Taking a festival beyond its own venues
Resistimos, a Mexican documentary festival with IMCINE, moves from free city screenings to authorised screenings by self-managed cineclubs and cultural spaces, then a free online window.
Published 9/28/2026
The idea
Central curation plus local hosts extends a festival's reach without building new venues, while an online window reaches people who cannot attend.
Evidence
Phase one: free screenings and events in Mexico City, Monterrey, Mérida and Querétaro, with filmmaker Q&As. 9–25 October: the selection is made available to self-managed cineclubs and cultural spaces across Mexico, who are directed to the festival's sign-up route. 26 October–8 November: more than 25 documentaries free on IMCINE's Nuestro Cine MX platform.
Operator takeaway
The transferable value is the operating mechanism, not an assumed outcome. Adapt it with a clear baseline and decision rule.
Try this
Offer a curated package to local partners with a simple host agreement, delivery files, a promotion kit and a one-page reporting form returned after each screening.
Measure
Number of hosts; Screenings delivered; Admissions reported per host; Online plays; Reporting return rate.
Watch out for
Host-side licensing and delivery conditions are not published on the programme page. Participation and attendance figures are not published. Any geographic restriction on the online window is not stated.
Operator, market and timing
Resistimos, fifth edition, in partnership with IMCINE, 18 September to 8 November 2026.
What the initiative does
Phase one: free screenings and events in Mexico City, Monterrey, Mérida and Querétaro, with filmmaker Q&As. 9–25 October: the selection is made available to self-managed cineclubs and cultural spaces across Mexico, who are directed to the festival's sign-up route. 26 October–8 November: more than 25 documentaries free on IMCINE's Nuestro Cine MX platform.
Why it may matter to an operator
Central curation plus local hosts extends a festival's reach without building new venues, while an online window reaches people who cannot attend.
Terms, eligibility and restrictions
Hosting is through the festival's stated registration route. Venues may not screen the films without that authorisation.
What is known and what remains unknown
Host-side licensing and delivery conditions are not published on the programme page. Participation and attendance figures are not published. Any geographic restriction on the online window is not stated.
A practical adaptation or test (CIA suggestion)
Offer a curated package to local partners with a simple host agreement, delivery files, a promotion kit and a one-page reporting form returned after each screening.
Resources and commercial or operational risks
Rights clearance for community screenings, host support and reporting follow-up. Risk: uneven presentation quality and incomplete reporting.
What to measure
Number of hosts; Screenings delivered; Admissions reported per host; Online plays; Reporting return rate.
Stay updated
Get new Cinemas in Action briefings by email.
Occasional operator briefings and new case studies — no marketing, no third parties.