Movie Licensing

All movies shown at the YMCA should have a license obtained to be able to show them. This applies to both paid and nonpaid events.

Showing movies indoors:

Criterion can issue a blanket license for showing movies indoors at the YMCA. Their information is located here. 

    A few things to keep in mind:

    1. Even if we own the copy of the movie, there has to be a license to show it.

    2. If we are charging for the movie, we can't promote via social media or our website the movie     we are showing, but just the concept of the movie. Ex: "Movie night at the Y featuring a squashbuckling adventure!" We CAN hang posters inside the Y (only) that state the name of the     movie, and email out to parents the name of the movie.

    3. Staff should weigh the cost of licensing the movie with the overall vision of the event to determine if it is worth showing the movie at this cost. 

    4. The average cost of an umbrella license is $230 per facility and will be valid for one year.

Showing movies outdoors:

MPLC and Swank are the two primary studios that will licesne usage of movies for outdoor showings. The difference will be who owns the film. Please see links for the complete lists of which studios are represented by each company. 

    A few things to keep in mind:

    1. There are many things that will influence the price of the movie to be shown outdoors. These     are items such as when the movie was released, the season it is shown, how many people it is shown to, and what type of event it is being shown in. Average price is around $200.

    2. Even if we own the movie, a license must be obtained to show it.

    3. There are tight deadlines on returning movies if they have to be rented from these companies. Fines start to be assessed if not returned on time.