CineFi Plants Roots in Atlanta to Serve Film Crews, Creators, and Influencers

Atlanta is a FinTech hub. But it is also a nerve center for the arts, entertainment, and media world. So it only makes sense that a digital banking platform built for the creative community would plant its flag here first.

CineFi, a fully digital credit union purpose-built for creators, launched earlier this year in the Atlanta market. It is specifically designed to serve the financial needs of workers whose income looks nothing like what traditional banks expect.

“Traditional banks and credit unions [tend] to focus around folks that work a 9-5, who get a W-2 and a predictable income,” Daniel Arita, SVP of Strategy @ First Entertainment Credit Union, who has been part of building out CineFi, said.

But the reality is that those in the film and media industries, that predictable income is rarely the reality. Most work project-to-project or gig-to-gig. That inconsistency locks them out of traditional banking services, which often require direct deposits, account minimums, and steady employment verification.

Filling A Financial Gap

CineFi is a division of First Entertainment Credit Union, which holds $2 billion in assets and is federally insured by the NCUA.

The platform offers high-yield checking and savings accounts with no account fees and no banking minimums. A round-up feature automatically saves spare change on debit card purchases, and members have access to a nationwide ATM network. Third-party ATM fees are also reimbursed, a practical perk for crew members who may be on a remote set, on location, or working internationally. There are also no foreign transaction fees, something that is very important for creators on the go.

Beyond banking, CineFi includes a financial education component tailored to the rhythms of creative work.

"We provide specific financial education that is geared towards the way that they work and live," Arita said, as CineFi covers everything from saving for a major equipment purchase, to budgeting through a production hiatus, to navigating taxes when a stack of 1099 forms arrive.

Serving Atlanta’s New Generation Of Creatives

Atlanta's film community has taken hits in recent years, losing several major productions to states and countries offering stronger tax incentives.

But the city's broader creative media ecosystem is still growing — and that, Arita says, is the opportunity CineFi is moving into.

The platform is built for more than traditional film and television workers. While below-the-line talent (think cinematographers, costume designers, gaffers, art department crew) are a natural fit, CineFi is also positioned to serve content creators, social media influencers, musicians, and independent artists managing their personal finances.

"When you look at entertainment, it's more than TV and it's more than film," Arita said.

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-Featured Photo by Jose P. Ortiz on Unsplash