Leeds International Film Festival - LIFF

What Leeds International Film Festival - LIFF does

Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF), operated as "Leeds Film" under Leeds City Council's Arts and Venues department, is one of the largest film festivals in the UK, founded in 1986 and now approaching its 40th anniversary edition in 2026. The organization runs a portfolio of film programming products anchored by the flagship 18-day LIFF held each November, complemented by the Leeds Young Film Festival (LYFF) for children and families, the INDIs Film Fest for young filmmakers aged 15+, the LIFF Spring Film Weekender, Cinema on the Square outdoor summer programming, Movie Club filmmaking workshops (ages 8-13, co-developed with Screen Yorkshire), and immersive VR Cinema Experiences built on Meta Quest 3S headsets. Programming includes international and UK premieres, feature and short film competitions (Constellation, Fanomenon, Yorkshire Film Competition), documentary programming recognized by the Grierson Trust, Q&As, industry panels, and inclusive community screenings.

The business model is a non-profit, publicly-funded cultural model rather than a commercial revenue model. Income is derived from a mix of ticket sales (priced via bundles, e.g. £7.50 per film on a 5-9 film Spring Film Weekender bundle; Pay-What-You-Can Refugee Week screenings), Leeds City Council core funding, and grant funding — most notably a £580,000 multi-year award from the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund to support the "Leeds Film Expanded" programme across 2026–2029. Distribution runs through Leeds Ticket Hub (Leeds City Council's ticketing platform), Vue in The Light as primary cinema venue, Hyde Park Picture House for LYFF, Millennium Square for outdoor events, and community partners such as RETAS and LASSAN for refugee-facing programming. Customer segments are exclusively end consumers and community groups across Yorkshire and the North of England; there are no enterprise or B2B customers, and revenue/ARR is not disclosed.

Name

Leeds International Film Festival - LIFF

Legal name

Leeds International Film Festival

Website

https://leedsfilm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leeds Film is a Leeds City Council-operated non-profit running the Leeds International Film Festival and adjacent events (LYFF, INDIs, Spring Film Weekender, Cinema on the Square), serving Yorkshire audiences with independent and international cinema, youth programming, VR experiences, and community-focused screenings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Cultural Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

Keywords

• Film festival events
• Independent cinema screenings
• Filmmaker competitions
• Cultural programming services
• Youth film education

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Leeds Film operates an annual programme of film festival events including the flagship Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF), the Leeds Young Film Festival (LYFF), the INDIs Film Festival, Cinema on the Square outdoor screenings, and the LIFF Spring Film Weekender. It curates and screens international and UK film premieres, runs filmmaker competitions and audience awards, and delivers educational programmes such as Movie Club and VR cinema experiences.

Product overview

Leeds Film operates a portfolio of film festival products under the Leeds City Council arts and venues department. The core product is the Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF), one of the UK's largest film festivals, running annually in November with its 40th anniversary edition in 2026. Supporting the main festival are LIFF Spring Film Weekender (March mini festival), Cinema on the Square (summer outdoor cinema), and year-round programming. The subsidiary youth-focused offerings include the Leeds Young Film Festival (LYFF) for children and families, and the INDIs Film Festival for young filmmakers. Movie Club provides filmmaking workshops for ages 8-13 in partnership with Screen Yorkshire, while VR Cinema Experiences offer immersive storytelling. All festivals feature competitions, juried awards, and audience awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) One of the largest film festivals in the UK, running its main annual edition in November featuring international and UK premieres, feature film competitions, short film competitions, and audience awards. Targeted at cinema audiences, independent filmmakers, documentary enthusiasts, and film industry professionals.
• Leeds Young Film Festival (LYFF)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 16,000 audience award votes received for LIFF 2025
• +1 more outcomes

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for Refugee Week 2025 screenings. RETAS is a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Leeds, collaborating on community-focused film events to celebrate the resilience and contributions of refugee communities.
• LASSAN (Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for Refugee Week 2025 screenings, providing introductions and support for asylum seeker community engagement with film events.
• Purple Patch ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to create an inclusive, multi-sensory experience of the short film House Phone for learning-disabled participants at LIFF 2024.
• Hyde Park Picture HousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Main venue partner for Leeds Young Film Festival screenings. Historic cinema venue in Leeds hosting festival screenings and events.
• Screen YorkshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreen Yorkshire powers film & TV across Yorkshire and Humber, securing film productions and talent to make the region a premier production hub. Through the Yorkshire Content Fund, Film Office, and innovative training, it fuels industry growth and opportunity. Leeds Young Film Festival's Movie Club is designed in collaboration with Screen Yorkshire.
• Leeds City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeeds Film is part of Arts and Venues in the Development Department of Leeds City Council. Main place of business is Leeds Film Office, Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AD.
• Vue International / Vue in The LightcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for LIFF Spring Film Weekender and other festival screenings. Vue Leeds is the primary cinema venue for festival programming.
• Dogs TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Cinema on the Square 'Bring Your Own Dog' screening of Best in Show, with staff on site to offer advice and raise funds.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sheffield DocFest: UK's leading documentary and non-fiction festival based in Yorkshire. A direct regional neighbour and competitor for documentary audiences, filmmaker submissions, and Grierson-related programming given LIFF's Grierson recognition.
• Cambridge Film Festival: Regional UK film festival serving the East of England with comparable programming breadth (features, shorts, documentaries). Operates at similar scale to LIFF and faces analogous challenges as a regional festival.
• Raindance Film Festival: London-based independent film festival focused on emerging filmmakers and independent cinema. Competes with LIFF for indie film premieres, emerging filmmaker submissions, and independent audience segments.
• Edinburgh International Film Festival: One of the world's oldest continuously running film festivals (founded 1947), based in Scotland. Competes directly with LIFF for UK festival audiences, premieres, and sponsorship within the British festival ecosystem.
• Glasgow Film Festival: Major Scottish film festival operated by Glasgow Film Theatre. Comparable in scale and programming to LIFF, serving a different UK region but competing for similar audience demographics and BFI funding allocations.

Broad incumbents

• Tribeca Film Festival: Major international film festival founded in NYC. Comparable in multi-format programming approach (features, shorts, immersive/VR) to LIFF's diversified portfolio, though at global scale.
• Sundance Film Festival: The world's most prestigious independent film festival. While operating at vastly different scale, Sundance sets programming and industry standards that influence all UK festivals including LIFF, particularly for emerging filmmakers using platforms like LIFF's INDIs Film Fest.
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF): One of the world's leading film festivals, particularly influential for awards-season films. Sets the international programming and industry benchmark against which UK festivals like LIFF position themselves.
• BFI London Film Festival: The UK's flagship film festival operated by the British Film Institute. Direct competitor for UK film premieres, industry attention, and BFI funding, but operates at a national rather than regional scale with significantly larger resources.

Emerging players

• Encounters Film Festival: Bristol-based festival specialising in short film and animation, accredited by BAFTA. Comparable to LIFF's short film competition programme and competes for short film submissions in the UK.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/leedsfilmfest
• Instagraminstagram.com/leedsfilmfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leedsfilmfest

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 Leeds International Film Festival - LIFF