themes), while the Membership provides subscription access to curated film issues and exclusive content. Originals represent commissioned or created productions, and the Store offers merchandise and content sales. The organization functions as a platform-plus-services model centered on science film curation, production, and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Science New Wave Festival Annual film festival celebrating science cinema, currently in its 19th edition (Festival XIX), accepting film submissions via FilmFreeway with a late deadline of August 15, and featuring themed programming that brings together filmmakers, scientists, and audiences.
• Labocine Streaming Distribution Streaming platform for science films (Labocine) that hosts curated Science New Wave film issues and monthly content releases such as the July 'Fields of Play' issue.
• Open Calls Monthly themed film submission program (Open Calls) running from March through July 2026, inviting filmmakers to submit science-themed works to curated monthly film issues.
• Membership Subscription membership program (annual and monthly tiers) that provides members with access to curated film issues, themed programming, open calls, and exclusive content.
• Originals Original science film productions created or commissioned by Imagine Science Films under the Science New Wave label.
• Science New Wave Store Online store selling films, science-cinema merchandise, and related products directly to consumers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LabocincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLabocin serves as the official streaming partner for Science New Wave content. The partnership enables Science New Wave to distribute curated film issues and festival content through Labocine's streaming platform, reaching science and cinema audiences globally.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PBS NOVA: NOVA is a flagship public-media science documentary series producing and distributing high-quality science films. It overlaps on science-focused nonfiction film production and audience interest, though via broadcast rather than a festival.
• Sundance Film Festival: Sundance runs a major annual independent film festival and year-round artist support programs. It is comparable in operating model (festival + community + support) but competes at a much larger scale and broader genre remit.
• Tribeca Festival: Tribeca is an established, large-scale film festival operating a hybrid festival-and-content model with industry programming. It is comparable as a festival operator but with a substantially broader scope and brand reach.
• National Geographic Documentary Films: National Geographic produces and distributes premium nature and science documentary films globally. It is comparable on science/nature nonfiction content and global distribution but operates at significantly greater scale under a major media brand.

Direct peers

• Labocin: Labocin is a science cinema streaming platform that directly powers Science New Wave's distribution. It is the closest operating peer, serving the same science-film audience with curated video content and themed programming.
• Hot Docs: Hot Docs is a leading documentary film festival with year-round screening programming. It is directly comparable to Science New Wave's festival-and-curation model, though broader in genre scope.
• DOC NYC: DOC NYC is a major documentary film festival and year-round screening organization. Comparable as a documentary-focused festival operator and content curator, though based in a larger market.
• True/False Film Festival: True/False is a documentary film festival with strong programming around nonfiction cinema and filmmaker community-building. Comparable to Science New Wave's community-led festival model.
• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Full Frame is an annual documentary film festival with year-round programming. It mirrors Science New Wave's festival-and-curation operating model within the documentary space.

Emerging players

• Science Friday: Science Friday is a public-media science communication brand producing video, audio, and editorial science content. It is comparable as a science-focused content/community platform intersecting with documentary-style storytelling, though not a film festival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imaginescience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Imagine Science Films