Denver Film Society
Denver Film Society, which does business as Denver Film, is a public charity based in Denver, Colorado, formed in 1978. It operates the Sie FilmCenter, presents the Denver Film Festival and other year-round film programs, and offers a fiscal sponsorship program and the MOFFOM documentary grant.
Denver Film Society at a glance
In short: Denver Film Society gave $3.5M across 24 grants in 2026 (avg $144K), mostly in Colorado. 48% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $3,463,659
- +45.8% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 24
- +33.3% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $144,319
- +9.4% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $33,856
- Total assets
- $18,458,579
- +77.2% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (11 of 23, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (50% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Denver Film Society
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 MOFFOM letter-of-intent period closed June 1, 2026. The listed 2026 finalist application deadline was September 4, 2026.
- Deadline
- The 2026 MOFFOM letter-of-intent period closed June 1, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2510 E Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80206
Phone: (303) 595-3456
Website: https://denverfilm.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Denver Film Society
Who Denver Film Society funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Possibilities in America LLC ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 76 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website says fiscal sponsorship prioritizes Colorado-created or produced projects. In the 2026 filing, 50% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado and 47% to recipients in California; smaller shares went to Texas and Louisiana, while the share for New York was reported as 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Denver Film Society open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 11 of 23 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $264K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $144K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2026). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2021) to $3.5M (2026). In 2026 it made 24 grants totaling $3.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Possibilities in America LLC Beverly Hills, CA | See Part IV | $1,290,109 |
| Braiding Pictures LLC Boulder, CO | See Part IV | $525,500 |
| Wonder LLC Boulder, CO | See Part IV | $375,000 |
| I Was Born This Way Production LLC Redondo Beach, CA | See Part IV | $309,246 |
| Exposure LLC Boulder, CO | See Part IV | $241,000 |
| Chasing Twice LLC Boulder, CO | See Part IV | $148,055 |
| The Capitalism Dilemma LLC Boulder, CO | See Part IV | $140,000 |
| Echostory LLC Denver, CO | See Part IV | $51,250 |
| Greater Purpose Media Denver, CO | See Part IV | $50,253 |
| Coal Ash Documentary LLC Lafayette, LA | See Part IV | $50,125 |
Ready to take the next step with Denver Film Society?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $18,458,579 | $16,963,139 | $9,189,362 | $3,463,659 | 24 | $341,990 |
| 2025 | $10,414,308 | $13,178,274 | $7,753,339 | $2,375,158 | 18 | $148,324 |
| 2024 | $5,232,169 | $8,991,619 | $7,388,383 | $2,303,220 | 16 | $38,519 |
| 2023 | $4,278,710 | $5,239,327 | $7,044,242 | $2,092,322 | 10 | $14,740 |
| 2022 | $6,290,758 | $7,875,094 | $5,786,326 | $1,492,230 | 8 | $5,393 |
| 2021 | $4,221,963 | $4,143,953 | $3,544,035 | $1,245,991 | 11 | $17,576 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to develop opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences. It also describes goals that include celebrating film as an art form, showcasing international cinema, providing a platform for Colorado and U.S. independent filmmakers, and offering programming for special audiences.
Its MOFFOM grant supports finishing work—scoring, composition, and music licensing—for feature-length documentaries directly related to music and in post-production. The program offers up to $20,000 annually. Fiscal sponsorship is available for film projects in all stages of production and distribution; Denver Film says it does not provide funding to sponsored projects, which are expected to fundraise independently.
Grantmaking
The 2026 filing reports 24 grants totaling $3,463,659. Grants ranged from $6,500 to $1,290,109, with a median of $33,856. The largest listed grants were $1,290,109 to Possibilities in America LLC in Beverly Hills, California; $525,500 to Braiding Pictures LLC in Boulder, Colorado; $375,000 to Wonder LLC in Boulder; $309,246 to I Was Born This Way Production LLC in Redondo Beach, California; and $241,000 to Exposure LLC in Boulder. The filing gives “SEE PART IV” as the purpose for these grants.
For MOFFOM, the website describes a letter-of-intent process followed by invitations to submit full applications. Eligible projects must be feature-length documentaries of at least 70 minutes, in post-production, and able to provide at least a rough cut by the finalist deadline. Fiction films, docu-dramas, student projects, and outreach campaigns are excluded. Applicants must be at least 18, and a fiscal sponsor is required to receive an award. Recipients and their fiscal sponsors must sign a grant agreement and submit progress reports. The 2026 submission cycle is closed.
For fiscal sponsorship, Denver Film says it is currently accepting film projects in all stages of production and distribution. Its stated priorities include Colorado-created or produced projects, budgets of $50,000 or more, projects actively fundraising or ready to fundraise, and projects with a formal budget and fundraising plan. The application requests project information, a primary contact, and overall project revenue and expense budgets.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Kevin Smith as CEO, Amy Allison as CAO, Amanda Blaurock as chair, Tom Downey as vice chair, Elena Lippencott as secretary, and Jessica Johnson as treasurer. It also lists Jeff Calhoon, Miz Cordero, Mike Ferrufino, and Micah Gurard-Levin as directors.
Denver Film Society is led by Kevin Smith, CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2022); 2 of 21 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Kevin Smith
CEO
CMO → CEO, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$91K (2022) → $163K (2026)
Amanda Blaurock
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chad Jimenez
Director
Treasurer → Chair, 2023
Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheila K. O'Brien
Director
Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maren Stewart
Director
Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Micah Gurard-Levin
Director
Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Maholic
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Holmes
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sylvia Lambe
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Moore
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Calhoon
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Ferrufino
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miz Cordero
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Youngdon Yon
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deirdre McGuire
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marisa Cucuzzella
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Rance
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Allison
CAO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$31K (2022) → $101K (2026)
Elena Lippencott
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Johnson
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Downey
Vice Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (24)
- Former: Gary Martinez (2021–2025) — Director
- Former: Dierdre McGuire (2022–2025) — Director
- Former: Caroline Davey (2024–2025) — Director
- Former: Anthony Aragon (2025) — Director
- Former: Nicole Isenberg (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Tish Maes (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Donnie Betts (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: James Mejia (2021–2023) — CEO
- Former: Karen Brody (2021–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Lauren Handler (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Maxine Rossman (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Megan Lindstrom (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Michael Day (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Andra Zeppelin (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Brent Mather (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Kent Rice (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Nicholas Rotello (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Sue Gillies (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Britta Erickson (2021) — Interim Executive Director & Festival Director
- Former: Joey Porcelli (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Kevin Teng (2021) — Board Chair
- Former: Lowell Wightman (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Mike Filkoski (2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Tamara Hill (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $163K, to Kevin Smith (CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Denver Film Society
How much does Denver Film Society give each year?
Denver Film Society gave $3.5M across 24 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. In 2025 it gave $2.4M across 18 grants.
What is Denver Film Society's typical grant size?
Denver Film Society's median grant in 2026 was $33,856, and its average grant was $144,319, across 24 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Denver Film Society that year got $27K on average.
Where does Denver Film Society give grants?
Denver Film Society gives mostly in Colorado: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (47%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (8 grants), Boulder, CO (6 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Denver Film Society give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Denver Film Society's 2026 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "See Part IV" (24 grants).
Who are Denver Film Society's largest grantees?
Denver Film Society's largest 2026 grantees include Possibilities in America LLC ($1,290,109), Braiding Pictures LLC ($525,500) and Wonder LLC ($375,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Denver Film Society?
Denver Film Society reported $18.5M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $17.0M.
What does Denver Film Society fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to develop opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Denver Film Society?
Denver Film Society has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check denverfilm.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Denver Film Society's EIN?
Denver Film Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-0771070. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS June 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Denver Film Society's focus areas in our free grants database
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Denver Film Society down — hundreds of funders to go?