If your society only screens to bona fide members and does not advertise its screenings to the general public, it does not come under the scope of the Cinemas Act, and does not require a cinema licence.
If your society allows admission to the general public then it requires a cinema licence. If, however, the venue is used for screenings only occasionally, i.e. normally less than six times a year (this figure may vary from area to area), then no licence is required providing appropriate notice has been given to the local authority, fire authority and police before each screening. You should check with your local authority’s Licensing Department to see if this applies to your society’s screenings in a venue.
At the time of writing, new legislation, the Licensing Act 2003, is due to come in force which will supercede the Cinemas Act 1985. Although this act requires all premises to be licensed (with no exemptions), it is not yet clear what the details or impact on film societies are yet, particularly in Scotland.
If in doubt, always check with your local authority’s Licensing Department. Links to all the local authority Licensing Departments are given below:
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