LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International

What LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International does

LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International is a nonprofit regional film festival organized by LICHTER – Filmkultur e.V., founded in 2008 and headquartered at Leipziger Straße 9, Frankfurt am Main. It runs an annual six-day festival (the 19th edition is scheduled for 28 April – 3 May 2026) with a primary geographic focus on the Rhein-Main/Hessen region of Germany. The festival's core product is a curated multi-venue program combining competitive international and regional feature and short film sections (e.g., 119 regional short film submissions producing 28 program films in 2026), the LICHTER Art Award for video art, and the LICHTER VR 360 Storytelling Award for immersive works. The technology stack is built around third-party SaaS — Cinetixx for online ticketing, Mailchimp for newsletters, and Google Analytics for web traffic analysis — with no proprietary platform. Distribution occurs across at least seven Frankfurt cinemas plus a festival center at MASSIF E.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: transaction-based ticket sales through Cinetixx and on-site box offices; one-time professional accreditation passes for filmmakers, press, and industry attendees; and, most significantly, project and operational grants from public cultural institutions including the Filmförderungsanstalt (German Federal Film Board), Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Kulturfonds Frankfurt, Polytechnische Gesellschaft, and Hessische Film- und Medienakademie. Customer segments are split between film enthusiasts in the Frankfurt region (the largest audience for screenings), regional filmmakers from Hessen/Germany (who submit work and compete), and film industry professionals (who attend the Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film congress and workshops). Marketing is delivered through the festival website, newsletter, social channels (Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Letterboxd, Spotify), and earned media via Hessischer Rundfunk.

The festival has steadily expanded its programmatic surface since 2008 — most notably by adding the Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film in 2018, the VR Storytelling Award, the LICHTER Art Award, the Workshop Filmkritik, and additional venues such as Filmforum Höchst. Leadership is concentrated in Festival Director Gregor Maria Schubert. The organization is independently managed, has no parent company or disclosed funding rounds, and operates as a German registered nonprofit association.

Name

LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International

Legal name

LICHTER – Filmkultur e.V.

Website

https://lichter-filmfest.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International is a nonprofit regional film festival in Frankfurt am Main, founded in 2008, serving film audiences, regional Hessen filmmakers, and industry professionals through annual six-day competitive screenings, the Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film, and VR and video art award programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Film festival
• Arthouse cinema events
• Regional film programming
• Film industry congress
• VR storytelling awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

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: Individual screening tickets sold through Cinetixx online platform and at festival box offices. Various venues including Eldorado Filmtheater, Mal Seh'n Kino, Naxos Kino, Pupille Kino, Kino des DFF.
2. Festival Accreditation: Professional accreditation passes for industry attendees, filmmakers, and press allowing access to screenings, panels, and networking events.
3. Sponsorship & Cultural Funding: Funded by public cultural institutions including Filmförderungsanstalt (German Federal Film Board), Hessische Film- und Medienakademie, Stadt Frankfurt, Kulturfonds, and Polytechnische Gesellschaft.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International is an annual multi-day film festival (approximately 6 days, late April to early May) held across multiple cinema venues in Frankfurt, with the Festivalzentrum MASSIF E as its central hub. It organizes competitive film programs (international features, regional features, regional shorts, international shorts), the LICHTER Art Award for video art, the LICHTER VR 360 Storytelling Award, the Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film industry congress, and the Workshop Filmkritik. Tickets are sold online through Cinetixx and at physical box offices.

Product overview

LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International is an annual film festival organized by LICHTER – Filmkultur e.V. The festival operates as a multi-day event (typically 6 days) featuring competitive film programs across multiple categories. The core offerings include: the International Feature Film Program, Regional Feature Film Program (Zukunft Deutscher Film), Regional Short Film Competition, and International Short Film Program. The festival awards include the LICHTER Art Award (video art), LICHTER VR 360 Storytelling Award, and regional film competition awards. A key supplementary program is the Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film, an annual congress on the future of German cinema featuring panels, workshops, and publications. The festival runs annually with rotating annual themes (2026: Art; 2025: Fear; 2024: Future) and takes place across multiple venues in Frankfurt, with the Festivalzentrum MASSIF E serving as the main hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LICHTER Filmfest (Main Festival) Annual international film festival held in Frankfurt featuring international feature films, regional films, special programs, awards, workshops, and an integrated industry congress. Runs approximately 6 days across multiple venues including the Festivalzentrum MASSIF E.
• International Feature Film Program Competitive program showcasing international feature films curated around the annual festival theme (e.g., 2026: Kunst/Art), often featuring titles from major international festivals.
• Regional Feature Film Program (Zukunft Deutscher Film) Program focused on German-language and regional films from the Rhein-Main area, showcasing emerging and established filmmakers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
• Regional Short Film Competition Competitive short film program featuring submissions from the Rhein-Main region, with 119 submissions yielding 28 selected films across 4 program rolls and one winner in 2026.
• International Short Film Program Program showcasing international short films curated around the annual festival theme, featuring works from around the world.
• LICHTER Spezial Special screening program featuring curated film selections including world premieres and notable works that do not fit standard competitive categories.
• LICHTER Art Award Video art award and exhibition program featuring curated video artworks integrated with the festival's annual theme.
• LICHTER VR 360 Storytelling Award Virtual reality storytelling competition and program featuring immersive VR films including space blockbusters, quantum puzzles, poetry adaptations, and journey narratives.
• Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film (Congress: Future of German Cinema) Annual congress bringing together filmmakers, academics, and industry professionals to discuss the future of German cinema through panels, workshops, and publications.
• Workshop Filmkritik (Film Criticism Workshop) Educational workshop for film criticism and film studies students, providing practical training in film analysis and critique.

Quantifiable outcome

• 119 regional short film submissions in 2026 competition with 28 selected films

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hessische Film- und Medienakademie (HFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic partner providing research and educational framework for festival programming and industry panels
• Hessischer Rundfunk (HR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional public broadcaster providing media coverage and promotional support
• Filmhaus FrankfurtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Newcomer:innen-Preis (emerging filmmaker award) and venue partner for industry events
• DFF – Deutsches FilminstitutcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman film institute operating Kino des DFF as screening venue for festival program
• Crew UnitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFilm industry networking platform co-organizing Crew Call networking event at festival
• CinetixxcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ticketing platform provider for festival ticket sales

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Internationale Filmschau Baden-Württemberg: Regional German film showcase in Ludwigsburg featuring German-language and regional cinema. Comparable to LICHTER's regional focus on a specific German state (Baden-Württemberg vs. Hessen) and similar festival scale.
• Internationales KurzFilmFestival Oberhausen: Long-running German short film festival in Oberhausen with international short film competition and supporting industry programming. Comparable to LICHTER's regional short film competition and international shorts programming components.
• Internationale Filmtage Hof: Regional German film festival in Hof focused on arthouse and international independent cinema. Directly comparable to LICHTER as a long-running regional German festival with competitive programming and industry screenings.
• goEast – Festival des mittel- und osteuropäischen Films: Wiesbaden-based regional German film festival focused on Central and Eastern European cinema, with strong industry programming. Comparable to LICHTER in regional German scope, festival size, and integration of cultural policy themes.
• Max-Ophüls-Filmfestival: Regional German film festival in Saarbrücken focused on young German-language cinema from German-speaking countries. Closely comparable to LICHTER in scale, regional scope, and emphasis on emerging filmmakers and German-language programming.
• Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney: Smaller regional German film festival in northwest Germany focused on arthouse and German-language cinema. Comparable to LICHTER in scale, regional positioning, and independent/arthouse programming mix.

Broad incumbents

• DOK Leipzig: Major German festival for documentary and animated film in Leipzig with international industry programming. Comparable as a more established, specialized German festival that competes for non-fiction filmmakers, industry attention, and public cultural funding.
• Filmfest Hamburg: Major German regional film festival with international programming and significant industry presence. Comparable as a broader, more established German festival competitor for filmmakers, audiences, and public funding.
• Berlinale (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin): Germany's premier international film festival and one of the world's leading A-list festivals. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same industry, with a far larger scale, global audience, and competition footprint than LICHTER's regional festival.
• Filmfest München: Large German regional film festival in Munich with international scope and industry programming. Comparable as a larger incumbent regional festival competing for premieres and sponsorship in the German market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/lichterfilmfest.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgLHttL5pLUsdln3DtcLytw
• Facebookfacebook.com/150071628360632
• Instagraminstagram.com/lichter_filmfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lichter-filmfest-frankfurt-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International