Would you like to show an NFB film to a group of people in your community within Canada?
We can help!
Table of Contents
How do I organize a community screening in Canada?
Find a venue or choose a virtual platform – Will your screening be virtual or in-person? If it will be in-person, where do you want to show the film? Unless you have your own public space, we suggest that groups approach public libraries, school auditoriums, lecture halls, church facilities, and community centres as host venues. These spaces can often be made available “free of charge” if the venue can be an event “sponsor.” You should find out if they have projection equipment — a projector, laptop or DVD player, and some type of screen and speaker system is usually all you need to show one of our films. If you would like to have a virtual screening, you will need to decide on the platform best suited for your audience.
Plan your publicity strategy – How will people find out about the screening? Will you create a Facebook page? Print postcards or put up posters? Phone people? E-mail them? Getting people out to an event is a big job, so you need to have a plan.
Contact the NFB to request your screening – We need to know the details of your screening in order to provide you with the film (or films) for your event. Contact us at communityscreenings@nfb.ca to book your screening or for help in finding the right film or planning a program.
Track your screening’s attendance numbers – Please make note of the number of people who attend each in-person or virtual screening. This assists us in recognizing the outreach of NFB films. You may estimate the number of attendees if you can’t give us an exact figure.
What will the NFB do?
We send you the film: usually either a downloadable digital file or streaming link (which we e-mail to you), or a physical DVD or Blu-ray (which we ship to you). For many of our recent titles, we can also send you the Electronic Press Kit, which contains the film synopsis, biography of the filmmaker, downloadable images, background information on the film, and a poster file that you can use for online promotion or print yourself. We can also promote your screening on our Events page, which you may link to from your website or social media pages.
Can I have a virtual screening?
Yes! Many groups have been hosting virtual screening events using web-based platforms in order to stay connected and engaged within their communities. For more information about organizing a virtual screening, e-mail us at communityscreenings@nfb.ca.
Have questions?
Contact us at: communityscreenings@nfb.ca for screenings within Canada, info@nfb.ca for screenings outside of Canada, or see answers to our Frequently Asked Questions below.
We want audiences to have the best audiovisual experience possible. Whether your screening is virtual or in-person, we can supply a wide array of formats. We can e-mail electronic files (.mp4 or .mov), provide time-sensitive streaming links, or in some cases ship physical copies (projection quality DCPs). In the latter case, we cover the cost of shipping the film to you. You would cover the cost of returning it to us after your event.
For most of our recent titles, we can provide an Electronic Press Kit, which includes graphics for the film as well as additional information that could be helpful in your promotion or in a post-screening discussion, such as the trailer, synopsis, director biography, credits, etc.*Please remember to acknowledge the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in your promotion.Events Page: We will promote your screening on our Events page, which you can use to promote your screening directly, or provide a link to it from your website or social media pages.Social Media: If you create a Facebook event page for your screening, simply include the NFB as a co-host; this will allow us to share your event among our social media followers too. You can populate your event page with the graphics, clips, and descriptions found in the Electronic Press Kit.
Free Admission: If you have a free screening that’s open to the public, then we are usually able to waive the rental fee and lend you the film free-of-charge. Yes, groups can accept donations as a means to cover costs; however, admission cannot be a barrier to entry.Charging Admission: You may charge admission if you wish; however, this makes your screening a “theatrical” screening with respect to the rights of the film. In this case, we would need to charge a rental fee. The rental fee can either be a flat rate (which varies, depending on the film length, year of production, etc.), or a percentage of the door admissions. If you decide to charge admission, we would have a contract prepared and signed prior to the screening. You would then be sent an invoice and payment instructions from our Finance Department.
Contact us as soon as possible to discuss your request. In addition to the time needed by the NFB team to provide you with the requested film format, you will also need time to promote your screening and to test the film using your equipment. If there are any technical issues, this will give us time to resolve them.
We have a vast collection of documentary and animated films (over 13,000!), so we know that selecting the right film can sometimes be a bit tricky.If you would like to browse our titles yourself, you can explore NFB films here. If you already have a specific topic or theme in mind, you can browse by subject here.Or, let our experts help! We would be happy to suggest films or help curate the perfect film program for your event. E-mail us at communityscreenings@nfb.ca.