Movies Move Us

What Movies Move Us does

Movies Move Us is a private nonprofit organization that produces and distributes social-impact documentary films and runs community and educational film programs. Founded by Italian filmmaker Ruggero Romano following his relocation to Vancouver, the organization is headquartered in Venice, Italy with a regional base in Vancouver, Canada, and operates with a small interdisciplinary team of approximately ten people spanning the two cities.

The organization's core products are a portfolio of feature documentaries including V6A (about homelessness, addiction, and mental health in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, premiered at the Italian Film Festival Torino), Cielo Aperto, and the developing global project Sonata for Seven Cities. Around this content it has built a distribution infrastructure anchored by Cinema Sospeso — a community-driven model with a pay-it-forward ticket mechanism used to tour films across physical venues in Italy — alongside virtual and physical community engagement services (screenings, Q&As, workshops, keynotes), the Cinelaboratorio educational program, and a free Skool-based community space offering masterclasses, mentorship, and networking to social-impact filmmakers.

Revenue is generated through a diversified but small-scale mix: direct-to-consumer merchandise (beanies, t-shirts, hats made on demand), tiered V6A Fundraising Kit Bundles sold to libraries, K-12 schools, universities, nonprofits, and businesses at €299-€499 with two-year screening licenses, individual Blue-Ray and digital sales, PayPal donations, and self-funded MENA Filmmaking Grants. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on Skool community engagement, newsletter, podcast, magazine, and structured mentorship to attract and retain social-impact filmmakers and screening partners.

Name

Movies Move Us

Legal name

Movies Move Us

Website

https://moviesmoveus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Movies Move Us is a nonprofit that produces and distributes social-impact documentaries (V6A, Cielo Aperto) and runs community and educational film programs, serving filmmakers, educational institutions, and community organizations across Canada and Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Documentary Film & Community Engagement

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community) (MPADAJAJ), Special Event Screenings & Pop-up Cinemas (MPADAKAE)

Keywords

• Social impact films
• Documentary film production
• Community film programs
• Independent film distribution
• Nonprofit film education

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including beanies, t-shirts, and hats with embroidery. Products are made on demand to reduce overproduction.
2. Screening Kits: Tiered licensing bundles for film screenings at educational institutions, nonprofits, and businesses. Includes Blue-Ray copy, digital access, screening license (2 years unlimited), discussion guides, prints, and posters. Allows organizations to host fundraising events.
3. Film Sales (Blue-Ray & Digital): Direct sale of V6A documentary on Blue-Ray with digital access for private individual use.
4. Donations: Accepts donations through PayPal to support the organization's mission of film-driven social advocacy.
5. MENA Filmmaking Grant: Grants provided to filmmakers from Middle East and North Africa region, funded through organizational resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Movies Move Us is a nonprofit organization that produces and distributes social impact documentary films and delivers community and educational film programs. The organization creates documentary films (including V6A, Cielo Aperto, and Sonata for Seven Cities), licenses tiered screening kits to educational institutions and nonprofits, sells branded merchandise, and operates community engagement programs including physical screenings, virtual workshops, mentorship, and free masterclass series through an innovative Cinema Sospeso community-driven distribution model.

Product overview

Movies Move Us is a film-driven social impact organization operating as a multi-product platform. The core offering combines documentary filmmaking (V6A, Cielo Aperto, Sonata for Seven Cities) with innovative distribution models (Cinema Sospeso) and community engagement services (physical and virtual screenings, Q&As, workshops). Supporting infrastructure includes educational programs (Cinelaboratorio, Mentorship Program, Free Masterclass Series), a community platform (Free Community Space on Skool), media content (Podcast, Magazine), and grant funding (5K MENA Filmmaking Grant). The organization also generates revenue through merchandise (Producer's Beanie, Director's Tee, Editor's Hat) and screening kits (tiered V6A fundraising bundles for universities, nonprofits, and libraries).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• V6A Documentary Film
• Cinema Sospeso
• Community Engagement Program
• Virtual Engagement Program
• Producer's Beanie
• Director's Tee
• Editor's Hat
• V6A Fundraising Kit Bundle - University/College
• V6A Fundraising Kit Bundle - Nonprofit/Business
• V6A Fundraising Kit Bundle - Library/K12
• V6A Blu-Ray + Digital Access - Private Use
• V6A Full Size Poster (11x17)

Named customers3 records

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

One partnership is on record.

• Cinema SospesocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative distribution model developed by Movies Move Us for community-driven film distribution in physical spaces. The model was used to tour 'Cielo Aperto' film across Italy, enabling communities to screen films in local venues.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Doc Society: A nonprofit that supports impact-driven documentary filmmakers globally, providing funding, strategy, and distribution support. Closely aligned on the impact-campaign and global filmmaker-development mission.
• Kartemquin Films: A long-standing nonprofit documentary production house producing social-issue films (e.g., Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters). Comparable in production focus, nonprofit structure, and emphasis on driving social dialogue through cinema.
• The Video Project: A nonprofit distributor of documentaries focused on social impact, environment, and education. Direct comparable on the distribution side — selling screenings and educational licenses of social-issue films to schools, nonprofits, and community groups.
• Good Docs: A filmmaker-led distribution cooperative specializing in social impact and documentary films licensed to educational, library, and community audiences. Closely mirrors Movies Move Us's Cinema Sospeso + Screening Kit model in both buyer segments (education/nonprofit/library) and mission orientation.
• Bullfrog Films: An independent distributor specializing in environmental and social-issue documentary films, with a strong educational and library licensing channel. Comparable on distribution model and target buyer segments.
• New Day Films: A filmmaker-run distribution cooperative that licenses social-justice documentaries to educational and community audiences. Comparable on cooperative distribution model and educational buyer focus.

Others

• Sundance Institute Documentary Fund: A grant-funding program supporting independent documentary filmmakers worldwide. Comparable on the documentary-grant funding mechanism (parallel to Movies Move Us's MENA Filmmaking Grant) rather than distribution.

Broad incumbents

• First Look Media: A purpose-driven media company (Topic, The Intercept) supporting independent and impact-focused storytelling. Broader portfolio than Movies Move Us but shares the editorial focus on social-justice and impact content.
• Participant Media: A large entertainment company that produces and finances content explicitly designed to drive social impact. Comparable in the social-impact storytelling thesis but operates at vastly greater scale across theatrical and streaming distribution.
• ITVS (Independent Television Service): A nonprofit funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that produces and distributes independent documentaries to public media. Comparable mission (independent, social-issue documentary distribution) but with public-broadcasting scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/movies-move-us

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Movies Move Us