How to host a screening event

Check your licencing

Let’s kick off with the legal stuff. Yeah, when you’re thinking about hosting a screening event, this feels like the boring part. However, you won’t be able to show films at your screening event without a film copyright licence. 

You can get a film copyright licence from Filmbank, the Motion Picture Licencing Corporation and the British Film Institute. Looking to make a profit from your screening event? You’ll need a Premises Licence. 

When it comes to sports, it’s a given you’ll need a TV Licence and a Sky, TNT or Amazon Prime subscription. A Premises Licence is required for sports screenings, too.

Charity events also come under for-profit events. So, keep in mind that you’ll need the licence if you’re trying to raise money through ticket sales.

You won’t need a licence if your event is not for profit. The Licencing Act of 2003 defines not-for-profit events as events that charge for tickets to cover their costs and are held between 8 am and 11 pm.

Think of an idea

Here comes the fun part. 

The great thing about hosting a screening event is the sheer choice of films you can show. 

Do you have a passion for queer cinema? Why not host a screening event showing films like ‘Weekend’ and ‘Tangerine’? 

You could show films relevant to your own background or independent films that haven’t been highlighted by the mainstream. 

Or, you could host a screening event and a panel. For example, 2018’s ‘Sorry To Bother You’ tackles race, class and politics in the USA. You could show the film and invite some experts to discuss it on a panel afterwards. 

The sky really is the limit here. Do your research, dig into your own influences and think about how you can host a screening event which is culturally enriching to your audience and community.

But hosting a screening event isn’t limited to films. EURO 2024 is around the corner and a fan zone event can be a popular idea. We’ll expand on venue ideas for a screening event like this in the next section. 

Source a venue

Next up on your list? Find a venue for your screening event. 

Lots of independent cinemas offer venue hire, which takes away the need to obtain a licence and buy or hire equipment. Often, these places charge by the hour, so set your budget and go from there. 

You could also consider independent venues that aren’t set up for film screening events. Again, some of these places charge by the hour, so look at your budget and see what you can afford. 

Libraries and community centres are an option, too. Room hire might be cheaper, but you’ll need to source equipment and potentially licences. 

A bar is the most common place to host a screening event that shows sports. If you want to host music, you’ll need enough space for equipment.

You could take the idea even further and host your sporting event in a community centre, offering food, drink and music options to serve your local area. 

Get your equipment 

Equipment is a crucial part of a screening event. 

Some venues will already have it, but if you’re going to host a screening event regularly, it might be wise to buy some equipment or find a reputable place you can hire from. 

But what are the essentials? 

A screen, a projector, a sound system and a DVD or Blu-Ray player. 

When searching for a projector, you’ll need to consider contrast ratio and lumens count. A higher contrast ratio will provide more detail on the screen, and lumens are the measurement of brightness you get from a projector. 

Sound quality is crucial, too. Think about where to position the speakers, whether to use a mixing desk and whether the venue’s existing facilities are suitable. It could be helpful to consult a sound expert to make sure everything is of high quality. Poor sound quality could place the whole screening event in jeopardy. 

List your event

So, you’ve got an idea for your film screening event, you’ve secured a venue, found some equipment and all your licences are sorted. 

Now it’s time to list your event. 

This is where we come in. You can list your screening event on The Promotion Centre. It’s free to use, you can sign up within minutes and we don’t make you wait for authorisation for your event to go live. You could have your tickets ready to sell within a couple of hours. 

You’ll be able to pick your venue, create tickets and use features like Discount Codes, Reps and ticket sale data to help you sell tickets and analyse your event after it has finished.

Make your screening event a reality by signing up below. 

Get promoting

Once you’ve listed the tickets for your screening event, it’s time to promote. After all, without any promotion, who will know about all the great films or sports you’re showing? 

Social media can help you here. Run competitions for tickets, create entertaining posts promoting your screening event and run paid ads to let people know about the things you are doing. 

We’ve got lots of blog posts that will help make sure you attract attendees to your screening event. Take a look at them here.

Consider funding and sponsorship opportunities 

Screening events cost money to run. Equipment purchase or hire, venue hire and the fees for any speakers mount up. So, looking for funding options might be an option. 

If you’re working as part of a team, you might be able to each put in some money to contribute to the project as a whole. But we understand that’s not possible for everyone. 

This is where external funding comes in. Institutions like the Arts Council have grants that can support a project, but you’ll need to ensure you have a clear idea about the audience of your project.

Crowdfunding is an option, too. If your screening event is based around local LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, for example, it makes sense to ask people to donate. People from the community are contributing to something that would serve them.

Sponsorships and partnerships can also help. Consider searching for a brand that can provide you with funding. Check out our article on brand partnerships below.