The new arrangement with Roadshow concerning DVD/BluRay non-theatrical screening rights starts on 1 January. Here’s how it works.

If your organisation has 32 or fewer members you will pay $40 + GST (total $44) per screening, a reduction of $11 on the present rate.

Societies with membership between 33 and 82 will pay $50 + GST (total $55), per screening (no change).

Larger societies will pay more, but still a lot less than theatrical rates. Those with memberships between 83 and 166 will pay $75 + GST per screening, while those between 167 and 332 will pay $100 + GST. Above 332 members the cost is subject to negotiation. The arrangement will run from 1 January until 31 December 2013, when it may be looked at again.

The above rates will apply to all film societies, provided they can prove they are not-for-profit, operate by subscription and don’t charge admission fees to non-theatrical screenings. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to phone or email (contact details at bottom of page 2). We still don’t know if other distributors are going to adopt these rates. When we find out, you’ll be the first to know.

The National Film and Sound Archive has a different scale of fees that was put in place only recently. So that won’t change for a while.