Geneva International Film Festival - Giff

What Geneva International Film Festival - Giff does

The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, founded in 1995 as Festival Tous Ecrans and headquartered in Geneva. It operates an annual 10-day flagship festival (32nd edition scheduled for October 30 to November 8, 2026) that curates films, television series, and immersive/VR works alongside a four-day professional industry platform, GIFF PRO (formerly the Geneva Digital Market), which runs from November 2 to 5 and convenes more than 800 Swiss and European audiovisual professionals for conferences, coproduction matchmaking, and market modules covering financing, coproduction, and distribution. The organisation is funded through a mix of ticket and accreditation revenue, merchandise sales via the GIFF Shop (CHF 16–25 unit pricing), public subsidies from the Ville de Genève, Canton de Genève, Swiss Federal Office of Culture, and Loterie Romande, and private partnerships with Edmond de Rothschild, Fondation Plaza, SwissPerform, SSA, and Suissimage.

GIFF's product portfolio is structured as a flagship event supported by year-round modules. GIFF TV/Relive is an on-demand video platform hosting conference recordings and masterclasses from past editions. GIFF UNLIMITED (formerly PLUGS) extends programming across more than 30 international venues including Centre PHI Montreal, SXSW Austin, the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, NIFFF, Swissnex China Beijing, and EPFL Pavillons. The GIFF School Festival operates a mobile VR trailer that visits schools for multi-week residencies, and the Swiss Series Storytelling Award (CHF 20,000, co-funded by SSA and Suissimage) recognises the best national documentary series screenplay. The technology stack combines the Eventival platform for accreditation and submissions, MyGIFF for project intake, Ticketack for ticketing, MailChimp for newsletter communications, and the GIFF TV/Relive on-demand archive, with GDPR/FADP privacy compliance maintained across the stack. AI is featured through conference programming (talks on generative AI in audiovisual workflows in 2023 and 2024) rather than embedded in operational systems.

Name

Geneva International Film Festival - Giff

Legal name

GIFF Foundation

Website

https://giff.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation that runs an annual 10-day festival of film, series, and immersive works in Geneva, complemented by the GIFF PRO industry platform and the GIFF Unlimited year-round international exhibition programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

Keywords

• Film festival programming
• Audiovisual content curation
• Immersive XR exhibitions
• Industry networking events
• Series screenwriting awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Tickets and Passes: The festival generates revenue through ticket sales for film screenings, series screenings, and immersive experience presentations during the annual festival. Passes and accreditations provide access to multiple screenings and events.
2. Merchandise Sales: GIFF operates an online shop selling branded merchandise including t-shirts (CHF 25) and tote bags (CHF 16). Products are available for collection at the festival venue or by arrangement.
3. Professional Accreditations: GIFF PRO offers accreditations for industry professionals, filmmakers, journalists, and students, providing privileged access to all festival programs and GIFF PRO events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GIFF curates an annual multi-format audiovisual festival spanning film screenings, television series competitions, and immersive XR experiences over a 10-day period in Geneva. It complements the public festival with a professional industry track (GIFF PRO), a year-round international exhibition program (GIFF Unlimited), an on-demand video archive (GIFF TV/Relive), and an educational school outreach program, all operated by the nonprofit GIFF Foundation.

Product overview

The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) is a multi-format audiovisual festival offering a platform spanning film screenings, television series, and immersive experiences. The organization operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on the annual GIFF Festival (32nd edition in 2026), supplemented by the professional GIFF PRO segment including the Geneva Digital Market for industry professionals. Additional modules include GIFF TV/Relive for on-demand video archives, GIFF UNLIMITED for year-round international XR exhibitions (formerly PLUGS), the GIFF School Festival for educational VR visits, and the GIFF Shop for merchandise. Professional programs include the Swiss Series Storytelling Award, Swiss Interactive Sessions, and XR Coproduction Sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GIFF Festival Annual 10-day flagship festival featuring film screenings, television series competitions, and immersive XR experiences in Geneva, for the general public and industry attendees.
• GIFF PRO Four-day professional industry event dedicated to audiovisual innovation in Switzerland, featuring conferences, matchmaking, and market modules; brings together over 800 Swiss and European professionals annually.
• GIFF TV / Relive On-demand online video archive offering free access to conference recordings, masterclasses, interviews, and festival content from past editions, including guests such as Alan Ball, Stephen Frears, and Ava DuVernay.
• GIFF UNLIMITED Year-round program of curations, off-site XR exhibitions, and events at international partner venues including Centre PHI (Montreal), SXSW (Austin), Cannes Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, NIFFF Neuchâtel, Swissnex China Beijing, and EPFL Pavillons.
• GIFF School Festival Educational outreach program bringing VR works and discussions on digital technologies directly to schools via a mobile trailer screening space, for students and educational institutions.
• GIFF Shop Online and on-site merchandise store offering limited-edition festival-branded items including t-shirts (CHF 25) and tote bags (CHF 16) for festival attendees and the general public.
• Swiss Series Storytelling Award Industry award granting CHF 20,000 to the best Swiss documentary series screenplay, co-sponsored by SSA and Suissimage, supporting Swiss series creators.
• XR Roadshow Mobile VR exhibition program traveling across Switzerland to bring immersive XR experiences to regional audiences outside the main festival period.

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ville de GenèvecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Geneva is a key supporting partner of the festival, providing institutional backing and hosting festival activities within the city.
• Canton de GenèvecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanton of Geneva provides institutional support and backing for the festival as a major cultural event in the region.
• Federal Office of Culture (FOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss federal cultural office provides governmental support for the festival as a national cultural institution.
• MediaDesk SuisseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss media desk providing support for international media and communication activities.
• Loterie RomandecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomandy lottery providing cultural funding support to the festival as a major regional cultural initiative.
• Edmond de RothschildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain partner of the festival. Sponsors the Geneva Award by Edmond de Rothschild, presented annually to recognize excellence in audiovisual creation. Partnership established for the 29th edition in 2023.
• Fondation PlazacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain partner providing venue and support. The festival has partnered with Le Plaza cinema for festival screenings and events.
• SwissPerformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Perform is a main partner supporting the festival's activities and programs.
• SSA (Société Suisse des Auteurs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss authors society co-sponsors the Swiss Series Storytelling Award (CHF 20,000) supporting documentary series screenwriting in Switzerland.
• SuissimagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss cultural fund co-sponsors the Swiss Series Storytelling Award (CHF 20,000) supporting documentary series screenwriting in Switzerland.
• Centre PHIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCultural centre in Montreal, Canada that has hosted GIFF Unlimited events and exhibitions.
• SXSWminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth by Southwest festival in Austin, USA has hosted GIFF Unlimited events and content.
• Cannes Film Festival - Marché du filmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCannes Film Festival market has hosted GIFF Unlimited events and Beyond Cinema programming.
• Locarno Film FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocarno Film Festival in Switzerland has hosted GIFF Unlimited events at laRotonda venue.
• NIFFF (Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNeuchâtel festival has hosted GIFF VR content and collaborative events.
• Swissnex ChinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwissnex network in Beijing has hosted GIFF Unlimited events showcasing Swiss digital creation.
• Ludicious - Zurich Game FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZurich game festival has hosted GIFF Unlimited PLUGS program events.
• Istituto SvizzerominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss Institute in Rome has hosted GIFF Unlimited events.
• EPFL PavillonsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) has hosted GIFF Unlimited events and VR museum exhibitions.
• RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss French-language broadcaster is a key partner collaborating on series programming and festival events. RTS archives content is featured in festival programming.
• SRG SSRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Radio and Television Corporation collaborates with GIFF on series programming and national broadcast content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tribeca Festival: New York-based multi-format festival with explicit immersive/XR programming and an industry component. Comparable multi-format architecture combining cinema, episodic, and XR content within a single festival brand.
• Venice Film Festival: Premier international film festival with a dedicated Venice Immersive XR competition. Operates at substantially larger scale but shares GIFF's positioning of immersive/extended-reality as a core programming vertical rather than a side event.
• SXSW: Massive Austin-based multi-format festival spanning film, music, and interactive/tech. Although substantially larger, SXSW shares GIFF's strategy of integrating film, XR, and emerging-tech programming; GIFF Unlimited has hosted events at SXSW, making it a partner-as-peer.

Direct peers

• Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC): Montreal-based festival combining cinema, immersive works, and digital arts. Comparable mid-sized multi-format festival with industry programming and XR/immersive component. Shares Canadian festival partner (Centre PHI) through GIFF Unlimited.
• Annecy Festival: French animation and XR festival with a MIFA market component. Mathieu Gayet has worked at Annecy/MIFA, and both festivals operate industry market platforms, XR competitions, and audiovisual-innovation mandates at similar scale.
• NewImages Festival: Paris-based festival dedicated specifically to XR and immersive creation. Mathieu Gayet's prior affiliation makes this a particularly close peer for GIFF's XR mandate and market-format competition.
• NIFFF (Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival): Swiss genre/avant-garde festival co-founded by Anaïs Emery (GIFF's current General and Artistic Director), who led it from 2006 to 2020. Operates in similar size bracket in Switzerland, with overlapping XR/digital content programming and shared institutional relationships.
• Visions du Réel: Swiss documentary film festival based in Nyon. Shares the Swiss nonprofit-festival model, institutional support base (Canton of Geneva-adjacent), and overlapping programmer alumni (Maryam Esmaïl Zavieh has worked in Visions du Réel programming).
• Locarno Film Festival: Switzerland's largest film festival held annually in Ticino. Both are Swiss-based nonprofit festivals with international programming and industry-academic crossover. Locarno is GIFF's closest domestic peer and partner (GIFF Unlimited hosts events at Locarno's laRotonda venue).

Others

• Cannes Film Festival: Global benchmark festival whose Marché du Film hosts the Immersive Market now managed by GIFF's own Head of Industry Mathieu Gayet. Operates as a channel partner (GIFF Unlimited hosts events there) and a direct competitor for top-tier XR talent and premieres.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GenevaInternationalFilmFestivalGIFF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genevainternationalfilmfestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/giff.ch

Compliance1 record

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 Geneva International Film Festival - Giff