Parish / School Screening Agreement

Template only. Adapt to your production and have a lawyer review before use.

Parish / School Screening Agreement

Licensor: [RIGHTS HOLDER: PRODUCTION COMPANY OR DISTRIBUTOR], [ADDRESS] ("Licensor")
Licensee: [PARISH / SCHOOL / MINISTRY LEGAL NAME], [ADDRESS] ("Licensee"), acting through [NAME, TITLE]
Film: [TITLE] ([YEAR], running time [MINUTES] min, rated [RATING / NOT RATED]) (the "Film")

This agreement is the public performance license for the screenings described below. Showing a film to a group outside the home, even for free and even in a church, needs permission from the rights holder; a purchased disc, a streaming subscription or a download does not include that permission. Signed by Licensor, this document is that permission.

Terms

1. License. Licensor grants Licensee a non-exclusive license to exhibit the Film once per screening listed in clause 2, to a live audience at the named venue, using the copy Licensor supplies or approves. No other use is licensed.
2. Screenings. Date(s) and time(s): [DATES / TIMES]. Venue: [PARISH HALL / SCHOOL AUDITORIUM / CHURCH / OUTDOOR LAWN], [ADDRESS]. Expected attendance: [NUMBER]; venue capacity: [NUMBER]. Additional screenings require a written addendum and may carry an additional fee.
3. Admission. [CHOOSE ONE]
   • Free admission. No charge of any kind at the door.
   • Free admission with a free-will donation [TO THE PARISH / TO A NAMED CHARITY / SHARED WITH LICENSOR AS SET OUT IN CLAUSE 4]. Donations must be voluntary and never a condition of entry.
   • Ticketed. Tickets at $[AMOUNT], sold by [LICENSEE / LICENSOR'S PLATFORM]. Licensee will report attendance and gross receipts within [NUMBER] days after each screening.
4. License fee. [A FLAT FEE OF $[AMOUNT] / [PERCENT]% OF GROSS TICKET RECEIPTS WITH A MINIMUM OF $[AMOUNT] / [PERCENT]% OF DONATIONS COLLECTED / NO FEE, WAIVED FOR THESE SCREENINGS], payable [ON SIGNING / WITHIN [NUMBER] DAYS AFTER THE SCREENING]. The fee covers the public performance right only; venue, equipment and staffing costs are Licensee's.
5. Delivery of the Film. Licensor will provide [A DCP / A BLU-RAY / A SECURE DOWNLOAD LINK / A STREAMING LINK] by [DATE]. Licensee will use it only for the licensed screenings, will not copy it, and will return or delete it within [NUMBER] days after the last screening. Licensee is responsible for testing playback in advance on the equipment it will use.
6. No recording, no streaming. Licensee will not record, photograph the screen, livestream or otherwise transmit the Film, and will make a brief announcement to the audience to that effect. A question-and-answer session or talk after the screening may be recorded as long as it does not include the Film itself.
7. Promotional materials. Licensor grants Licensee the right to use the Film's title, approved poster, stills, trailer and synopsis to promote the licensed screenings only, in the bulletin, on the website and social media, and in local press, unaltered except for the addition of screening details. Licensee will not suggest Licensor's endorsement of any other cause or event. Licensor may provide a promotional kit.
8. Content and audience. Licensee has previewed the Film or reviewed its rating and content guidance and confirms that it is suitable for the intended audience. Licensee decides whether to admit minors and is responsible for any parental notice.
9. Speakers and guests. [OPTIONAL] Licensor will make [DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / SUBJECT] available for a discussion [IN PERSON / BY VIDEO], with travel and lodging [PAID BY LICENSEE / PAID BY LICENSOR / NOT REQUIRED].
10. Licensor's assurances. Licensor confirms that it holds the rights needed to grant this license, including public performance rights in the Film and its music for the place of the screening, and will defend Licensee against any claim that a licensed screening infringes a third party's rights.
11. Licensee's responsibilities. Licensee is responsible for the venue, its safety and capacity limits, ushers, accessibility, and any permits the venue itself requires. Licensee will not sublicense, move a screening to another venue, or admit more than capacity.
12. Cancellation. Licensee may cancel with at least [NUMBER] days' notice and receive a refund of any fee paid, less $[AMOUNT] for handling; later cancellation forfeits the flat fee. Licensor may cancel if the Film's availability changes and will then refund all fees paid. A weather or emergency postponement is rescheduled by agreement, without extra fee, within [NUMBER] days.
13. General. This agreement is the whole agreement about the screenings, may be changed only in writing, and is not assignable by Licensee. Nothing here creates a partnership or agency.

Signatures

Licensor
Signature: ______________________________
Printed name and title: [NAME, TITLE]
Date: ______________

Licensee
Signature: ______________________________
Printed name and title: [NAME], [PASTOR / PRINCIPAL / MINISTRY LEAD]
Date: ______________

Notes for parishes (delete before signing)

• If the Film is distributed by a company rather than by the filmmaker, the distributor usually controls screening rights; ask who is entitled to sign as Licensor.
• Some Catholic streaming platforms bundle parish screening permission into a parish subscription. Check the platform's terms before paying for a license twice.
• Keep the signed agreement with the parish records for the event; it is your proof of license if anyone asks.