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Showing a movie to a group outside your own home almost always takes a public performance license. That covers HOA and church movie nights, movies in the park, school fundraisers, and company events, free or paid. The organization hosting the event holds the license, which covers a specific title, date, and location and usually costs a few hundred dollars per showing.
This is a general explanation of how licensing works, not legal advice. For a specific situation, check with the licensing agent or an attorney.
What the law says
US copyright law gives a movie’s owner the exclusive right to perform it publicly (17 U.S.C. § 106). A performance is public if it happens at a place open to the public, or anywhere a substantial number of people gather beyond a normal circle of family and friends (17 U.S.C. § 101).
Buying a DVD, renting a movie online, or paying for a streaming service lets you watch at home. The right to show that movie to a crowd is licensed separately.
Who needs a license
- HOAs and apartment communities. A movie on the amenity center lawn counts, even if only residents come.
- Churches. Movie nights, youth group showings, and outdoor family nights all need one.
- Cities and parks departments. Movies in the park are the textbook case.
- Schools, PTAs, and booster clubs. Family movie nights, fundraisers, and end-of-year parties are public performances.
- Businesses. Company picnics, customer events, and promotional screenings need one too.
The classroom exception
Teachers and students at a nonprofit school can show a movie during face-to-face teaching, in a classroom or similar place of instruction, using a lawfully made copy (17 U.S.C. § 110(1)). University copyright offices consistently read this narrowly. It covers a film used as part of a lesson. A family movie night, a PTA fundraiser, a reward party, or a screening on the football field still needs a license.
Who holds the license
The license is issued to the organization presenting the movie, such as the HOA, church, PTA, or city. A screen rental company can request it and handle the paperwork, but it stays in the host’s name. Because it covers a specific date or date range, a rescheduled event may need an updated one.
Two details catch people out.
- Outdoor showings may need their own license. Annual site or umbrella licenses, held by some schools, libraries, churches, and businesses, often cover indoor showings only and usually leave out publicly advertised events. Check the terms before you rely on one. An outdoor event usually needs a separate single-event license.
- Some titles aren’t available. A few films have no public performance rights on offer. Confirm your title before you put it on a flyer.
How much does a movie license cost?
A single outdoor showing typically costs a few hundred dollars, commonly around $300 to $650. The price depends on the title, the expected audience, any admission charge, and the venue. The licensing agent quotes an exact price once you give them these details.
| What the licensing agent will ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Movie title | Rights and prices vary by title and studio. |
| Date and start time | The license covers specific dates. |
| Location, and whether it’s outdoors | Outdoor showings are often licensed separately. |
| Expected attendance | Larger audiences can cost more. |
| Admission or concession sales | Charging money can change the terms and price. |
| How you’ll promote it | Terms on advertising the title vary, so ask before you print flyers. |
| Host organization’s legal name | The license is issued in the host’s name. |
Where to get a license
Two agents license most studio films for public showings, Swank Motion Pictures and Criterion Pictures USA. Each represents a different set of studios, so the movie you pick decides which one you call. Swank has a team just for outdoor screenings. Either can tell you quickly whether a title is available for your date.
Steps to license a movie
- Pick two or three titles you’d be happy to show.
- Find out which agent represents each title, and ask if it’s available for your date and for an outdoor showing.
- Give the agent the details from the table above and get a written quote.
- Pay for the license in your organization’s name and keep the confirmation with your event file.
- Promote the event within the license terms.
If you skip the license
Studios and their licensing agents do contact organizers of unlicensed public screenings, outdoor movie series included. The usual first step is a demand for the license fee. If it goes further, copyright law allows statutory damages of $750 to $30,000 per work, and up to $150,000 if the infringement is willful (17 U.S.C. § 504(c)). Against that, a few hundred dollars for a license is a small cost, and it spares a volunteer board an awkward conversation.
Discs sold with public performance rights
Some educational distributors sell documentaries and independent films with public performance rights included, and the packaging or the distributor’s site says so. For a mainstream studio movie, plan on a single-event license.
How we handle it
When you add the movie night kit ($195) to a DFW Big Screens booking, we coordinate the license request with the agent, confirm the title is available for your date and venue, and set up FM audio and playback. The license fee is billed at cost, in your organization’s name. Send a booking request and tell us the title you have in mind, or see how the evening runs on the outdoor movie nights page.
