This is a list of Environmental Films that people have recommended.
See legal issues below.
To submit a new film suggestion, use the form below.
Legal Issues:
Most documentaries require a license ($125-$300) for a public screening, even if you are a non-profit and don't charge for admission. A few do not require licenses and Sierra Club Productions has licenses for some.
"Sierra Club Productions (SCP)" sent out the following Notice in April 2007.
From: Adrianne Bramhall - adrienne.bramhall@sierraclub.org - (707) 861-9647
SCREENING EXISTING FILMS
If you have more than a handful of people watching a film in a way that would be classified as home video, e.g. for a larger group or open to the public, then it is necessary to obtain Public Exhibition Rights. Not doing that can get us in the kind of hot water that those FBI blue background spots on videos talk about - namely unauthorized use.
Sierra Club Productions (SCP) has such rights to several films that we have been involved with, and also to a few others that have been produced internally.
SCP is happy to help research films that may be available for public screening. If you have found a film and the rights-holder is willing to let you screen it, please have them fill out a form and send a copy of the completed release to SCP by fax to 866-790-3988.
If you plan to charge admission, that generally requires additional license terms and generally a higher fee. A film like An Inconvenient Truth can cost $250-500 just for a screening free to attendees. Other distributors let you screen films for fundraising purposes for a portion of the door (proceeds). Please let us know if you plan to do a fundraising screening.
See: Public Performance Law at Motion Picture Association of America (mpaa.org).
They list several companies which will get licenses for you.
Swank Motion Pictures, Inc. - www.swank.com/ - (800) 876-5577
Motion Picture Licensing Corp. - www.mplc.org/ - (800) 462-8855
Criterion Pictures www.criterionpicusa.com (800) 890-9494
MPLC does facility based licensing - The place you are showing it gets a license from them for any film on a list they have agreements with and they can host showings of any of them. They only have licenses from two of the major studios for libraries but have a lot more for community centers, etc. Rates can vary depending on the size of the venue.
Swank sends you a licensed copy of the film for $125-$150 which you show and send it back to them.
If admission is charged for your event, your movie rental rate is the quoted rental price OR 50% of your gate receipts, whichever is greater.
There were only 5 out of 75 films on our list that you can license thru swank. Food Inc., The 11th Hour, Last call at the Oasis, No Impact Man and Promised Land.
Educational distributor New Day Films sells copies of some films for public showing.
E.g. Bag It has a link on their web site where Community Groups can get a copy for $150
The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) governs how copyrighted materials, such as movies, may be used. Neither the rental nor the purchase of a copy of a copyrighted work carries with it the right to publicly exhibit the work.
Sierra Club Productions said, "If you wanted to host a larger public event, $300 is good number to have available for screening rights."
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Page Last Modified 8/28/2014