Movie License Info
FYI, last year we purchased a blanket license from Motion Picture Licensing Corp. (http://www.mplc.com) because it was affordable, although it does not cover a lot of the big Hollywood studios. Of the studios covered, the only ones we've screened movies from are Sony Pictures Classics, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Buena Vista Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures. They charge us $385 per year for unlimited showings, which works out to be affordable for us. Even though we don't get huge crowds, this kind of programming doesn't require a great deal of staff effort, we get lots of little ones at the vacation week Disney screenings, and every year there are a handful of well-known new movies on DVD that attract adults (e.g. Little Miss Sunshine, Fast Food Nation, Notes on a Scandal (all 2007), The Namesake, The Simpsons Movie, etc.
The other major licensing company is Movie Licensing USA (http://www.movlic.com). They cover a lot more major studios but charge bucket loads more money. Instead, we pay them $75 a pop for the occasional movie from them that we want to screen.
I believe both companies adjust pricing to reflect the size of your community, so it never hurts to ask for a quote.
One thing to know is that neither company allows libraries to advertise the movie titles they're screening outside of the library (i.e. beyond your newsletter and your in-library posters).
