deadCenter Film

What deadCenter Film does

deadCenter Film, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in downtown Oklahoma City at 1 NE 2nd Street, Suite 211. It operates the deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma's largest and only Oscar-qualifying film festival and one of only 27 US festivals with qualifying status in all three Academy short film categories (Live Action, Animated, and Documentary). The annual festival runs in June, expanded to five days for the 2025 silver anniversary, screening 160+ films and drawing filmmakers and audiences regionally and internationally; the organization has been recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World."

The organization's product portfolio extends well beyond the festival to include the year-round Continuum Programming Series of community screenings, the Statewide Education Tour reaching nearly 20,000 Oklahoma students, and deadCenter University (Youth Camp at Oklahoma City Community College and a teacher micro-credential track at Oklahoma City University). Ancillary revenue and engagement programs include the deadCenter Podcast, GlitterBall annual fundraiser, Teen Board, Screening Committee, paid internship program (up to 8 interns per season), Clubhouse and Director's Club subscription memberships with monthly installment pricing, and a merchandise storefront. Core technology is limited to third-party SaaS — Eventive for ticketing/scheduling and FilmFreeway for global film submissions — with no proprietary platform.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: festival passes and individual tickets (~$10 per block, VIP subscription tiers up to $350/month), filmmaker submission fees, corporate and foundation sponsorships (including Allied Arts, Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Inas Foundation as inaugural Power-level sponsor), individual donations, merchandise sales ($2-$25 items), and special-event fundraising. The organization operates with a small core staff of fewer than 10 employees supplemented by volunteers, interns, and a Teen Board of high school filmmakers, with strategic partnerships across more than 50 community organizations including First Americans Museum, OKC Latino Young Professionals, Afro Cinema Nights, Matriarch, and Oklahoma Pride Alliance.

Name

deadCenter Film

Legal name

deadCenter Film, Inc.

Website

https://deadcenterfilm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

deadCenter Film is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Oklahoma's only Oscar-qualifying film festival, the annual deadCenter Film Festival, alongside year-round Continuum community screenings, the Statewide Education Tour reaching ~20,000 students, and deadCenter University youth and teacher training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Arts Education

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF), Campus & Educational Screenings (Universities, Schools) (MPADAKAI), Open Multimedia OER (video, audio, podcasts, animations) (EDAGAJAF), Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Independent film festival
• Nonprofit film organization
• Film education programs
• Community film screenings
• Filmmaker submission platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Passes and Tickets: Revenue from festival passes and individual screening tickets, with tiered VIP options and early-bird discounts available.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation sponsorships supporting festival operations, educational programming, and community events.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, tumblers, and stickers through the online store.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting the nonprofit's mission, including free educational programs and community screenings.
5. Membership (Clubhouse/Director's Club): Monthly subscription programs providing festival passes over time, discounts, and exclusive access to screenings and events.
6. Submission Fees: Film submission fees for filmmakers seeking consideration in festival categories, with early-bird and regular deadline pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

deadCenter Film operates Oklahoma's only Oscar-qualifying film festival, held annually in June in Oklahoma City, screening 160+ independent films from around the world. The organization also delivers year-round Continuum community screenings, the Statewide Education Tour reaching nearly 20,000 Oklahoma students, and deadCenter University youth and teacher filmmaking programs.

Product overview

deadCenter Film operates as a nonprofit film festival organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offering is the deadCenter Film Festival (Oklahoma's largest and only Oscar-qualifying film festival), supported by education programs including deadCenter University and the Statewide Education Tour. Year-round engagement is maintained through Continuum Programming screenings, the deadCenter Podcast, and membership programs (deadCenter Clubhouse and Director's Club). The organization also offers festival passes, merchandise, internship opportunities, and runs the annual GlitterBall fundraiser. The Teen Board and Screening Committee provide youth and community involvement pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• deadCenter Film Festival: Oklahoma's largest and only Oscar-qualifying film festival, held annually in June in Oklahoma City. Named one of the '20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World' by MovieMaker Magazine.
• deadCenter University
• Statewide Education Tour
• Continuum Programming Series
• GlitterBall
• deadCenter Clubhouse
• Director's Club
• Film Icons (dC ICONs)

Products and services

• deadCenter Film Festival Oklahoma's largest and only Oscar-qualifying film festival, held annually in June, featuring independent films from around the world. Named one of the '20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World' by MovieMaker Magazine, with winners of two short film categories eligible for Academy Award nominations.
• deadCenter University

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20,000 students impacted by Statewide Education Tour
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oklahoma Latin American Film Festival (OLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerdeadCenter partnered with the inaugural Oklahoma Latin American Film Festival, expanding the event citywide beyond its previous location and premiering 26 curated films from the global Latino and Hispanic diaspora at Rodeo Cinema.
• University of Central OklahomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCO partnered with deadCenter for the first Oklahoma Teen Film Festival and hosts teacher training for deadCenter University. Rogelio Almeida serves as Coordinator for Multimedia Services at UCO.
• Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCCC hosts deadCenter University Youth Camp for high school students, offering hands-on filmmaking instruction through OCCC's Top 25 film school program.
• Oklahoma City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOklahoma City University hosts the deadCenter University teacher track, providing media arts micro-credential training for educators across Oklahoma.
• Oklahoma Pride AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Make the Yuletide Gay holiday screening event and other LGBTQ+ programming.
• First Americans MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Indigenous-focused screenings and programming, including Indigenous Peoples Day events.
• OKC Latino Young ProfessionalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for UNA NOCHE CON deadCenter event highlighting Latino filmmakers and culture.
• Afro Cinema NightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinuum Programming Series partner for African diaspora film programming.
• MatriarchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinuum Programming partner for women's films and storytelling.
• Respect Diversity FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for diversity-focused screenings and community programming.
• Better TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for documentary screenings and social impact programming.
• Rodeo CinemacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary screening venue for deadCenter festival and Continuum programming at Stockyards location.
• Norman Music FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Continuum screening of Tenkiller during festival.
• Factory ObscuraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Adult Night events and co-hosted film programming.
• OFA StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for deadCenter University Acting Labs offering free acting training for participants.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tribeca Festival: Major NYC-based festival founded by Robert De Niro that combines film, television, and immersive storytelling with industry programming. Significantly larger but shares deadCenter's focus on emerging filmmakers and educational outreach.
• Austin Film Festival: Larger Texas-based nonprofit film festival with screenplay competition and robust educational programs. Larger and more established than deadCenter but operates in a similar independent-film and education space.
• Telluride Film Festival: Boutique Colorado-based Oscar-launching festival operating at a much higher prestige and attendance tier than deadCenter, but with similar nonprofit-style curation model and Oscar-qualifying short film programming.
• Sundance Film Festival: The leading US independent film festival and the dominant Oscar-qualifying venue for indie features and shorts. Operates from a much larger resource base but shares deadCenter's Oscar-qualifying short-film pathway and education mission.

Others

• Film Independent: Los Angeles-based nonprofit that supports independent filmmakers through education, labs, and year-round programming (including Spirit Awards). Comparable to deadCenter in nonprofit mission supporting indie filmmakers and education, though not a single-festival entity.

Direct peers

• Bentonville Film Festival: Nonprofit film festival founded by Geena Davis focused on inclusion and underrepresented voices in media. Comparable to deadCenter's Continuum Programming Series in its diversity-driven programming and similar nonprofit festival scale.
• Sidewalk Film Festival: Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit independent film festival with educational programming (Sidewalk Film Academy). Closely matches deadCenter in scale, regional nonprofit structure, and combined festival + education mission.
• Heartland Film Festival: Indianapolis-based nonprofit film festival (formerly Heartland International Film Festival) that, like deadCenter, is Oscar-qualifying and operates a year-round educational and screening program. Highly comparable in scale, mission, and nonprofit educational mandate.
• Nashville Film Festival: Nashville-based nonprofit film festival that is Oscar-qualifying and operates educational outreach programs. Similar tier to deadCenter — a regional Oscar-qualifying festival with strong filmmaker community engagement and education components.
• Cleveland International Film Festival: Nonprofit Oscar-qualifying regional film festival with strong educational programming (CIFF education programs reach Ohio students). Comparable to deadCenter in scale, mission focus on independent film, and educational outreach structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deadcenterfilm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deadcenter-film

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 deadCenter Film