Screening rights inquiries in the UK

Rob Koeling · Post by **Rob Koeling** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:57 am

A local jazz group would like to write a score for a silent film as a project. I've got plenty of ideas for titles, but am struggling to find information on screening rights for most titles I'm considering.

The easiest thing would be to pick a Photoplay title. I would love to do only 35mm screenings, but since they would like to do a tour with it, I am afraid that that will not feasible. They seem to be very reluctant to allow digital screenings.

The BFI used to have an information service for this kind on questions, but the woman I just spoke to told me that they had stopped that service, had no idea who else could supply that service and advised me 'to have a look on the internet'....

I had a few BFI titles in mind. But I'm not sure who to approach.

There are some people here who have organised screenings of silents in the UK. Advice anyone?

- Rob

urbanora · Post by **urbanora** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:48 pm

That is sad news if the beleaguered BFI National Library can't answer such enquiries at this time. The enquirer could ask for help at the British Universities Film & Video Council, (http://www.bufvc.ac.uk), which chiefly serves UK universities but their information service tries to be as help as it can (ask for Sergio).

Aside from Photoplay, the three main distributors of silents in the UK are the BFI themselves (http://www.bfi.org.uk/distribution), Hollywood Classics (http://www.hollywoodclassics.com) and Park Circus (http://www.parkcircus.com).

Post by **silentfilm** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:20 pm

Can you share some of the titles that you are considering? If 16mm is acceptable for your screenings, you may be able to purchase, rent or borrow a print from a collector.

Rob Koeling · Post by **Rob Koeling** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:38 am

Thanks Luke! I'll contact BUFVC and report back.
I have used BFI Distribution before (but the person I used to contact doesn't seem to be there anymore) and used Park Circus quite a lot when helping to program a film series for kids a few years ago.

I wasn't aware of HollywoodClassics. Very nice to have whole catalogue available online. Some good titles available as well.

Bruce, I was considering 16mm prints myself, but that might not be entirely practical (since I won't be in the position to tour with them to do the film shows). Also, Even if we have access to a 16mm print, we would still need to know what the screening rights situation is.

But having said that, I am open for suggestions. At the moment the following potential titles are on my list:

The Man who laughs - Paul Leni (US, 1928)
cat and the canary - Paul Leni (US, 1927)
The hands of Orlac - Robert Wiene (Germany, 1924)

Blackmail - Hitchcock (UK, 1929)

The Cheat - Cecil B. DeMille (US, 1915)

Piccadilly - EA Dupont (UK, 1929)

- Rob

Post by **silentfilm** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:45 am

I don't know what titles are copyrighted in the UK. However, The Cat and the Canary and The Cheat are public domain in the USA, so for a PD title you could screen it without any rights issues.

I don't know who handles performance rights in the UK, but when we screen a copyrighted 16mm print in the USA we purchase the rights from Swank (or occasionally a different rights holder) and then have the show. This applies even if the film print is from our private collection and Swank can't supply us with a rental print.