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DUMBO FILM FESTIVAL
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 371964804 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE A20 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · dumbofilmfestival.com
revenue
$62K
expenses
$63K
net assets
$9
employees
—
program ratio
91%
mission · from form 990

TO PROMOTED INDEPENDENT FILM AND FILM ARTISTS BY HOSTING YEARLT COMPETITIONS

profile · synthesized from sources

DUMBO Film Festival is a nonprofit organization based in New York that promotes independent film and filmmakers through an annual competitive festival. The festival showcases a diverse range of narrative, documentary, short, and experimental films from around the world, highlighting emerging and established talent. It serves as a platform for global cinematic storytelling with a focus on artistic expression and cultural dialogue.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

2026 Official Selection
Annual competitive festival showcasing selected narrative, documentary, short, and experimental films from around the world
Documentary Feature
Competition category for full-length documentary films exploring real-world issues and personal stories
Experimental
Competition category for avant-garde and non-traditional films that push the boundaries of cinematic form and expression
Narrative Feature
Competition category for full-length narrative films highlighting independent storytelling and cinematic artistry
Short Documentary
Competition category for short-form documentary films presenting impactful real-life stories and social issues
Short Narrative
Competition category for short-form narrative films showcasing emerging talent and innovative storytelling
activities · 2 groups

What they do

  • Film Festival and Screening Programming 2 activities
    • Hosts annual film festival with competitive screenings and awards
      Organizes and hosts an annual live film festival in DUMBO, Brooklyn, featuring officially selected independent films screened publicly at venues such as the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. The event includes a five-day program of cinematic screenings and culminates in an awards ceremony recognizing top films with honors including Best in Category and the Grand Bridge Award.
    • Selects official films through competitive preselection process
      Conducts an annual competitive selection process across six categories—Feature Narrative, Short Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation—to choose films for the festival lineup. In 2025, 37 films were selected from over 2,500 global submissions, with official selections announced on the organization’s website.
  • Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
    • Supports distribution and Oscar qualification of selected films
      Annually advances at least one selected film to the Oscars shortlist and supports the distribution of festival films on major platforms including HBO, Netflix, Amazon, PBS, and BBC, enhancing visibility and reach for independent filmmakers.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$62K
Contributions & grants$13K22%
Program service revenue$47K76%
Investment income$1K2%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$63K
Program expenses91%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$9
Cash$848
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$9
Liquid reserves0.2 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -5.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 3
  • DANIELE RAGUSA — DIRECTOR & CEO
  • DAVIDE IACONO — DIRECTOR & SECRETARY
  • GIOVANNA MAURO — DIRECTOR & CFO
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge Partner — Host venue for the annual Dumbo Film Festival screening event.
  • Amazon Partner — Films selected by the festival are distributed on Amazon.
  • American Academy Awards (Oscar®) Network — Jury includes Academy Award-winning filmmakers; festival films regularly advance to Oscar shortlists.
  • BAFTA Network — Jury includes members affiliated with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
  • BBC Partner — Films selected by the festival are distributed on BBC.
  • Brooklyn’s DUMBO district Partner — Hosted the 2025 festival in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, positioning it as a central cultural venue.
  • Eventive Partner — Platform used for donation processing and festival-related operations.
  • FilmFreeway Partner — Platform used for film submissions, deadline tracking, and status updates for preselection and official selection announcements.
  • FilmFreeway Partner — Platform used for managing 2027 festival submissions, deadlines, and fees.
  • HBO Partner — Films selected by the festival are distributed on HBO.
  • Netflix Partner — Films selected by the festival are distributed on Netflix.
  • PBS Partner — Films selected by the festival are distributed on PBS.
strategies · 2

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Competitive Exhibition with Curated Selection to Promote Emerging Artists
    methodology: artist_launch_platform
    By combining competitive preselection and curated screening of independent films, we elevate emerging and diverse voices in cinema because it ensures artistic excellence while providing a credible, high-visibility platform for launching careers.
  • Exclusivity and Prestige Model to Maintain Credibility and Anticipation
    methodology: prestige_exclusivity_model
    By requiring unreleased films and leveraging high-profile juries, we generate industry prestige and audience anticipation because exclusivity enhances perceived value and jury credibility reinforces artistic legitimacy.