WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL

What WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL does

The Wisconsin Film Festival is a non-profit annual film festival presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Communication Arts and operated under the governance of the UW System Board of Regents. Founded in 1993, it runs an 8-day program each April (most recently April 9–16), screening 135+ films across 7 Madison venues — UW Cinematheque, Music Hall, Chazen Museum of Art, The Marquee at Union South, Barrymore Theatre, Bartell Theatre, and Flix Brewhouse — encompassing narrative features, documentaries, shorts, restoration/rediscovery titles, and international cinema. The festival serves general film enthusiasts, UW-Madison students (admitted free with a WisCard), families and K-12 school groups through the Big Screens, Little Folks (BSLF) children's program (launched 2014), and Wisconsin filmmakers competing in the Wisconsin's Own juried section for the Golden Badger Award.

Its core "products" are the curated film programming itself, audience-facing award programs (Audience Choice Awards across multiple categories), corporate sponsorship packages starting at $1,000, and donations managed through the Real Butter Fund. There is no proprietary technology stack, app, or API; the underlying technology is conventional — online and in-person box office ticketing at $12 per general admission ticket, marketing via social media, the Newsreel e-newsletter, press outreach, and on-the-ground festival operations coordinated by an 8-person core staff supplemented by a volunteer base.

The business model is a hybrid of one-time ticket sales, recurring annual corporate sponsorships, tax-deductible individual donations, and institutional support from UW-Madison. Distribution is purely regional (Wisconsin/Madison) through physical venue screenings and the festival's own e-commerce box office. The festival is not a venture-backed or publicly traded entity; it functions as a university cultural program with no parent corporation beyond the UW System, making it governance-stable but growth-constrained relative to commercial entertainment ventures.

Name

WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL

Legal name

Wisconsin Film Festival

Website

https://wifilmfest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wisconsin Film Festival is an annual 8-day, 135+ film festival in Madison, Wisconsin, operated by the UW-Madison Department of Communication Arts, serving general film audiences, UW-Madison students, families, K-12 school groups, and Wisconsin filmmakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Film festival events
• Independent cinema screenings
• International film programming
• Children's film education
• Cultural event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The festival generates revenue through general admission ticket sales at $12 per ticket plus tax and service fees. Tickets are sold both online and in-person at box office locations at each venue.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: The festival seeks corporate sponsors to support operations, with sponsorship packages starting at $1,000. Sponsors receive exposure through printed film guides, posters, on-screen recognition, social media, and website, along with complimentary tickets.
3. Individual Donations (Real Butter Fund): Tax-deductible gifts to the festival are housed in the Real Butter Fund, supporting all areas of festival operations. Donations come from individual supporters who contribute $100 or above.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Wisconsin Film Festival is an annual 8-day film festival presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Communication Arts. It screens 135+ films across 7 venues in Madison, Wisconsin, including narrative features, documentaries, shorts, restoration/rediscovery titles, and international cinema. Programming includes the Big Screens, Little Folks children's section, the Wisconsin's Own juried competition with Golden Badger Awards, Audience Choice Awards, free UW-Madison student admission, school matinees, and World Cinema Day collaborations.

Product overview

The Wisconsin Film Festival is a film festival operated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Communication Arts. The festival offers a portfolio of interconnected film programs centered around its core film screening events across 7 venues, including the signature Big Screens, Little Folks children's program, the Wisconsin's Own competitive section with Golden Badger Awards, and Audience Choice Awards. Additional offerings include free UW student admission, student matinees for elementary schools, World Cinema Day for middle/high school students, and corporate sponsorship opportunities. The festival runs annually over 8 days in April, screening 135+ films including narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and restoration/rediscovery titles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Screens, Little Folks (BSLF): The children's film section of the Wisconsin Film Festival, created in 2014, featuring public screenings and school matinees of international films for young audiences, including workshops on animation and filmmaking.

Products and services

• Film Screenings The Wisconsin Film Festival screens over 135 films annually across 7 venues, featuring narrative features, documentaries, short films, restoration/rediscovery titles, and international cinema during an 8-day festival period.
• Big Screens, Little Folks A children's film section providing public screenings and school matinees of international films for young audiences, along with workshops on animation and filmmaking for children ages 7 and up.
• Wisconsin's Own A juried competition program showcasing films by Wisconsin filmmakers or films shot in Wisconsin, awarding the Golden Badger Award across multiple feature and short film categories, sponsored by Great Dane.
• Student Matinees Free field trip screenings for elementary school groups during festival week, including bus reimbursements, introducing students to diverse international films.
• World Cinema Day A collaboration with the Wisconsin International Resource Consortium providing free international film screenings and discussions for middle and high school students with UW faculty introductions.
• Audience Choice Awards Annual awards voted on by festival attendees for favorite narrative feature, documentary feature, Wisconsin's Own feature, shorts program, Big Screens Little Folks feature, and restoration/rediscovery categories.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship opportunities starting at $1,000, offering exposure through printed film guides, posters, on-screen recognition, social media, website, and complimentary tickets.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Communication ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wisconsin Film Festival is presented by the UW-Madison Department of Communication Arts. This partnership supports the university's teaching, research, and public service mission by exposing the campus and greater community to films and filmmakers from Wisconsin and beyond.
• Wisconsin International Resource Consortium (WIRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between the Wisconsin Film Festival and WIRC for World Cinema Day, featuring free screenings of international films for middle and high school students with UW faculty introductions and discussions.
• Great DaneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGreat Dane is the proud sponsor of Wisconsin's Own section and the Golden Badger Awards, supporting Wisconsin filmmakers and their work.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mill Valley Film Festival: California-based annual film festival presenting independent and international cinema over 10 days across multiple venues with audience awards and educational programs. Comparable in multi-venue city festival model and audience-voted recognition.
• Tribeca Film Festival: Annual multi-day film festival showcasing narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and restoration titles across multiple venues in a single city. Directly comparable in festival model, programming mix, and audience-voted awards to the Wisconsin Film Festival, though operating at substantially larger scale in New York.
• AFI Fest: American Film Institute's annual festival in Los Angeles presenting international and independent cinema across multiple venues over multiple days. Comparable in festival structure, content curation, and special programming focus.
• Cleveland International Film Festival: Mid-sized annual film festival in the U.S. Midwest showcasing international features, documentaries, and shorts across multiple venues. Comparable in regional scope, programming mix, and audience-engagement awards.
• Sundance Film Festival: The premier U.S. independent film festival, screening narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and specialty programs across multiple venues during an annual multi-day run. Comparable in core festival model, content curation, and audience-engagement programming to the Wisconsin Film Festival.
• Seattle International Film Festival: One of the longest-running U.S. film festivals, screening hundreds of international and independent films over multiple weeks across Seattle venues. Comparable in content breadth (100+ films), multi-venue operation, and educational programming.
• Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival: Upper Midwest film festival operated by MSP Film, screening international and independent films across multiple venues with educational and community programming. Closely comparable in regional scale, programming philosophy, and educational outreach to Wisconsin Film Festival.
• Telluride Film Festival: Boutique annual film festival in a single U.S. town screening prestige international and independent cinema over a multi-day period with multiple venues. Comparable in event-driven, multi-venue festival model and curated programming focus.
• Athena Film Festival: Annual university-affiliated film festival at Bryn Mawr College screening narrative features, documentaries, and shorts with curated programming and academic partnerships. Directly comparable in university-presented festival model and educational mission to Wisconsin Film Festival.
• Chicago International Film Festival: Long-running annual Midwest film festival showcasing international cinema, documentaries, shorts, and competitive programming with audience awards. Direct peer given similar regional positioning, programming breadth, and audience-voted award structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wifilmfest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wifilmfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/wifilmfest
• Instagraminstagram.com/wifilmfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-film-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL