Nòt Film Fest

What Nòt Film Fest does

Nòt Film Fest is an independent international film festival founded in 2017 and based in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, with conceptual origins in Los Angeles. The organization operates an annual five-day festival program featuring 100 independent films across feature, short, documentary, experimental, and music film categories, attracting 3,000+ attendees per edition and drawing filmmakers from 37 countries. Beyond the annual event, the festival extends its brand internationally through the NÒT OFF pop-up screening series in Los Angeles, New York, and London, and operates the NÒTSTREAM platform for on-demand access to festival films.

The festival runs on a multi-stream revenue model. It sells tiered passes to attendees (All Access Pass €160, Film Lover Pass €50, Students & Under 25 Pass €25), generates supplementary income from merchandise (t-shirts €25, hats €48, posters €5), accepts donations, and runs a flagship streaming distribution partnership with MUBI that provides exclusive streaming access to selected festival films. Operational technology is light: a Wix-based public website and e-commerce shop, FilmFreeway for film submission management, and NÒTSTREAM for streaming. The organization is supported by a 7-person team.

The festival serves two primary customer segments: independent filmmakers seeking international visibility, networking, and distribution pathways, and cinephiles aged 14+ seeking bold, innovative indie cinema in an immersive Italian cultural setting. Value is reinforced through filmmaker development programs (the NÒT Work-in-Progress Lab with Creative Film Academy), competition awards, and recognition from MovieMaker Magazine as one of the 20 essential international film festivals for independent cinema. The festival has received cultural recognition from the Italian Ministry of Culture and Emilia Romagna Film Commission.

Name

Nòt Film Fest

Legal name

Nòt Film Fest

Website

https://notfilmfest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nòt Film Fest is an independent international film festival in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, running an annual 100-film indie cinema program for 3,000+ attendees and extending year-round through NÒT OFF pop-ups in LA, NY, and London. It serves independent filmmakers and cinephiles via passes, merchandise, and MUBI streaming distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival & Independent Cinema Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Independent film festival
• Indie cinema screenings
• Film submission platform
• Filmmaker education programs
• Festival merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Santarcangelo di Romagna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Festival Passes and Tickets: The festival sells tiered passes (All Access Pass €160, Film Lover Pass €50, Students & Under 25 Pass €25) and individual screening tickets for attendees to access film screenings and events.
2. Merchandise Sales: The festival operates a web shop selling official merchandise including t-shirts (€25), hats (€48), and posters (€5), with pre-order and direct pickup options.
3. Donations: The festival accepts donations through its website to support the organization and cultural activities.
4. Streaming Distribution (MUBI Partnership): Selected films from the festival are made available on MUBI's streaming platform for exclusive streaming, creating a distribution pathway for indie filmmakers and generating revenue through licensing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nòt Film Fest is an annual international film festival held in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, showcasing 100 independent films per edition across features, shorts, documentaries, and experimental categories. The organization sells tiered festival passes and tickets to attendees, distributes selected films through a MUBI streaming partnership, sells official merchandise, and runs year-round NÒT OFF pop-up events in Los Angeles, New York, and London. It also operates the NÒT Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab in partnership with CFA to mentor short filmmakers.

Product overview

Nòt Film Fest is a single, unified annual film festival product offering independent cinema programming. The festival is held yearly in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, and operates as both a physical event (with screenings, competitions, talks, and networking activities) and extends its reach through the NÒTSTREAM streaming platform and NOT OFF pop-up events in international cities. The product portfolio includes the main festival (with various competition categories and passes), merchandise, filmmaker development programs like the WIP Lab, and sustainability initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NÒT OFF: Pop-up event series featuring alumni screenings and community events in international cities including Los Angeles, New York, and London.
• NÒT Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab
• Nòt a Chance!

Products and services

• Nòt Film Fest Annual Festival Annual international independent film festival held in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, featuring competitions, screenings, talks, and networking events for indie filmmakers.
• NÒT OFF Pop-Up Events Pop-up screening events held in Los Angeles, New York, and London featuring alumni films and community events in partnership with local venues such as Petit Hermitage, Salotto, and Fomo House.
• NÒTSTREAM Festival's own streaming platform for online film screenings, used during and after the festival for extended access to selected films.
• Festival Merchandise Official festival merchandise including t-shirts (€25), posters (€5), and hats (€48) featuring the 'Make Cinema Indie Again' branding, available with pre-order and in-festival pickup options.
• Festival Passes and Tickets Tiered access passes including All Access Pass (€160), Film Lover Pass (€50), and Students & Under 25 Pass (€25) granting access to screenings, filmmakers' lunches, and guest activities during the festival.
• NÒT Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab Free education and mentorship program for short filmmakers close to finishing their films, launched in partnership with CFA (Creative Film Academy) to provide Work-in-Progress support.
• Nòt a Chance! Short Film Competition Short film competition challenge for directors under 35, where participants write, direct, edit, and present a short film on a surprise theme during the festival days.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 live editions completed as of 2025, with the 9th edition scheduled for August 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

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

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

• Fomo House & BTG (London)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 August 2025NÒT OFF London event hosted at Fomo House in Shoreditch on August 8th, in partnership with BTG & Fomo, featuring curated film screenings and community activities.
• Petit Hermitage / Petit SalonsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 May 2025NÒT OFF Los Angeles event hosted at Petit Hermitage / Petit Salons in partnership, featuring alumni screenings and community events in May 2025.
• CFA (Creative Film Academy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025CFA (Creative Film Academy) partnered with Nòt Film Fest to launch the NOT Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab, a program designed specifically for short filmmakers close to finishing their films. The program provides free education and mentorship to emerging short film talent.
• Salotto (New York)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025NÒT OFF New York event planned for Summer 2025 in partnership with Salotto, featuring curated film screenings and community events.
• MowMagcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2024MowMag, an alternative media outlet known for its out-of-the-box journalism, entered a media partnership with Nòt Film Fest in September 2024 to produce provocative editorial content, event coverage, and cross-promotional activities that amplify both brands' cultural impact.
• MUBIflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024Nòt Film Fest partnered with MUBI for the opening film 'My First Film' by Zia Anger at the 7th edition (2024). MUBI provides exclusive streaming rights for selected festival films. This partnership creates a distribution pathway for indie filmmakers featured at the festival, giving their work visibility on a global streaming platform.
• FilmFreewaycoreTechnology or IntegrationFilmFreeway serves as the primary film submission platform for Nòt Film Fest, allowing filmmakers worldwide to submit their work for festival consideration. FilmFreeway's extensive filmmaker network is leveraged for recruitment and submissions outreach.
• RicicletteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiciclette provides a free bicycle rental service for festival guests and staff, supporting the festival's sustainable mobility and green protocol initiatives.
• Santarcangelo dei TeatricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSantarcangelo dei Teatri provides rental equipment and materials for festival setup and allestimenti, applying the same zero-waste policy as the festival to reduce material waste.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights19 records

Broad incumbents

• Torino Film Festival: Established Italian film festival held annually in Turin, with a strong reputation for indie and arthouse programming. Comparable in geography and indie positioning, but with a substantially larger institutional footprint and longer history than Nòt Film Fest.
• Tribeca Film Festival: High-profile New York-based film festival with strong indie film programming and diverse content across features, shorts, and immersive works. Overlaps with NFF in indie curation and festival-as-community positioning, but operates at substantially larger scale and brand recognition.
• SXSW Film & TV: Austin-based festival whose film track is a major launchpad for indie filmmakers and discovery titles. Comparable in championing indie premieres and industry networking, but with a much larger tentpole event spanning music, tech, and gaming beyond film.
• Edinburgh International Film Festival: Long-established Scottish international film festival with a strong reputation for indie world premieres and emerging talent. Comparable programming philosophy, but with deeper institutional backing and substantially longer history than Nòt Film Fest.
• Locarno Film Festival: Major international film festival in Switzerland recognized for discovering emerging indie voices and auteur cinema. Comparable indie-auteur programming philosophy, but operates at a much larger scale and with significantly more institutional backing than Nòt Film Fest.

Others

• MUBI: Global streaming platform specializing in curated indie and arthouse cinema, currently NFF's flagship distribution partner. Comparable as a destination for indie film discovery, and a strategic ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: World's leading festival dedicated to short film, held annually in France. Directly comparable to Nòt Film Fest's short film programming and filmmaker development focus, particularly through its WIP Lab and NÒT a Chance! short film competition.
• Raindance Film Festival: Independent film festival and film school based in London, UK, focused on indie and first-time filmmakers. Comparable scope and target audience as Nòt Film Fest, with a similar mix of screenings, education programs, and emerging-filmmaker support.
• Indie Memphis Film Festival: Mid-sized US independent film festival with a strong focus on emerging filmmakers, regional culture, and community-driven programming. Comparable to Nòt Film Fest in scale, indie-first curation, and festival-as-cultural-experience positioning.
• Slamdance Film Festival: Independent film festival founded in 1995 in Park City, Utah, that explicitly positions itself as a discovery platform for indie filmmakers. Directly comparable to Nòt Film Fest in mission, indie-first curation, and 'salon des refusés' positioning; the company's own materials cite Slamdance founder Peter Baxter as a festival guest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/notfilmfest
• Facebookfacebook.com/notfilmfest
• Instagraminstagram.com/notfilmfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/n%C3%B2t-film-fest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Nòt Film Fest