This guide will help you understand how to host your own successful activist movie screening. If you would like to download a copy, click here.

Choose a location near a captive facility. Here are some examples in America:
• Brookfield Zoo, Illinois
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium
• Discovery Cove
• Dolphin Quest Hawaii
• Dolphin Quest Oahu
• Dolphin Research Center
• Dolphins Plus
• Georgia Aquarium
• Gulf World Marine Park
• Gulfarium
• Indianapolis Zoo
• Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, Mississippi
• Long Marine Laboratory / Institute of Marine Sciences, Seymour Center
• National Aquarium in Baltimore
• Marineland of Florida
• Miami Seaquarium
• Mote Marine Laboratory
• Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration (only Beluga whales)
• National Aquarium in Baltimore
• Science Applications International Corporation / Spawar (military, NMMP)
• Sea Life Park Hawaii
• SeaWorld San Diego, California
• SeaWorld Orlando, Florida
• SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas
• Shedd Aquarium, Illinois
• Six Flags Marine World’s Shouka Stadium, San Francisco
• Texas State Aquarium
• Theater of the Sea
• The Dolphin Connection
• The Dolphin Institute / Kewalo Bassin
• The Mirage Dolphin Habitat (also known as Siegfried & Roy’s Dolphin Habitat), Las Vegas
• Walt Disney World’s The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion

Screening Choice:

• Note that a public showing of any film requires permissions or a license, and those licenses may have restrictions on how you can advertise it. There cannot be a fee charged to see this film.
• Most public movie theatres and public libraries have the appropriate licenses to screen this film but it needs to be confirmed once the venue is chosen.

Local Group Organizers:

• Event must be hosted by a local group/campaign
• If there is no local group or campaign, start one
• Set up a Facebook Page/Event Page
• See “how to start a local campaign” here

Fundraising For The Event:
• Once there is a local group/campaign in place to host this event, funds will be needed to book the venue and for printing of promotional flyers
• Plan on the following budget

1. Venue rental $340
2. Event Insurance (needed for events over 100 in attendance) $90 www.safeguardme.com
3. printing costs $200
4. other (water sales/merchandise sales) $200+
5. total of about $1,000

• Use gofundme.com to collect donations for the event. Begin this fundraising as soon as you have decided to host the event

Choosing a Venue:

• The best choice for a venue would be the Public Library
• Rent is the most affordable
• Many have auditoriums to rent with screens for movie screenings
• Look for an auditorium with a large seating capacity (200-300)
• The venue you plan to use must have a premises license which includes ‘film’ (your venue may already have this but you need to check) Secondly, you need a film license, which the venue should have for free screenings. If not, a temporary license to screen can be purchased online.
• Make sure to book for 3.5 hours. 30 minutes to set up. 30 minutes to seat. 90 minutes for screening. 30-45 minutes for Q&A and 15 minutes to clear out and clean up.

Promoting The Event:

• Make a Flyer stating the Screening is Free (If with a Guest Appearance) with the location and time and date.
•  Promote event page on Facebook to all social media outlets
• 1-2 weeks before the event, meet with local college/university theatre/drama departments and inform them of the event.
• Post flyers around the campus. Colleges have to pre-approve and stamp the flyers before they are posted to the bulletin boards around campus.
• 5 Days before event, send a press release about the event to all local television/radio/newspaper media.

Fundraising At The Event:

• sell Dolphin Project merchandise
• donation box
• brochures (make a brochure on Microsoft publisher educating about captive facility in the area)
• drink/snack sales
  • Double check with venue on whether food is allowed in venue. Even if just water is allowed, sell water.
• silent auction
  • -Signed merchandise/books
  • -local contributions
  • -spa, restaurant, sports tickets, art

Event Checklist:

• Start from a local group/campaign (Guide Here)
• make Facebook event page (Example Here)
• collect funds for event (gofundme)
•  book venue (2 months from event date)
•  purchase event insurance (1 month out) www.safeguardme.com
•  print out (300 or more) brochures on captive facility (one month out) (Example Here)
•  Print out (300 or more) Event flyers (one month out) (Example Here)
•  promote event with event flyers at colleges/universities (2 weeks out)
•  send press release to media (one week out) (Example Here)
•  contact local businesses for auction donations (1 month out)