2024 Sponsorship Opportunities by newfest

About NewFest

For more than 35 years, NewFest has been New York’s largest presenter of LGBTQ+ film and media, and the largest convener of LGBTQ+ audiences in New York City. Our mission is to provide a platform for queer stories and storytellers, and a joyful space for the community to celebrate these stories. We believe that visibility matters, and that queer film can change the world.

The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival is NewFest’s flagship program, New York City’s premier queer cultural event of the fall, and the largest LGTBQ+ film festival in the United States. Founded in 1988 during the height of the AIDS crisis, NewFest has been a champion of authentic LGBTQ+ representation about and by our community for over three decades.

The festival presents over 140+ films, panel conversations, awards, industry programs, and social events, reaching 45,000 attendees and 110 million marketing impressions and offering sponsors high impact and cost-effective sponsorship packages.

Programming

The festival features the best of contemporary queer cinema: a broad selection of American and international titles, narrative and documentary, feature length films and curated short film programs. From critically acclaimed international festival favorites to independent shorts made in New York, NewFest’s programming highlights media that expresses the personal, social, and political experiences of LGBTQ+ people and communities in the U.S. and worldwide.

Notable NewFest35 Films

2x Academy Award nominee, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress

Academy Award nominee, Best Actor

Cannes Best Original Screenplay winner; Palme d’Or nominee; Queer Palm winner

Academy Award nominee, Best Original Screenplay; Palme d’Or nominee; 4x Golden Globe nominee

Berlinale Teddy Award winner

6x BAFTA nominee

Parties + Social Events

Opening Night and Closing Night

At NewFest, all Opening and Closing Night films include access to an exclusive afterparty, where over 550 guests celebrate the queer film event of the year. Launch a brand activation at the party, or take advantage of a flood of organic social content with your logo on our step and repeat.

Women’s Night Out

Something for the ladies, though all are welcome: our WNO party follows a shorts program featuring work by women and nonbinary filmmakers.

Trans+ Mixer

A mixer for trans filmmakers, audience members, and allies to grab a drink following a shorts program of work by trans and nonbinary creators, celebrating the trans film community.

Film Feast

A curated in-theater dining experience: three courses with wine pairings inspired by a classic queer film. 5 |

Festival Lounge

The Festival Lounge is a space where our VIP guests—passholders, filmmakers, industry attendees, and supporters — pick up passes, hang out between screenings, grab a drink or snack at the open bar, and chat about films and festival plans. The lounge also hosts events and activations, and named sponsorship of the lounge is available.

Happy Hours

In addition to an open bar and snacks available all day, the lounge hosts additional happy hour events for affinity groups or private groups. Past happy hours include: Filmmaker Welcome HH, Members HH, Community Partners HH, and NewFest Alumni HH.

Activations

Reach NewFest’s most dedicated attendees, industry leaders, and high net worth audience members with a brand activation at the lounge.

Industry Programs

Join NewFest in providing opportunities for LGBTQ+ filmmakers, creators, and media professionals to convene and strengthen industry networks.

Industry Day

A full day of dedicated programming for industry passholders featuring a keynote speaker, panels, breakout sessions, and a happy hour. Sponsorship of Industry Day is available.

Filmmaker Welcome Happy Hour

A space for the current class of filmmakers with films in this year’s program to get to know each other and share about their films as the Festival kicks off.

Queer Media Mixer

A mixer to provide a dedicated space to network, share about current and upcoming projects, and meet potential collaborators, mentors, or new friends over drinks and light bites. Held twice annually, this event is highly anticipated by our industry community.

Filmmaker Brunch + Awards Ceremony

Filmmakers, jurors, programmers, supporters, and partners gather to celebrate the class of festival filmmakers and present Grand Jury Prizes and sponsored awards.

Black Filmmakers Initiative

An initiative to support Black filmmakers to participate in and attend the festival through submission fee waivers, travel support, and the presentation of three Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Awards with cash prizes.

Audience + Reach

Annual Attendees 45,000

We’re proud that NewFest’s varied programming and thoughtful audience development has attracted a diverse audience across the spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities.

Festival Marketing Impressions 110M+

Website Traffic

600,000 unique visitors per month, September and October

Email List

71,000 contacts | Open rate: 33.9% | Click-through rate: 5.1%

Social Media

42,000 followers (Instagram, X, Facebook, Tik Tok)

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship Tiers

$150,000+ Presenting Sponsor

Signature Sponsor

$75,000+

$35,000+ Premier Sponsor

Official Sponsor

$15,000+

Supporting Sponsor

$7,500+

In-Kind Media Partners, Contributing Partners

All festival sponsorships are highly customizable and a la carte sponsorships are available. Please see following pages for a range of opportunities. 9 |