THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada

What THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada does

THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada is a Calgary-based registered charity and not-for-profit organization that operates an annual film festival dedicated to celebrating the lives of older adults (aged 60 and older) and challenging stereotypes about aging. Founded in 2018 by Mitzi Murray with an inaugural program of 31 films at Calgary's Glenbow Museum, the organization has since expanded to year-round programming that includes monthly online screenings, community screenings at partner venues such as Calgary Public Library and the Kerby Centre, and in-person festival events hosted at venues like Inglewood's Festival Hall.

The festival's product surface consists of a core annual film festival, supplementary community screening events, a $25/year Annual Membership program providing free member events and complimentary tickets, an online film submission service operated through FilmFreeway, and ancillary educational resources including an ageism quiz (sourced from Age Without Limits) and an "Aging Boldly" content resource. There is no proprietary technology stack; the organization relies on third-party platforms including FilmFreeway for submissions and Zeffy for ticketing, with no public API or developer-facing integrations.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring individual memberships, tax-deductible donations, film submission fees, and corporate/organizational sponsorships, supplemented by institutional grants from federal, provincial, and municipal programs including the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Government of Alberta, Calgary Arts Development, and the Rozsa Foundation. Governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Rose Bene, with a part-time Executive Director (Norman S. Leach, appointed 2025) overseeing operations with a 1-10 employee headcount. The organization serves primarily Calgary-based older adults, intergenerational family audiences, independent filmmakers creating age-positive content, and senior-services community organizations.

Name

THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada

Legal name

THIRD ACTion Film Festival Limited

Website

https://thirdactionfilmfest.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada is a Calgary-based nonprofit charity that operates an annual film festival and year-round community screenings celebrating older adults and challenging ageism, serving Calgary seniors, intergenerational families, and age-positive filmmakers through festival programming, memberships, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Cultural Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH)

Keywords

• Film festival events
• Senior-focused programming
• Age-positive cinema
• Community film screenings
• Intergenerational cultural events

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership at $25 per year provides members with free event access, complimentary movie tickets, and eligibility for prize draws. Membership supports the festival's mission and unlocks additional funding opportunities.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted from supporters. The organization is a registered charity (Charitable Registration Number: 792 562 068RR0001). Donations of $25 or more receive a tax receipt.
3. Sponsorship: Corporate and organizational sponsorships connect brands with the festival's multigenerational audience interested in age-positivity. Packages are customizable for annual festival sponsorship or ongoing online watch parties.
4. Film submission fees: Filmmakers submit films through FilmFreeway for consideration. Submission fees are non-refundable and support festival operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada operates an annual film festival and year-round community screenings that showcase films featuring actors age 60 and older, addressing ageism and celebrating the third act of life. Supporting offerings include a $25 annual membership, community screening events at Calgary venues and online, and paid film submissions via FilmFreeway for filmmakers. The organization is a registered charity that also raises funds through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

THIRD ACTion Film Festival is a not-for-profit organization operating as a single unified product: an annual film festival celebrating older adults through cinema. The festival showcases films featuring actors age 60+ and tackles ageism through screenings and discussions. Supporting the core festival are several modules including a $25/year membership program offering complimentary tickets and exclusive events, community screening events held year-round at Calgary venues, an online film submission service via FilmFreeway, an ageism quiz resource, an Aging Boldly educational resource featuring Carl Honore's 12 rules, and a newsletter subscription for festival updates. The organization also provides volunteer opportunities and accepts donations as a registered charity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• THIRD ACTion Film Festival
• Community Screening Events
• Annual Membership
• Film Submissions via FilmFreeway

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25% of Canadians will be over 65 by 2036, representing a significant and growing market for age-positive content

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Calgary Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner offering festival programming free to library card holders, increasing accessibility and audience reach.
• Calgary Society of Independent FilmmakersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for filmmakers providing training, resources, clubs, and community connections for the festival's filmmaker community.
• University of Calgary Brenda Strafford Centre on AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic hub promoting interdisciplinary aging research and education. Co-presents the Resiliency in Aging Award for festival films.
• United Active LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlder adult community operator celebrating storytelling to challenge aging stereotypes through partnership with the festival.
• Financial ConciergeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional executor and power of attorney services provider. Repeat sponsor providing ongoing financial support.
• Culinaire MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlberta food and beverage magazine highlighting local culinary expertise. Sponsor providing marketing visibility.
• CKUAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonor-supported broadcaster and Canada's first public educational broadcaster (founded 1927). Provides media exposure and audience connection.
• Your Seniors ConciergeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConcierge services for seniors and families, particularly for relocation support. Sponsor aligned with the festival's age-positive mission.
• The Alberta Society of ArtistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional visual artists organization with gallery space at Crossroads Market in Calgary. Community partner for visual arts integration.
• Calgary Underground Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival community partner for community screening events, including co-presenting 'Beyond the Duplex Planet' screening in April 2026.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ReelAbilities Film Festival: Disability-focused film festival operating across multiple North American cities with curated programming and community screenings. Comparable as a social-mission film festival addressing under-represented communities through curated cinema.
• imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival: Toronto-based festival with a social-mission focus on Indigenous filmmakers and stories. Comparable as a thematically-niche Canadian film festival with similar nonprofit structure, mission-driven programming, and reliance on public and foundation grants.
• Planet in Focus: Toronto-based environmental film festival. Comparable as a small, mission-driven Canadian film festival with curated thematic programming, sponsor/grant funding, and community screening partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Hot Docs: Canada's largest documentary film festival, based in Toronto. Comparable as a curated Canadian film festival with similar sponsor/grant funding mix, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader thematic mandate than THIRD ACTion's aging-focused niche.
• Whistler Film Festival: Established Canadian film festival with industry programming, sponsorships, and content industry partnerships. Comparable business model (festival organizer with sponsor and submission revenue), but at materially larger scale and broader programming scope.

Direct peers

• Available Light Film Festival: Yukon-based Canadian film festival with a small-team, curated, thematically distinctive programming model. Comparable as a regional Canadian festival with similar scale, nonprofit structure, and reliance on sponsorships and grants.
• Calgary International Film Festival: Calgary-based annual film festival operating on a similar model of curated screenings, sponsorships, and filmmaker submissions. Directly comparable as a film festival organizer in the same geographic market, though with a broader (non-thematic) programming mandate.
• Calgary Underground Film Festival: Calgary-based specialty film festival co-presenting events with THIRD ACTion. Similar small-scale nonprofit festival model with curated programming and community partnership distribution.
• GlobalFest: Calgary-based multicultural arts festival co-founded by current THIRD ACTion ED Norman Leach. Operates on similar nonprofit festival mechanics (sponsorships, grants, community programming) and shares leadership DNA, making it a strong operational comparator.

Others

• Age Without Limits: Canadian ageism-awareness campaign whose Ageism Quiz is embedded into THIRD ACTion's site. Comparable as an adjacent aging-advocacy organization serving overlapping audience of older adults and intergenerational advocates, though not a film festival itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/THIRDACTionfilm
• Facebookfacebook.com/thirdactionfilmfest.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thirdactionfilm
• Instagraminstagram.com/thirdactionfilmfest/?hl=en

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 THIRD ACTion Film Festival Canada