Be seen where
stories matter.
Be part of the films, conversations and experiences that bring independent cinema to life. In a New York City theater, across streaming screens worldwide, and at the moments in between.
Community Is Infrastructure · 2026
Filmmaker conversation · 2026
Grand Jury Prize · 2026
The festival is already happening.
Make your mark.
Nukhufest unites filmmakers and film lovers through ongoing submissions and premieres, live programs, global streaming and audience recognition. Throughout the season, filmmakers and their communities return to Nukhu.com and Nukhufoundation.org to discover films, support creators and follow the journey from submissions to the November finale. The question is where your participation will create real value.
Book a 30-second theatrical placement. Reach verified viewers through a NuSpot campaign. Help an out-of-town finalist attend. Bring a product experience to a screening, or create an entirely new moment with the festival.
What is a NuSpot? Nukhu’s name for a commercial or advertisement delivered through Nukhu.com and Nukhu TV apps, with survey-confirmed impressions available for campaign reporting.
The Nukhu Foundation produces Nukhufest for Nukhu Media, LLC, delivering festival programming, filmmaker workshops and grant opportunities. Nukhu Media operates the streaming services and manages the commercial advertising, promotional inventory and brand partnerships that bring these experiences to audiences.
Meaningful visibility
Defined placements, verified digital engagement, relevant audiences, branded experiences and reporting, not just a logo on a poster.
More opportunity
Better exhibition, promotion, industry connections and, when contracted, travel, accommodations or practical resources.
Better experiences
More ways to discover films, meet creators, attend thoughtful programs and participate online from wherever they watch.
The story doesn't
begin in July.
Nukhufest is a connected sequence of filmmaker submissions, premieres, community discovery, theatrical programs, streaming releases and awards. Partners can activate at one moment or build recognition across the entire season.
Discover.
Films are submitted and premiered. Filmmakers and supporters visit nukhu.com and nukhufoundation.org as brands can begin participating.
Partnership window openAnnounce.
The public theatrical slate goes live, opening opportunities for press, content, announcements and audience planning.
Public program revealGather.
Seven days at Cinema Village Theater 1: screenings, Grand Jury Competition, talks, programs and partner experiences.
Theatrical festivalStream.
New titles enter the post-theatrical streaming season, introducing films to more audiences on Nukhu.
Digital seasonBuild momentum.
Fresh film discovery, audience voting and optional brand campaigns continue toward the November finale.
Streaming + audienceCelebrate.
The Awards Ball closes the season with the live Best Nuvee finale and Top 10 Finalist recognition.
Awards BallYour audience is already gathering.
Filmmakers visit Nukhu and the Foundation to submit, discover, promote and follow new work well before they enter the theater. Fans, collaborators and filmmaker communities return to watch, support and vote. A partnership that begins earlier has a longer window to be seen.
More months of discovery
Early commitments can launch partner recognition while films are submitted and premiered, instead of waiting for July programming announcements.
More moments to connect
Build a relevant story through filmmaking announcements, online film premieres, theatrical screenings and the separate November finale.
More control of delivery
Specify when NuSpot ads run, which geographies and content affinities matter, and exactly which verified impressions your media budget purchases.
Partner recognition can begin as soon as the agreed creative and package are approved. Campaign dates and inventory are defined together during booking.
2026 happened.
Here's the record.
Our first full seven-day Cinema Village program was documented through programming records, first-party platform analytics and social-account reporting. Every measure below refers to its own channel and reporting period.
Nukhufest 2026 program
September 11 to 17, 2026
90-day report through October 11, 2026
The theater is a focused, intimate room. Digital access expands discovery well beyond Manhattan. We report in-person admissions and digital users, content views and verified advertising impressions separately.
Nukhu's web and TV app experiences extend the opportunity to audiences internationally across supported devices, with additional access through Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, LG, Samsung and Fire TV.
Source materials: 2026 festival recap and first-party 2026 analytics. Figures reflect their stated reporting periods.
Not one demographic.
One independent spirit.
The indie film community stretches across generations, genres, languages and backgrounds. What connects people is their relationship with original storytelling, discovery and the people behind the screen, not one age bracket or postal code.
From filmmakers to their communities.
Filmmakers bring collaborators, friends, family, fellow artists and supporters into the festival. Each participating film can open a new network of discovery, locally and internationally.
Film interests vary by program. A comedy, documentary, animation or experimental film can invite a different audience, while all are connected by their choice to experience independent work.
In 2026, Nukhufest selected 51 films representing 20 countries, including projects connected to major festival circuits. Theatrical guests gather in NYC; digital availability extends across supported web and TV devices worldwide.
These are audience affinities that inform creative strategy. We can tailor NuSpot placement by geography, genres, storylines and supported demographic criteria.
155 seats.
One shared
experience.
For seven days, Nukhufest returns to Theater 1 at Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, New York City. A cinema placement reaches a live audience immediately before a scheduled festival program, not an anonymous autoplay feed.
Cinema Village Theater 1
Across 20 to 30 planned programs, Theater 1 offers 3,100 to 4,650 total seat opportunities for film fans, filmmakers and festival guests throughout the week.
Faces behind the festival.
Drag or swipe to explore; select a photograph to read its full caption.
Give the community something to make.
Brands do not need to arrive with a finished activation concept. We can develop one around a real benefit to filmmakers or audiences, with clear deliverables and optional content production.
Co-develop an Instagram filmmaker and creator challenge around a theme that genuinely fits the impact of your brand in their lives. Selected, opt-in creators can produce original short videos and share their experiences through approved social collaborations.
Creator payments, releases, editorial independence, production, brand rights and publication are scoped before any launch.
For festival week.
At your scale.
These packages apply to July 23–29 theatrical week. The November Awards Ball has its own participation menu below. Prices and package benefits are available for discussion and customization.
For packages that include website recognition, your listing can begin as soon as the creative is approved. Filmmakers and audiences are already discovering premieres, following submissions and supporting films online. July cinema placements and NuSpot campaign schedules are confirmed separately.
Single Screen
For brands interested in one specific audience gathering.
- One approved 30-second spot before one July festival program
- Screening date and program confirmed when scheduled
- Placement confirmation after the event
- Does not include signage or website logo placement
Festival Starter
A modest combination of cinema and confirmed digital advertising.
- 30-second spot before five distinct July screening programs
- 2,500 survey-confirmed NuSpot impressions (priced at $500)
- Business name in the sponsor/partner section of the Nukhufest festival page from approved launch through July 29, with an archived credit through November 13
- Two admission tickets to selected July screenings
- Ad delivery and placement summary
Festival Partner
Consistent theatrical presence with recognisable on-site identity.
- 30-second spot before every July festival program (up to 30)
- 5,000 confirmed NuSpot impressions (priced at $1,000)
- Logo in the sponsor area of the Nukhufest festival page from approved launch through July 29, with an archived partner credit through November 13
- Small logo on the festival-week step-and-repeat, if venue-approved and deadline met
- Logo credit in printed July program, if produced by deadline
- Four July screening admissions + delivery report
Experience Partner
Associate your brand with a festival program that already brings filmmakers and audiences together.
- Everything in Festival Partner, including the full-week cinema placements, website logo, printed and step-and-repeat recognition
- 10,000 survey-confirmed NuSpot campaign impressions total (a $2,000 media allocation)
- One existing July festival panel, workshop or screening recognized as “[Program] supported by [Brand]” on its listing, promotional graphics and introductory slide
- Approved host acknowledgement at that program and brand visibility in related event promotions
- Six July screening admissions and a consolidated placement report
- Optional stand-alone brand event before or after July 23–29, quoted separately for additional space, staffing and production
Theatrical Lead
Lead visibility across July, with a meaningful filmmaker or audience experience at its center.
- All Experience Partner benefits, including one supported existing July program, its listing and promotional credit, event acknowledgement and full-week theatrical placements
- 25,000 survey-confirmed NuSpot campaign impressions in total (a $5,000 media allocation)
- Priority logo placement on the Nukhufest festival page, July program materials and approved step-and-repeat
- One agreed industry category reserved for the July lead designation, for example the exclusive July lead airline partner. Other brands may still purchase ordinary advertising inventory.
- One 30–60 second activation recap showing your brand’s real contribution, such as a supported filmmaker panel, product demonstration, hospitality experience or audience resource
- Eight July screening admissions and a consolidated campaign results report
Program support means a named credit on the event listing, selected promotions, the welcome slide and a host acknowledgement. Step-and-repeat placement puts your approved logo on the festival-week photo backdrop. Lead category rights reserve one specific industry designation, not every advertising opportunity in that industry.
A Festival Experience Partner can support a panel or workshop already scheduled inside the July theater without an additional venue rental. A newly produced party, off-site demonstration or separate venue activation is quoted as a custom production.
Working commercial prices are finalized in the signed scope of work. Venue signage, print and step-and-repeat assets require booking by May 16 and approval of the final artwork. Festival selection, voting and awards remain independent.
One evening.
A room full of stories.
The November 13 Awards Ball is one live evening bringing together independent filmmakers, Finalists, collaborators and film audiences. Guests gather, meet the filmmakers, hear from participants, celebrate Best Nuvee, and share the night together.
Experiences can live within guest arrival, networking or the celebration, subject to venue, timing and safety approvals.
Branded photo moments
Filmmaker testimonials
Product or tech demos
Drinks, food or gifting
Artwork, sculpture or learning
Awards Ball Supporter
$1,000 proposedBusiness name in the awards-event supporter listing and one approved closing-screen acknowledgement, subject to venue display capability.
Awards Ball Partner
$3,000 proposedSupporter benefits, plus approved logo placement on event signage or step-and-repeat and two Awards Ball admissions, subject to available capacity.
Awards Experience
From $7,500An approved one-night experience such as a photo booth, filmmaker interview station, tasting or hands-on technology demonstration, with production and venue costs quoted separately.
The one-evening activation footprint will be confirmed against the venue plan, guest capacity and final run of show. Creative and technical requirements are developed with each participating brand.
Ask about Awards Ball opportunities ↗Not just viewed.
Confirmed.
NuSpots are the commercials and advertisements on Nukhu.com and Nukhu TV apps. Members watch an ad session and complete a brief survey confirmation before enjoying uninterrupted films. Brands pay $0.20 for each delivered, survey-confirmed NuSpot impression.
To experience an available NuSpot session, visitors need to create a free Nukhu account or sign in first.
NuSpot can be planned around filmmaker discovery before July, film premieres, the July theatrical period and the online voting season into November. Select a campaign window and target audiences rather than waiting for a single festival day.
Your confirmed reach.
Enter an illustrative media budget to estimate the number of verified impressions at the current unit price.
More than media.
Real-world capacity.
Every commercial partnership buys something tangible for the brand. Revenue also helps sustain the labor and infrastructure behind the festival experience. We want those outcomes to be as legible as the advertising deliverables.
Partners can request a more targeted project scope, such as filmmaker hospitality, a free audience workshop or an original branded program. These are specified and budgeted in writing rather than assumed to accompany every package.
Venue and screening operations, projection, technical preparation, program staffing and guest services.
Invited filmmaker travel, accommodation, local mobility and hospitality when specifically underwritten.
Film promotion, audience development, festival communications and promotional production.
Conversations, workshops, learning experiences and opportunities for filmmakers to meet their audiences.
Event capture, recap assets and infrastructure that extend the experience beyond the room.
Stories that
stay with us.
Hear directly from participating filmmakers, then explore festival recaps, a cross-genre dance workshop and earlier participant testimonials.
Javier S. Chabat
Director of Kiddos, on connecting with filmmakers after traveling from Mexico.
Jordan Hendrickson
Director of Janke, reflecting on his decade-long connection to Nukhufest.
Janneke Wade-de Jong
Director of Color Is Not a Crime, on theatrical exhibition and filmmaker conversations.
Short festival recaps, a dance workshop and filmmaker reflections, each linked to its original post.
2019 · Festival recapWatch the 2019 highlights ↗
2022 · Festival recapSee the 2022 community ↗
2024 · Creative workshopDance across genres ↗
One festival.
Two ways to help it grow.
The Nukhu Foundation produces Nukhufest for Nukhu Media, LLC, leading film programming, workshops and grants for emerging filmmakers. Nukhu Media operates the streaming platform, commercial advertising inventory and contracted brand visibility.
Nukhu Media, LLC
Choose cinema ads, verified NuSpot media, printed and digital visibility, or branded live experiences. Media agreements define the placements, pricing, exclusivity, creative approval, and delivery reporting.
The Nukhu Foundation
Support filmmaker workshops, underwrite a dedicated grant, supply equipment packages, travel or other resources, or contribute to festival operations without purchasing advertising inventory. Recognition-only charitable arrangements are discussed and documented separately.
Why should we confirm a partnership before July?
Filmmakers are already submitting and premiering projects, and film fans and their communities use Nukhu and the Foundation site throughout the year. Web recognition can start from the agreed launch date, rather than only during July. NuSpot campaigns may run across defined dates before, during or after theatrical week. Earlier involvement also helps reserve physical inventory and creative production time.
Why are Nukhu Media and the Foundation separate?
Each serves a distinct purpose. The Foundation produces Nukhufest and handles educational programming, filmmaker support, grants and festival administration. Nukhu Media manages the streaming platform, sells advertising inventory and fulfills commercial media and brand services. Their agreements and financial treatment remain separate.
Can our company support Nukhufest without buying ads?
Yes. For non-commercial philanthropic or in-kind support, including a new filmmaker grant, camera equipment, airfare, accommodations or general program resources, contact sanjay@nukhufoundation.org. Whether and how any recognition is permitted is discussed separately from commercial ad inventory.
Are commercial packages tax-deductible?
Not as charitable donations. This page's paid media and commercial activations are services contracted through Nukhu Media, LLC. Potential charitable contribution treatment for an entirely separate Foundation agreement would require appropriate review and documentation.
What does naming a program mean in practice?
For an approved July event, a designation such as “Community Conversation supported by [Brand]” can appear on that event listing and an opening slide, alongside a host acknowledgment when agreed. It does not give a brand control of speakers, film selection, awards or editorial content.
What does a co-produced promotional feature mean?
When included in an agreed production scope, Nukhu creates one short edited brand/event piece, for example 30–60 seconds, using approved footage, talking points and on-screen logos. Number of edits, rights, deliverables and publication channels must be specified in the contract. It is not an open-ended commercial production assignment.
When do we have to confirm July step-and-repeat placement?
Our proposed commitment deadline is May 16, 2027, matching the Grand Jury submission deadline. This is for the early production lock of July printed and on-site materials. All signage remains subject to venue rights, final artwork and production availability.
Can I buy an Awards Ball placement through a July tier?
No. The November 13 Awards Ball has its own media and on-site activation inventory. July tiers cover the theatrical week only. Brands can buy both, but each has a separately defined fee, rights, guest allocation and deliverables.
What is a confirmed NuSpot impression?
NuSpot inventory is sold at $0.20 per completed survey-confirmed impression, not per autoplay, click-through assumption or projected reach. Campaigns can be planned by geography and relevant genre, storyline and audience criteria, subject to technical support and available inventory.
Can a brand influence the Best Nuvee or Grand Jury decisions?
No. The festival's creative and awards decisions remain independent. Commercial partners cannot choose winners or alter audience votes, juries or the curatorial process.
Can we build a filmmaker-led Instagram campaign?
Yes. One custom option is a creator or filmmaker activation on Instagram using an approved brand brief, consenting participants, agreed creator compensation, and optional collaboration posts or a recap video. Creative control, licensing, approvals and all deliverables are determined in a separate agreement.
The next
great moment
isn't booked yet.
Tell us what your brand wants to accomplish, the audience you want to reach and the kind of experience you want to create. We can begin with a defined package or develop something entirely your own.
All proposals are subject to scope and availability.