Dumbo Film Festival

THE PROJECT

Following the 7th edition of Dumbo Film Festival, the team came to us with a bold ambition: to amplify the festival and grow its audience, with Oscar and BAFTA qualification on the horizon. As the festival prepared to expand, the focus turned to defining its place in the New York festival landscape. We partnered with leadership to help the independent festival translate those ambitions into a distinctive identity and an expanded audience, positioning it for a prestigious next chapter.

SOLUTION

Dumbo Film Festival arrived with seven editions behind it and a milestone in sight. We worked with the team to define its place in culture: a Brooklyn meeting ground for global independent cinema. Together, we sharpened the platform into a position - the borough’s counterpart to the city’s most prestigious stages, distinguished by who is choosing the films.
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The work followed the taste. A brand lift evolved the logo and look and feel without erasing seven years of identity. A full site redesign, tested through e-commerce UX/UI research, made the festival as considered online as it is in the room. And new screening rooms, sponsors, and ticketing partners widened the door, setting the stage for the outfit's next chapter.

THE SCOPE

Art Direction
Audience Development
Brand Development
Creative Campaigns
Go-to-Market Strategy
Graphic + Visual Design
Partnerships
Web / Digital

THE TEAM

Sapphire Stubbs - Creative Director
Caitlyn Ferrante - Comms Lead
Rice Gallardo - Design Lead
Anna FitzGerald-Larrison - PR Coordinator
Katherine Ju - Designer

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Daniele Ragusa Monsoriu - Board of Directors (Dumbo Film Festival)
Davide Iacono - Board of Directors (Dumbo Film Festival)
Giovanna Mauro - Board of Directors (Dumbo Film Festival)
Marta Leocata - Director of Development
Vicente Sanchez - Event Manager
Amanda Sarabia - Festival Coordinator

FILM FESTIVAL - CREATIVE DIRECTION & CULTURAL STRATEGY

DUMBO FILM FESTIVAL

Work began by articulating what Dumbo Film Festival could represent within New York’s film landscape: an international perspective grounded in Brooklyn, with the intimacy of an independent festival and the ambition of a larger institution. That direction informed the refreshed identity and website, balancing a more considered visual composition with an open invitation to artistically discover the work.

That blueprint extended to screening spaces, partnerships, and gatherings, considering how each setting could shape the experience of the films and artists, and the conversation around them. Together, the agency established a coherent world around the program, giving the festival a distinct presence and creating room for filmmakers, film fans, and international creative communities to meet.